Rennie St. James's Blog: Ramblings, page 7

Mental Self-defense

You have the right and responsibility to defend your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and sexual health.

October 10th was World Mental Health Day, and I’d like to chat about that a bit.

If you’ve read previous blog entries or my books then you probably know I train in a martial art. More specifically, I train in aikido and have done so for a few years. I won’t bore you with details on my art, but that is the starting point for this blog.

Self-defense.

There are many dojos ...

Guest post: Catherine Greenall [Fact and Fiction]

Fact and Fiction?

2020 is definitely a year for the history books – toilet paper shortage, masks are commonplace (even in banks), and revolutions of multiple varieties rage on. It’s difficult to find the truth sometimes…which is yet another reason I love reading fiction.

Novels allow us another way to process reality, challenge our world view, and escape into new places.

If you are looking to expand your reality, keep reading below for a fascinating post by fellow author, Catherine ...

Self-discipline [aka 3 tips to not screw over your future self]

“Showing up is half the battle.”

If you’ve been to a Gold’s Gym, you may have seen this same quote. I chuckled at it as I pushed through the doors. I attended classes and used the treadmill regularly. I’m far from being an athlete, but I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

In fact, I feel that I have a pretty good handle on adulting. I take care of my responsibilities at work and home, with family and friends, etc. I feel like I make the effort to show up.

I have made the decision to s...

Guest post: Victoria J. Price [Angels and the afterlife]

If you follow me on any social media format, chances are you’ve seen at least one or two Supernatural memes, gifs, or posts from me! Part of my obsession with the show is Castiel! This means I am so excited to share the guest post below from Victoria J. Price!

Angels and the concept of an afterlife

Victoria J. Price

Where do we go when we die? It’s a question that’s always fascinated me. When I had the first few sparks of an idea for my YA fantasy series, the Daughter of the Phoenix, I knew th...

Writing Advice: Kiss – Marry – Kill (Guest post by Rennie St. James)

This post was so much fun to write! I hope you’ll check it out (and of course, feel free to comment or contact me). Then you need to stick around Brianna’s website for more fun!

Happy reading and writing!

-RSJ

 

Who’s up for a writer version of the game Kiss – Marry – Kill?

As soon as you Google ‘writing advice’ you’ll find a limitless supply of things to do and not do. First though, let’s start with the bottom line and then backtrack to discuss writing advice.

BOTTOM LINE: Yo...

Guest post: John Coon [Building a Whole New World]

When you hear ‘a whole new world’, do you burst into the Aladdin song as I do? Should I apologize now for getting that song in your head?

Okay, I am sorry and we will move on…

One of the best things about reading fantasy is banishing real world problems with a whole new world. Whether that world has dragons, potions, heroic journeys, romance, or aliens is entirely up to what you like. All of these worlds have something in common – WORLD BUILDING! And that’s what our guest post is about today. K...

Guest post: Desiree Villena [5 Common Marketing Mistakes Self-Publishing Authors Should Avoid]

Writers participating in Camp NaNoWriMo are no doubt racking up daily word counts (keep it up – you’ve got this)! However, there’s more work to come when you elect to become an indie author. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but what dream worth having comes easily? Our characters often suffer for their happiness so we authors need to as well.

Don’t worry, this guest post isn’t about suffering…it’s about how to help you avoid suffering!

It’s never too early to prepare for your writing career. Even...

Guest post by Desiree Villena: 5 Common Marketing Mistakes Self-Publishing Authors Should Avoid

Writers participating in Camp NaNoWriMo are no doubt racking up daily word counts (keep it up – you’ve got this)! However, there’s more work to come when you elect to become an indie author. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but what dream worth having comes easily? Our characters often suffer for their happiness so we authors need to as well.

Don’t worry, this guest post isn’t about suffering…it’s about how to help you avoid suffering!

It’s never too early to prepare for your writing career. Even...

Worldview: What’s your prescription?

Worldview: What’s your lens prescription?

When I first had to get contacts, I was shocked at how my vision changed when wearing them. I was also shocked that I hadn’t noticed that I couldn’t see things in the distance anymore. I think that’s where some of us may be right now when viewing our world.

Have you heard the expression looking through rose-colored glasses? I think there’s even more impacting how we see the world. I think our glasses provide prescription level changes from how the world ...

Pandemic survival: Lessons from martial arts [Part 6]

Pandemic…murder hornets…floods…protests…

 

We’re only halfway through 2020, but it’s already been one for the record books. Have you asked yourself how we got here? Have you wondered where we go next?

I’ve been hesitant to write this post. There’s so much hate currently – so much criticism, fear, and anger. There have also been moments of laughter, beauty, and love. As I do believe we reap what we sow (aka what we put forth into the universe comes back three times), I want to be part of those b...