Selina J. Eckert's Blog, page 5

8 Books to Celebrate Mental Health Month

Hello again from quarantine! If you didnt know, May is mental health month, and honestly I think we could all use a little help there, especially right now. Mental health is something Ive been passionate about for a while, both as a neurobiologist and as a person who has struggled with mental health issues. And one great way to see through someone elses eyes, especially if youve never experienced any mental health issues, is to read other peoples stories.

So, to celebrate and spread the word...

Awesome Books for Writers

If youre anything like me, youre always on the lookout for a good craft or business book to grow your knowledge. This week I took a look over all the writing and art books Ive consumed since I started seriously writing, and I figured why not share my up-to-date favorites list with all of you?

So without further ado, lets dive in!

Writing Craft, Business, and Life

The first category is my favorite books on writing craft, books that teach elements of writing itself or whats involved in the...

The Value of Finding Your Writing Community

Its been said that writing is a solitary pursuit, and for the actual act of writing, usually thats true. But just because writing is solitary doesnt mean it has to be lonely. The online writing community is one of the most positive and friendly communities Ive run into online (of course with exceptions). There is a lot to be said for finding a tribe of fellow writers to share your writing life with, and there is a special value in having like-minded individuals to talk to and learn from.

The...

Discovery Writing for Outliners

In the writing world, there are typically two types of pre-writing techniques that people discuss: planning and pantsing. Planning, or outlining, means the author takes the time to plan out each part of the book, every plot point, subplot, and character arc. Pantsing (writing by the seat of your pants), or discovery writing, as Brandon Sanderson puts it in his Writing Excuses podcast, is writing without planning out what youre doing.

And then, of course, there is a hybrid of the two, which is...

The Best Books I Read This Winter (2020)

I dont know about you, but my e-reader is filled to overflowing from the generosity of so many authors out there! And so far this year, Ive managed to complete 29 books ranging from contemporary to nonfiction to fantasy. So I figured why not have a recap of which books Ive really enjoyed so far?

And by the way, I am offering my Rapunzel novella, Of the Clouds, free to newsletter subscribers, along with a contemporary fantasy short story titled Queen of Mist and Fog. You can pick those up here...

Keeping Creative in Stressful Times

I dont know about you, but Ive had just about as much media overload as any one person can stand. In my corner of the world, my state has shut down non-essential businesses and issued a stay at home order for my county and several others. If we do go out in public, social distancing is strongly encouraged. And the storeswell, youve heard how people have been hoarding. But hubs and I did manage to find the groceries on our list, so hopefully we wont have to venture forth again any time soon.

...

The Therapeutic Power of Writing

In case youve been living under a rock, life is super crazy right now. Theres a pandemic outside our doors, the media is telling us the world is ending, and we still have to deal with life along with social isolation (though as an introvert, I really dont mind that last part so much).

But it does get to be a lot to cope with, especially with all the hype about the risks and the constant updates. And the memes. And the people hoarding supplies (please dont do that).

So how can we deal with...

Polarizing Thoughts in Writing: Should You Pay for a Beta Reader?

Hey there! I figured this week we might as well dive into yet another polarizing topic. I mean, the last one I posted all about why you may need a sensitivity reader got me my first comment about how I was wasting everyones time and was a worthless writer (I consider that a winand they obviously didnt read the article). After all, if I get no reaction, am I really making anyone, including myself, think?

Anyhow, this week a question came up in one of my groups about finding beta readers....

What TV Got Wrong: Being a Writer (New Girl Edition)

Okay, New Girl is one of my absolute favorite shows. I love the characters. I love the antics. It makes me happy. And as the series progresses, we learn that one of the major characters is a writer (and writes an absolutely terrible first book, that includes a word search).

But there is one particular episode in season 6 that drives me absolutely insane (potential spoilers if you haven’t seen it): the episode all about Nick’s Pepperwood Chronicles novel. Specifically when he gets his first...

Fantasy Creatures Blog Tag

Happy weekend (end of the weekend) everyone! Today to continue the fantasy month fun, I’m going to do the Fantasy Creatures Blog Tag by Jenelle Schmidt! Thanks, Jenelle! If anyone would like to play this game, consider yourself tagged and click through to Jenelle’s post for the list of rules and a “clean” set of questions.