Author: tinafriesen

  • When they don’t like you

    Recently I was on a blogger’s site where another blogger posted, in no uncertain terms, that he did not want this blogger to follow him. There was a lot of outrage in the following comments, but then I saw a comment that I thought was very appropriate. It went like…

  • Only four stars?

    Recently I came across an organization that distributes books to readers on behalf of new authors in return for a review. I have not yet received any books for review, but today I read on the website that authors have been hurt because some of the reviewers gave them only…

  • Please like me. Please follow me.

    Last week I took Gretchen Rubin’s  Quiz: Do You Make Other People Happy? | LinkedIn. For those of you who don’t want to go to her site, here is the quiz: Do people seem to feel comfortable confiding in you? Do people seem to drift toward you? Join a conversation…

  • Happy landing

    I am awake at 4:00 a.m. and not able to fall back asleep. This happens fairly regularly. It is a great time for reading, and sometimes writing. Speaking of reading, one of the best books I have ever read is People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others and Resolve…

  • Writing the memoir

    Did you know that there is a difference between writing “memoirs’ and writing “a memoir?” Well, I didn’t. This week I have been reading Writing the Memoir by Judith Barrington (1997). Her book is unexpectedly delightful and inspiring. Memoirs are in the same category as autobiographies–a basic written account of facts–whereas,…

  • “From the moment you start putting words on the page…”

    I’m still on the subject of marketing yourself. Noelle Sterne shares some insights in her blog, Seven Lessons Reluctantly Learned from Publishing My First Book « FundsforWriters. The article comes after her success, but I think the first three points are important to consider even before you publish. Like the saying…

  • To unravel or not to unravel

    My mother, who suffered a stroke a year ago, has recently taught herself to knit. I keep in touch with her by phone because we live a thousand miles apart. I admire her spirit. She is determined not to let her physical limitations get her down. I have learned so…

  • Marketing myself

    The thought of marketing myself, or my product sends me into a state of sheer anxiety. Look, I’ll just put my writing out there and if nobody buys it, fine. Just, please, don’t even hint at the fact that I need to promote myself. I think this fear dates back…

  • On time management and self-discipline

    Has it come to this? Why of course! And we always knew it would, one day. Joking aside, I was reading Sally Stuart’s Guide to Publishing a few days ago and became motivated to make some changes. It happened because I recognized who I am as a writer and what…

  • How to avoid the post-Christmas blues

    I am taking up Jeff Goins’ suggestion to write about post-Christmas blues (see Goinswriter.com). Rather than having to overcome the blues, I prefer to anticipate and avoid the post-Christmas blues altogether. Here are some things I do. 1. I look at Christmas as a season, not a day. Throughout the…