What Does Good “Trauma-Informed Writing” Look Like?

Over recent years, the term trauma-informed has become en vogue in the mental health arena. But what does trauma-informed mean for a practitioner’s content? What conditions or guidelines does it imply should be present in the writing and supporting content (e.g., videos)? Hand drawing heart, congerdesign from Pixabay What does trauma informed even mean? To first understand…

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What Sets Authors Apart

Writing has never been more competitive, if only because technology is reducing the barrier to entry for the craft. But when an author stands out, it’s often not because of anything quantifiable — it’s because they have a power and focus behind their writing and the way they market it. Writers are notoriously burdened by…

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How to Enter a Writing Contest

Writing contests are designed to recognize outstanding authors. They’re a good way to add some credibility to what you’ve written. Here’s what to consider and how to enter without getting overwhelmed. Fountain pen by günter from Pixabay; Trophy cup outline by Crazy Monday Studio; compiled by Wanda Thibodeaux via Canva Pro Verify validity Plenty of legitimate contests…

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When Is a Writers Conference Worth It?

Over the past year or two, I’ve been looking into a range of writing conferences. As someone who works entirely from home without a team, these kinds of events are the primary way I stay up-to-date about my craft and connect with other people in the industry. Book and people in auditorium, StockSnap from Pixabay But not…

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Will Publishers Reject Long Books?

Back in middle and high school, I had no problem picking up books like Les Miserables and Anna Karenina. I wasn’t scared by length, and in fact, I found it a little comforting — I knew I’d have something to do, and the characters would be my friends longer. Book, ?♡?♡? Julita ?♡?♡? from Pixabay But today,…

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Write When You Mean It

These days, writers are advised to have a social media presence — tools like Instagram or Threads don’t have to be the only place we are, but the mantra is that writers need to be posting content consistently to engage with readers, show their expertise, and improve their overall platform size. That’s made a lot…

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Why You Need to Schedule Time to Do Nothing on Your Book

You can’t dilly-dally these days as an author. Time to market matters more than ever if you want your writing to bring in an income that’s viable enough to cover your bills. But if you look at your production schedule, is there time to… …do nothing? Relaxing, Penny from Pixabay It feels counterintuitive to digitally or physically…

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Why I Can’t Support (Most) Writing NDAs Anymore

Over my 20 years as a writer, I’ve dealt with my fair share of contracts, most of which are garden variety fare laying out the scope of the project and the terms for compensation. But increasingly, I’ve encountered contracts that also include nondisclosure agreements (NDAs). There are legitimate instances where NDAs make sense. If there’s…

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If You Want Readers to Follow You, Stop Posting (So Much)

For a while now, I’ve maintained three different publication branches — Takingdictation (my business), Faithful on the Clock (my faith-based podcast), and Unstealing Joy (my trauma recovery work). Having multiple irons in the fire means that I consistently post many messages per week across my accounts. But I don’t post superfluously. Each post either 1)…

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