If you haven’t jumped on the mindfulness bandwagon yet, it might be time to hop aboard. Mindfulness has many proven benefits, from reducing stress to eliminating body aches and pains to improving sleep. But your health isn’t the only thing that will profit from this popular meditation technique. Practicing mindfulness can boost your writing life too by increasing mental clarity, creativity, and concentration—which can be especially helpful when it comes to producing your best

Sunshine and warm days. It’s the perfect setting for doing the one thing every writer should do: read. Not only can you unwind with a good book, escape to another place, and take a break from your work; reading helps you cultivate your writing skills by teaching you how to use literary techniques effectively, broadening your vocabulary, and sparking creativity. The best part about summer reading is that there’s no shortage of book options. But if you’re wondering what to read

Spring will soon be upon Minnesota, and along with the warm sunshine, puddles of melting snow, and return of the red-winged black birds come writing events aplenty for the state’s word-loving youth. From young writer’s conferences to Minnesota’s first weekend-long word festival, the year 2019 offers a range of options for students to grow their craft and hone their skills. So without further ado, check out these eight spring writing events for Minnesota students and choose th

Spring Bluebell Flowers Purple Blue Scilla Bloom It’s that time again in Minnesota—time to get ready to enter a spring writing contest. This year’s offerings target everyone from fiction writers to poets to students in the great North Star State, so you’d be hard pressed not to find something that suits your style and interests. Check out the list of Spring 2017 writing contests for Minnesota writers below, then gear up to get creative, share your writing, and earn some recog

As I mentally prepare for our new puppy arriving in March, I contemplate how my writing life will be affected by the upcoming change. If I recall correctly, the last puppy (now all grown up) was a handful. I didn’t write much during that time, but it was also summer, a slower writing season for me anyway. Still, I wonder how much I could have really accomplished, between all the potty training, puppy classes, and general daily busyness of puppyhood. And then I think...wait a

Do you, like many of us writers, have those days when you wonder why you write? You think maybe all the effort you’re putting into your freelance career just isn’t paying off. You start to compare yourself to people who have “real” jobs. They have a regular schedule, a regular paycheck, an office to go to, and co-workers. You, on the other hand, work at home, sometimes at odd hours, often with little pay, sometimes with no pay, and mostly in solitude. No one really understand

There’s a lot to love about the state of Minnesota, but if you’re a writer living here, there’s even more to appreciate—all the great writing-related organizations. Whether you’re looking for an editor, a place to meet and network with other writers, or a writing class, the six listed below offer invaluable help, resources, and support. Take a look: Professional Editors Network (PEN). An organization for editors and others who work with words, PEN offers many benefits to its

If you like contests and you're good at making up words, especially wacky words, you're in luck. I’ve been invited to share information about a fun new contest from the author of the Night Buddies adventure series for kids. Interested word crafters, young and old, can read more about it at the Stories for Children/Family Matters blog. Top Five Winners will receive prizes. Deadline: June 15, 2013. Check out the contest flyer below: http://web.mail.comcast.net/service/home/~/Cr

If writing a “to do” list sounds like one more thing to do, it is. But if you’re a writer, it may be one of the most useful things you can do. I keep a total of three “to do” lists for my writing—a long-term project list, a weekly goals list, and a daily task list. They take a little time to write, but I couldn't be a writer without them. My long-term project list is the longest of the three. I write a new project list every season. Starting with my "active projects" (those I

I recently read an article that said the weight problem in America (over one-third of us is obese and two-thirds are overweight) can be partly blamed on sedentary jobs. I guess I should consider myself lucky because I don’t have a weight problem and I’m a writer. Then again, I don’t really think it’s luck that puts me in the minority. Sure, I may be blessed with high metabolism, but I also have a few tricks up my sleeve that I would be remiss not to share. Here’s what I do to