Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

The Unexpected Comfort of a Spreadsheet: Trying New Things

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What We Resist Until We Don’t For years my husband has been extolling the virtues of spreadsheets. Whenever I felt overwhelmed with tasks, he’d calmly say, “Why don’t you make a spreadsheet?” I’d groan. To me, that was just one more task, one I didn’t quite know how to do, as simple as it seemed to my logical-thinking spouse. To be sure, I can accomplish quite a bit on the computer. I design … [Read more...]

Five Months to Release Date: A Magical Week in Ocracoke

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It’s five months before my novel’s release, and I’m freaking out a little bit. But visiting Ocracoke — the tiny Outer Banks village that became the setting for the story, and where my heart is— helped calm me. Between bookstore visits, literary connections, beach drives, breakfast at Pony Island, and the Firemen’s Ball, the week felt like a celebration not only of books, but of the island … [Read more...]

Looking at life through glasses, slightly smudged

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Nearly every photo of me past the age of eight tells a story in changing eyeglass fashion—just like the oversize frames above, which are weirdly coming back in style. I’ve spent most of my life in a quiet negotiation with the world—trying to see it clearly, trying to be seen clearly, and occasionally smudging both in the process. There’s a particular kind of childhood humiliation that comes … [Read more...]

What making reels taught me as an author

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I joined TikTok in my late 60s and survived When I signed with Regal House Publishing for my second novel in the summer of 2024, I challenged myself to learn the ins and outs of TikTok before my book was published. I heard the platform had a growing book community. Was it true? Could I find readers there? How? So I set a goal: reach 1,000 followers before publication day—October 27, … [Read more...]

Stop pitching your work and start telling your story

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For Writers Who Hate Self-Promotion: I recently attended a Zoom workshop given by Jennifer Mrozek Sukalo on how to talk comfortably about your work—your writing, your art, your book—without feeling like you need to sell yourself. I went in feeling hopeful and a bit skeptical. The advice was surprisingly simple. And surprisingly hard. Instead of crafting a pitch, she asked us to consider a … [Read more...]