Holy Homesteading

Digital marketing 101: Tips for a modern age

I hate sales. I always have. I don't like when people try to sell me things I don't want or need. I find it absolutely infuriating. And I always thought marketing was about sales, so I thought I hated marketing. Then I started to do marketing. I wasn't selling. I was writing copy, telling stories,Continue reading "Digital marketing 101: Tips for a modern age"

Finding the Next Step

“If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.”― Confucius It was common for my business professors to quote Confucius and I always wondered what they meant by it. Were they jokingly saying they were sick of teaching? Were they challenging us, as students, to learn our way intoContinue reading "Finding the Next Step"

Simplifying new year’s resolutions

New year's resolutions have a bad reputation. Most people fall off their chosen bandwagon in less than a month, but that doesn't have to be the case. The problem is we see resolutions as complicated, large, life-changing things. Instead, we need to see resolutions as smaller, positive shifts in our lifestyles. If we believe inContinue reading "Simplifying new year’s resolutions"

Un-gifting Perfectionism

I'm prepping and planning for the most joyful day of the year, today, Christmas. The goal in my mind is the perfect event: the kids will be adorable, the food delicious, my look flawless. But it won't be. Never totally is, at least in my mind. I made this confession to my Bible study buddyContinue reading "Un-gifting Perfectionism"

Go nuts: Make nut flour and butter for healthier holidays

Making peanut butter is boring. It takes way too long in my blender and it's a mess to clean up. But it's absolutely delicious! It's hard not to enjoy a spoonful once your blender is done hating you. Baking, on the other hand, is way more fun. I usually get flour and some syrupy mixtureContinue reading "Go nuts: Make nut flour and butter for healthier holidays"

Troubleshooting Stories

We've all heard about plotting vs pantsing but what gets overlooked is those of us who either start with a plot/world and those of us who start with character. Several of my writing friends always starts with character. I always start with a question that unravels into a plot and world. There are pros andContinue reading "Troubleshooting Stories"

Using the bullet journal system for work

As a kid, I loved my diaries. I wrote in them often, writing my childlike secrets across the lined pages. I preferred the small, chunky diaries with the shiny locks and covers with pictures of puppies. These were my prized possessions when I was young. Locking away my hopes and dreams felt important. As anContinue reading "Using the bullet journal system for work"

Being a Writer Curator

I've been doing some cleaning out of old files, papers, and documents. You know what I found? More boring than I care to admit. I'm not talking about old bills either. I found-gulp-boring stories. Stories that told everything from the day of my character from brushing teeth in the morning to turning off the lampContinue reading "Being a Writer Curator"

Affordable gift ideas for the writer in your life

‘Tis the season for celebrations, gift giving, and hot cocoa. Do you have a special writer in your life still on your list? Or maybe you are a writer and your loved ones keep asking you what you want for Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa) this year, but you don’t know what to ask for.Continue reading "Affordable gift ideas for the writer in your life"

DIY Calendula Lotion Bars

Tis the season of dry skin and my hands are no exception. Taking care of our hands as writers is important. I've had a jar of oil infused with calendula flowers sitting in my cupboard for about a year so it's ready to use for this very purpose. What is calendula? It's a flower, easyContinue reading "DIY Calendula Lotion Bars"

Overcoming writer’s indecision

When I first started writing in school, I was crippled by indecision. I’ve always been pretty good at beginnings, but I never finished a story because I was afraid I’d write the wrong ending. What if I write something that the readers don’t want? What if it’s not what the character wants? What if it’sContinue reading "Overcoming writer’s indecision"

5 Ways Kids Books Are Like Jelly

Have you ever made jelly or another type of preserve? It takes more than a recipe to get the results you want and kids books are very similar. Here's how: Recipe like Voice- To make jelly you need a recipe and the first few times I'd recommend sticking to it. However, now that I've madeContinue reading "5 Ways Kids Books Are Like Jelly"

Being thankful for the writing journey

As writers, it's easy to fall into many traps. No, I don't mean plot holes. I mean the human traps. Comparison. Fear of rejection. Worry. Unrealistic expectations. As we celebrate this season of thankfulness with food, shopping, and gift giving, let us also be thankful for this journey. Whether you've written three words this yearContinue reading "Being thankful for the writing journey"

Emotional Plotting

It's that time of year again! The time to dive deep, start drowning, and scramble back up to breath by December. It's time for National Novel Writing Month! If you didn't read Samantha's post about generational plotting be sure to check it out because I'll be building off of her thoughts here. Character is sovereignContinue reading "Emotional Plotting"

How to catch up when you’re behind on your word count

Are you behind on your word count for NaNoWriMo? Me, too. Let's catch up together. Here's how.

R&R

In the book world R&R means revise and resubmit. Which I will talk about another day. Because in my world this week R&R means rest and recovery. There is value in rest. My family of four got hit by the flu hard this week and I'm still trying to clean up the mess while nursingContinue reading "R&R"

How to create a generational timeline in 4 steps

Lately, I've been really interested in generational stories as well as stories told from multiple points of view. Naturally, I decided to create a generational story told from multiple points of view, which is what I’m working on for NaNoWriMo. I've never done this before, but I felt the story form inside of me and IContinue reading "How to create a generational timeline in 4 steps"

Negotiation No Go

A couple months ago I got that magical email that said "we'd like to publish your story." And before you get too excited, that's where the magic ended. I received a contract via email and I began the painful process of looking up how to negotiate a book contract solo. Folks this is why agentsContinue reading "Negotiation No Go"

How to start writing again

Writing is like working out or eating healthy. Doing it every day is really hard. You'll stumble upon challenges, roadblocks, and get distracted. You might lose progress or your sanity. But all are worthy commitments and causes. I've learned during my fitness journey that eating healthy and working out is a lifestyle. Mirriam-Webster defines "lifestyle"Continue reading "How to start writing again"

Visual Writing Prompts for NaNoWriMo

I think we've all fallen down the jumbo dragon hole of Pinterest at some point or another. Repeat offender over here. As a writer it can suck up all my time quicker than syrup on a pancake. On the other hand it gives me immersive and intense inspiration. Are the jewels hidden within Pinterest worthContinue reading "Visual Writing Prompts for NaNoWriMo"