My Day to Day Musings and Opinions – The Productive Author

Increasing Writerly Decisiveness

A lot of us tend to wring our hands that we don’t know what to do about our problems, writing problems included. But fascinatingly, we do know what to do in many cases.

by Cindy Grigg

Writing and Your Health

I was recently part of a local convention known as Comic Con FanX, which included a Writing and Your Health panel that covered a lot of fascinating aspects of mental, emotional, and physical health for people who are creating stuff. I loved hearing about how other panelists utilize principles of martial arts, meditation, and many other […]

by Cindy Grigg

My Automaton Writing Self: A Modus Operandi for Maelstrom

This week was a tough one. No other way to slice it. Lawless internal bedlam. Can a writer be expected to create under such conditions? Here’s why my vote is yes and no. No, as in, on some level you can’t show up like you usually do. You’re taken, by your other problems. But yes! As in, […]

by Cindy Grigg

These 19 Frequently Challenged Books Might Surprise You – Banned Books Week

I’m often surprised by which books are frequently challenged or banned in our society. For example, take these 19 books the American Library Association reports are frequently challenged: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle Julie of the […]

by Cindy Grigg

My Top 10 Songs About Writing – #ToWriteTo

My iPod includes several songs which are either directly or indirectly about writing. For whatever reason, they inspire me to keep going with my writing projects. Here’s my list, in hopes that you’ll add yours in the comments. I need some new tunes! 1. Open Book by Cake – While I realize this is a song […]

by Cindy Grigg

Ray Bradbury on Books and Writing

One of my favorite quotes from an awesome author: “You must write every single day of your life…You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads…may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out […]

by Cindy Grigg

On Not Being Too Tied to Desired Outcomes

We can’t be too tied to desired outcomes. As writers, we of all people should understand the need for plot twists. Here’s an awesome reminder that the adventure’s probably the better thing to savor! Even though we would not turn down the whole getting what want thing… “I saw the world. I learnt of new cultures. […]

by Cindy Grigg

Emma Stone Fights Sexism with the Superpower of a Simple Question

Standing up against what you believe to be an incorrect idea can be tricky. I know I’ve royally botched up important conversations in myriad ways. That’s why I love the awesome example Emma Stone set recently while being interviewed with her boyfriend and fellow The Amazing Spider-Man 2 actor Andrew Garfield. She showed incredible grace […]

by Cindy Grigg

Comic Con FanX 2014. . .Costumes and Recap!

As a panelist for this past weekend’s Comic Con FanX 2014, I had a bird’s-eye view of some amazing trends in speculative fiction. Perched up there among other fabulous authors, filmmakers, and comic artists, I tried to add a relevant chirp or two, which I will be blogging about topically in case you missed attending […]

by Cindy Grigg

Can Worry Be Productive?

Can worry actually propel you toward solutions, or is it always a bad thing? This essay takes on a common productivity snag for writers.