Writing every day isn’t always easy, especially during December. I have to admit, there have been many days this month when I haven’t jotted down a single word, except maybe on a grocery list. For a writer, that’s bad. That’s my daily brain exercise neglected. If I kept up that routine, my writing would surely suffer. In fact, I can already feel the effects—I’m getting lazier at my computer, slower to draft that first sentence, and more easily distracted by other duties. That

Getting motivated to be productive during a long, cold month can seem daunting, for sure. But here’s an idea: why not begin with some easy, fun tasks that don’t actually require writing? I can think of three that might actually help kick-start your New Year: Get involved in the writing community. Take a class, sign up for an event, or check out local resources for writers. In Minnesota, there are lots of options for writers to get involved. I recently stumbled across this han