Michael D. Pollock

10 Inspirational Quotes About Writing and Living a Creative Life

in Writing - 3 Comments
From Writing FAST by Jeff Bollow

“And the reason you hate writing so much is because you start analyzing your work before you’re done pouring it onto the page. Your Left-brain won’t let your Right-brain do it’s job … Your Right-brain gets the words on the page. The Left-brain makes them sing.”

From Escaping Into the Open by Elizabeth Berg:

“There are people who have never studied writing who are capable of being writers. I know this because I am an example. I was a part-time registered nurse, a wife, and a mother when I began publishing. I’d taken no classes, had no experience, no knowledge of the publishing world, no agent, no contacts … Take the risk to let all that is in you, out. Escape into the open.”

Weekend Roundup: 6 Fun and Inspiring Reads for Living a Bigger Life

in Inspiration - 0 Comments

10 Online Tools for Better Attention & Focus By Jocelyn K. Glei – Focus is rapidly becoming the scarcest commodity of the 21st century. With that in mind, here are a handful of the best apps for fighting back against the constant distractions of our digital lives.

How I Got My Voice Back By Tara Sophia Mohr – Tara is a writer, a coach and an inspiring blogger. I loved this piece because it’s raw and real and speaks to my own personal struggle to find my voice. If you ever struggle to write what’s on your mind or in your heart, I know you’ll enjoy this.

50 Ways to Make a Difference without Spending a Penny By Marie Wilke – Great list of ways to make a difference in the world without it costing you a lot. There’s also a few tips on how to get rid of stuff you no longer use, free up some space and simplify your life a bit.

The First Rule of Doing Work That Matters by Seth Godin – Few people can communicate a big, important idea as poignantly and succinctly as Seth.

The Tao of the Dude – Awesome Insights of Deep Dudes from Lao Tzu to Lebowski. I recently watched The Big Lebowski again, and this was a fun little piece as a follow-up.

20 Types of Blog Posts – Battling Bloggers Block by the original Problogger, Darren Rowse – When it comes to blogging advice, Darren always delivers, and this piece is no exception. Never again let blogger’s block get you down.

11 Bites of Blogging Brilliance to Nourish the Blogger’s Soul

in Blogging, Inspiration - 1 Comment

If you want to be great at something, it helps to study those who are already great it. I’ve read a lot of informative and inspiring stuff lately, and it only makes sense to share some of the it. May it be as inspiring and informative to you as it is to me.

Brian Clark: You Must Respect My Authority:

“Good blogging creates authority, plain and simple. Writing consistently about your area of expertise makes you an authority figure within your industry and niche. You will enjoy a definitive advantage over competitors who do not blog, and likely even over those who have been blogging for shorter time periods.”

Chris Brogan: How to Create Business From a Blog:

“Content marketing is essentially doing great things with content but with a goal that this work leads back to a sale on top of being useful and interesting. To me, this is where it’s at right now. If I were looking to build even more business, and I might just do so, I’d blend content marketing with a mix of my own products, and perhaps some well-chosen affiliate opportunities, and start from there.”

How 750Words.com Reinvigorated My Morning Pages Writing Practice

in Reviews, Writing - 3 Comments

For nearly a year, I’ve been doing Morning Pages, the daily writing practice originated by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way.

Basically, your task with Morning Pages is to write 3 pages of stream-of-consciousness writing each day, first thing in the morning. If you’d like more info about the how’s and why’s of Morning Pages, download Julia’s PDF here.

Until recently, I wrote my Morning Pages longhand. You know, with pen and paper. I’d pour myself a hot cup of coffee or tea, sit down at the dining room table, and write in the early-morning silence. It was a sweet little morning ritual that I enjoyed for most of 2010.

About two months ago, my enjoyment started to fade. Mainly because the light over my dining room table casts the shadow of my hand onto the paper as I write, and it bothers my eyes. I didn’t notice the shadow initially, but lately, it’s become a huge distraction. So much so that it’s turned my sweet little morning ritual into a frustrating chore.

Fortunately, I discovered 750 Words, billed as “the online, future-ified, fun-ified translation of Morning Pages.” Why 750 words? Because in the writing world, 250 words is the standard number of words per page (multiplied by 3 pages equals 750).