Linda K. Sienkiewicz's Blog, page 5

Break Writer’s Block: 5 Ways Reading Can Rekindle Creativity

If the winter blues or post-holiday blahs are affecting your writing, here's 5 ways that reading can help you deal with writer's block.

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Books! 2024 Wrap-up from favorites to the ho-hum

A wrap-up of my year in reading books that includes fiction, memoir and historical fiction.

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The story of a ten-year-old girl who got a real hippopotamus for Christmas

“I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” is a holiday classic showcasing the innocence and dreams of childhood. Did you know the ten-year-old singer actually got her wish?

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What That AARP “Guide to Become a 60-Something Debut Novelist” Got Wrong

Here is why AARP's 10-step list on how to become a debut novelist in your 60s missed the mark. And don’t sweat publishing. Start writing at any age if that’s your dream.

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From Practice to Mastery: 10 Quick Insights for Writers

Notes from a novel writing workshop:

1. Writing is a practice. Do it every day.

2. Writing is failure and rejections. It can be a painful dig to find what glimmers.

3. Writing is endurance. It is a beloved commitment. It means saying, “Yes, I’m still writing.”

4. Writing is personal. You have questions you are trying to answer.

5. Writing is reading to become fluent.

6. Writing technique is practice.

7. Writings takes courage, especially when dealing with daunting subjec...

Unraveling the Mystery of a Glug in Cooking

How much really is a glug?

Here I am, in the middle of prepping, reading the above recipe. I’m not particularly fond of cooking to start with. I don’t have time nor the desire to research what a glug is, other than I know the sound oil makes when you pour it from a great big bottle. Are all bottles the same size though? Do all oils glug at the same rate? And please define “a few.” I’m sure this recipe annoyed me far more than it should have, but here we are.

I understand a dollop, das...

Reflect, Recharge, Reboot: Post-Election Encouragement

What to do next

Poet and memoirist Carolyn Forché said on November 7, 2024, “We are going soon to be living under a different form of government entirely. Be careful, beginning now, about sharing your activities. Guard your networks and circles. Confidentiality is everything. Protect the vulnerable… Prepare, and know that we are living in a different world, perhaps altogether.”

As Americans, we have work to do. To that end, reading Democracy is not over by Tom Nichols gave me encourag...

This is 70: Grateful, Grounded and Ready for the Next Chapter

Embracing life

Today is my birthday. I never expected to be so happy at 70. Dare I say happy? What is happiness anyway? Okay, I’ll say I never expected to still feel good, to feel on top of my game, to be exploring opportunities and making new connections. To feel as if I have value and I am valued.

I know someone my age who calls herself a dinosaur. “Oh, woe is me, I’m so behind the times,” she’s fond of saying. Behind the times is not a good place to be, unless you’re satisfied being...

What, Why, How: Author, Educator, and Entrepreneur Christina Herr

What:

I have been journaling, typing up stories, writing poems, etc. for as long as I can remember. My grandpa was a writer, and he had two typewriters in his basement–one that was his everyday workhorse and one that he let me use whenever I wanted. It was there that I learned it was okay to make mistakes. As he said, White Out exists for a reason. Mistakes happen to all of us.

All along, I have very much wanted to earn the title of author and have an entire book published. I’m very ex...

Why Linda Lives Forever in Baby Name History

Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor in the Terminator franchise

How often do you think of Linda?

Not as often as I do, I’ll bet. It’s a relic as far as feminine baby names go.

A few years ago, I learned of a club for Lindas. I saw a photograph of a recent club gathering, a gaggle of Lindas in matching shirts posed at a Rainforest Cafe, on their website. I thought “Good grief, they’re all old.”

Oof. I’d fit right in.

I didn’t like my name when young. I wanted to be named Belinda in...