Tag - motivation

That One Motivating Writing Tip

Musings from the Pipeline with Jan Fix ~~I'm always looking for it. That one writing tip that will stick with me like glue, send me over the top to the finish line. My least favorite tips but most often heard: Write for 20 minutes every morning.  Commit to 500 words a day.  Cut something out of your life to make time to write.   I don't know about you, but the regimens don't work for me.  I must be inspired, moved, and...

“Writer’s Block” Doesn’t Even Come Close to This One!

Morning Musings from the Pipeline with Jan Fix. This quickie blog is not so much informative as it is hopefully relatable. For some reason, I feared writing this morning. Like I was scared to put my thoughts on paper. And so there I was on the back porch getting ready for some serious prose that I could just feel boiling within me, and pop. I put the pen and notebook away. I think I have a condition. Anyone else have...

Dithering Disguised as Writing

Order Sharon's roaring book via her website or Contact Us on the form at the right. New Bern, NC, author Sharon Phennah is just a charmer.  She's nutty and

The Legacy of a Spoon

Musings from the Pipeline, by Janet Fix I hold in my hand a spoon. It's 50 years old, this spoon, "older than you are," says my mom, as if that in itself is something to behold.  But it is neat, this spoon.  It's from a silver set she was given the December before I was born, during a "girls night out" event in honor of my mother and li'l ol' me-to-be.  Mom has only two items left from the whole set:...

Honeybee Humdinger

~~Recommendations from the Pipeline ~~ You know if Blake Shelton sings about it, it’s got to be good.  In fact, everything is good about honeybees. They’re smart:  They’ve been around for millions of years so they know some things. They’re food-creators:  In fact, they are the only insects that provide a food product for man—honey!  Unless you actually eat insects, of course. They’re talented: Honeybees communicate with each other by “dancing.” They’re “green”:  Honeybees are environmentally friendly and give the world its eco-balance through pollination...

The Author Within Each of Us

~~ By Editor Janet Fix ~~ A Pipeline Contribution I recently started this:  http://nogoofs.blogspot.com/, a CONVERSATION CUBBY  for editors and authors, in hopes  to increase awareness of the needs of each other.  In my current interactions in the industry, I see self-publishing taking a step back slightly and, instead, responsibility in writing taking a step forward.  The inevitable bond that must take place between a professional editor and an author (new or not), I suspect, will contain many important elements for ultimate...

What a Child Wants in a Book

By Janet Fix, wordshaper :: Reading to children is such a joy, particularly if the story is filled with plenty of opportunity for showing off my thespian skills. The kids love it. But it's the story that gets me there, and so I wanted to offer a few simple guidelines that make a children's story a dynamite opportunity for bonding and fun.   From a child's perspective: 1. Characters with pet peeves, weird personality traits, or silly quirks are super fun.  We can...

It’s All Greek to Me

~~ Pipeline Musings by Janet Fix As I write my first novel, which is based in the sweet li'l town of Tarpon Springs, I am reminded of the importance of Greece historically to our language systems, religion, mythology, food. The cultural traditions of Greek communities is fascinating. The following link provides us with a brief list of popular Greek terminology used frequently in current day conversation and writing.  http://www.dailywritingtips.com/greek-words/ I would be interested to know additional insights you may have regarding the Greek...