For a looong time, I’ve been looking for the perfect “office away from home.”? Every so often, I think I’ve found it even though I’ll have to compromise on one factor or another. I’ll find a place that’s nice and quiet, but it’s not within walking distance. Or there will be that coffee shop I…
One of the reasons I love writing is that I’m never finished learning my craft. There is always room for improvement. This should be somewhat reassuring to many writers of all stripes?at least, that was my reaction upon reading Dean Wesley Smith’s excellent blog post on the subject not too long ago?but it can also…
A few days after my iPad arrived, I took a free iCloud class at the Apple Store. I wasn’t all that surprised that at 42, I was the youngest person in attendance. And, unfortunately, although our teacher had announced at the beginning of the demonstration that he wouldn’t use class time to troubleshoot specific questions…
This morning as I sat in a local coffee shop, working on “Iduna’s Apples” on the iPad, a writer friend of mine stopped in for a chat. She’s gone back to school recently to purse a degree in English, and she’s disappointed that there aren’t as many writing classes in the program as she’d hoped….
When I want to be productive, I find it’s helpful to not only pare down visual distractions?and prevent getting interrupted by a dog or cat every 3.7 minutes?but to literally set the tone for my work as well. I don’t do well in settings where there’s noise. It doesn’t matter if it’s heavy machinery or…
We had some friends come over for Cinco de Mayo on Saturday, and as I was cleaning the house, I got to thinking about how I’ve never read anywhere?on websites or in books dedicated to home-based businesses?about the importance of good housekeeping. I’m not talking about the routine administrative stuff like invoicing and file storage…
So, you already know that I wanted an iPad (plus keyboard and case) in order to make me more productive while I’m mobile, and to make it more likely that I’d get out of my home office on a regular basis. My go-bag is now lighter weight and carries fewer cords and other accessories, and…
