About this blog
Writing Craft & Practice explores the fruits of 25 years of writing in a variety of voices.
I’m a Buddhist meditator as well as a professional writer, and I see parallels between the practices of writing and of meditation. Both are related to inspiration, and to some degree these mental factors overlap.
I made this Venn diagram to help me figure out the relationships among them. Click the image to get a larger size that shows the labels clearly.
Any feedback is welcome!
Category Archives: writing
I’m moderating! Book collaboration basics at 2012 ASJA conference
As a professional freelancer, book collaboration is probably my greatest expertise. So I’m totally tickled to be moderating a panel where I can spill all my secrets at the American Society of Journalists and Authors annual writers conference next April … Continue reading
Posted in writing
Tagged ASJA, book collaboration, book writing, freelance writing, ghostwriting, writers conference
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Social media & inspiration: Google+ or minus?
In a race to beat the other Stephanie Goldens out there, I got myself an invite to Google+, and secured possession of—my name. A real coup, right? I haven’t learned yet how to use Google+, but once I do, it’ll … Continue reading
Posted in creativity, inspiration, writing
Tagged consciousness, creativity, crowd-sourcing, Google +, inspiration, Jaron Lanier
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The 99¢ store: what’s a book worth these days?
When I put my out-of-print book Slaying the Mermaid: Women and the Culture of Sacrifice on Kindle, I had to decide how much to charge. Amazon limited me to charging $9.99 if I wanted the higher royalty, 70%. So I … Continue reading
Tech warrior II: online sample
Amazon is amazing. They don’t miss a beat. I just discovered that I can post a link to an online free sample of Slaying the Mermaid that people can read in their browser—no special software needed. You can read the … Continue reading
Posted in ebook publishing, Uncategorized, writing
Tagged Amazon, ebooks, indie publishing, Kindle
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Tech warrior: putting a book on Kindle
Slaying the Mermaid: Women and the Culture of Sacrifice is now an ebook offered through Amazon. A triumph, for I did it all myself. Years in print publishing had worn deep grooves in my brain, so it took some effort … Continue reading
Posted in ebook publishing, writing
Tagged Amazon, ebooks, Kindle, self sacrifice, women
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Writer as flypaper
Have you noticed that when you’re deeply involved in something, you turn into a magnet for anything related to it? I once interviewed Kay Gardner, a musician and composer of healing music (sadly, she died in 2002), who told me … Continue reading
Posted in inspiration, writing
Tagged homeless women, Kay Gardner, madness, Margery Kempe, mental illness, synchronicity
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The sky of mind: vast like space
Buddhist meditators practice experiencing the mind as a vast, clear sky, through which thoughts, feeings, and all other experiences pass like clouds, appearing and then vanishing in an open space of awareness that’s not limited to the inside of the … Continue reading
Posted in buddhism, inspiration, meditation, writing
Tagged Jack Kornfield, Kandinsky, self sacrifice
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What’s the “practice” of writing?
I practice yoga, and I practice meditation. And I also “practice” writing. I like this concept, because it connects skill and inspiration. I’ll begin with skill. One authority defines practice as “systematic training by multiple repetitions.” Other sources emphasize frequency, … Continue reading
Posted in buddhism, inspiration, meditation, writing
Tagged freelance writing, Natalie Goldberg, practice
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