Yourself OR Others // Which Will It Be?
Here’s the question: Is your highest duty to yourself or to others? As a writer, as a mother, as a woman, as a follower of The Way, as a neighbor, as a sister, my answer is usually the same. Answering as a writer: myself or my audience? As a writer I am not just holed up in a corner of a hut journaling in a book I plan to burn before the ink dries–I’m out there, I’m blogging, I’m submitting articles, I’m pitching books to literary agents, I’m guest posting, I’m thinking about… Read More
Celebrating 200 Years // North American Review
The North American Review was founded in 1815. It is the oldest literary magazine in the US and it publishes out of my alma mater: University of Northern Iowa. In the early 2000’s I was a graduate student in the Masters of English Creative Writing program and one of my first memories of launching into graduate study was knocking on the door of the North American Review. I was 22 years young, pregnant and living in the basement of a Mennonite church. I had no fears knocking on that NAR door because… Read More
HOW TO PLAN YOUR OWN WRITING RETREAT (based on the awesome one I just had)
I have just returned from an epic writing retreat. Maybe it was epic because it was my first one, ever. Or maybe it was epic because of what happened at the end of it. Suspend the next eight minutes with me as I take you on my writing retreat and you might get some tips to create your own writing retreat that will have you on a spiritual high like I was at the end of mine. The punch line is this: I FINISHED MY NOVEL! “Now, wait,” you say, “didn’t you… Read More
HOW TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE (HINT: SET YOUR ALARM)
I recently read an inspiring article about a man who gets up everyday at 4:22am. Not 4:15. Not 4:30. 4:22. He generously took readers through each moment of his day from the minutes he eats breakfast to what he reads on his commute to work. He sounded fulfilled, satisfied and very very productive. I hate that in people. Actually I love it. I was intrigued and also a little jealous of this dude’s tenacious way of being each day. He accomplished much and took very good care of himself: eating crazy delicious… Read More
Claire DeBerg // Writer 