Posts by Hillary
Homage to Rosie and Cinnamon
One of the events that most moved me over the past year was the tragic and joyful life and death of Rosie the Chihuahua. Rosie was the victim of a backyard breeder/hoarder who made money selling puppies, including from fashionable “designer” breeds. In their quest to create “teacups,” “merles,” and other designer dogs, many such…
Read MoreRecognizing and Valuing Your Successes. Part II: Character and Moral Successes
In my last newsletter, I discussed the importance of not undervaluing your work successes. Perfectionists tend to ignore or devalue all accomplishments other than “the big score,” which is a very demoralizing and demotivating mindset.) But it’s also important to recognize your “character successes,” and I list some types of those below. I decided to…
Read MoreNice Note! Student and Coaching Client Finishes Novel
A nice year-end missive from a student and coaching client: “I actually, with little fanfare, have finished my novel (the one I was working on in your Savvy Authors class). It didn’t take as much writing as I feared; it is about 75K words now. It may need a bit more, during editing, but not…
Read MoreMy Most-Read Posts from 2013
My most-read posts from 2013, in case you’ve missed any of them. Why, in Writing, Process Trumps Product, And Why You Shouldn’t Worry About The Quality of Your Work This is Called Situational Perfectionism Why You Shouldn’t Wait for Ideal Conditions to Start Your Project What to Do If You are Stuck in the Middle…
Read MoreThank you AmEx OpenForum…
…for including this blog on a list of The 10 Small Business Bloggers to Follow in 2014!
Read MoreTerrible Article in Salon Romanticizes “The Suffering Artist”
It actually promotes self-loathing as a productivity strategy! My comment: Sorry, this is the kind of grandiose macho posturing bunk that holds many writers back. Writing, absent perfectionism, is not that hard. And true self-loathing (as opposed to facile expressions of it) is far more likely to lead to a block than anything. There are…
Read MoreJoe Konrath and Barry Eisler vs. the Authors Guild and Old School Publishing
If you want a super introduction to the benefits of indie publishing, especially over traditional publishing, read Joe Konrath’s Newbie’s Guide to Publishing blog (and the book derived therefrom) and Konrath and Barry Eisler’s Be the Monkey (both available via Amazon). They were early visionaries and vocal proponents of indie publishing who helped liberate countless…
Read MoreBy Popular Demand: Billy on Parquet
He’s not so easy to photograph as he’s a wiggler. Also, he’s not the most facially expressive of dogs–it’s all in the eyes and body language. But here’s a pic. Oh, and we’ve had him two months and 0 “accidents” in the house. OLD DOGS RULE.
Read MoreWise Words From John Scalzi About Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Legacy
Related to my prior post on why you should take an expansive view of success, here are some wise words from science fiction author John Scalzi, one of my favorite bloggers. Inspired by the recent death of British SF writer Colin Wilson, he writes on why you should just do your work and not worry…
Read MoreHow to Measure Your 2013 Successes so as to have a Happier, More Productive 2014 (Part I)
As you evaluate your progress over the past year–or as your family attempts to evaluates it for you–one thing to keep in mind is that perfectionism often confuses success with failure. It basically recognizes just one kind of success, where you: (a) finish a monumental project, (b) do a spectacular job at it, and (c)…
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