The Value of Handwriting

A friend of mine directed me to A Small Change, a blog about non-profit fundraising. Their Valentine's day post, Handwritten Notes, was interesting. While the topic is specifically for non-profit professionals, I think the author, Jason Dick, makes an excellent point that can be applied to writers as well. 
Putting pen to paper is very visceral and personal. I always find that my writing is better if I start there and then move to a keyboard. If you think about it, it's a whole different part of your brain, a another set of muscles in your hands and arms that you need to bring your message to life. You need patience to keep going. And it's a more physical act than submitting to a printer.
So, cheers to handwritten notes. May it bring the personal back into business correspondence.

Thick Skin and Resiliency: As Necessary as Ink and Paper to Writers

No matter what kind of writer you are, you have to be prepared to have people comment, discuss and critique your writing. In short, you need check your ego and develop a very thick skin and a resiliency. How do you create one?

Staying Inspired in 2011

About two weeks ago, I was rip-roaring for the new year to begin. I had my resolutions and one of my goals was to write. Write with wild abandon. Write like a crazy person. Write until my fingers fell off, then staple them back on my hands and keep going.

And then, everything changed...

Best in Blog: My Freelance Writer’s Manifesto

Today, a friend of mine asked me about how to start freelance writing. At first, I was a little dumbfounded. I work full-time, but I'm blessed to have a handful of carefully cultivated freelance clients I write for on the side.

Cheering on Simple Copy: Halls Pep Talk

Last week, I had a bit of a head cold and on my way to work, I grabbed a bag of Halls cough drops. Once I started opening the individual drops, I was surprised to find a little message, “Be unstoppable,” on one of the drop wrappers.