Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

When Social Media Hurts: Finding Balance and Protecting Your Peace

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The danger in chasing approval Social media can be a wonderful place. It connects us to friends, readers, fellow creatives, and communities we might never have found otherwise. But it can also sabotage us when we let it feed our need for constant validation. Have you ever found yourself checking back to see how many likes your post or reel received? Or wondering, “Why did that person's reel … [Read more...]

Break Writer’s Block: 5 Ways Reading Can Rekindle Creativity

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What are your writing goals for 2025? If you're feeling mired in winter blues or post-holiday blahs, maybe you're finding it hard to get back into your groove. Whenever I struggle with my writing, I read. Immersive reading can be a powerful tool to combat writer’s block by stimulating creativity and breaking those mental barriers. Here’s how it works: 1. Reading Expands Your … [Read more...]

Books! 2024 Wrap-up from favorites to the ho-hum

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My wrap-up includes literary fiction, memoir and historical fiction Top favorites include Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe: Witty, unexpected, engaging, and so entertaining; Bonnie Jo Campbell's The Waters: A brutal and compelling novel of three generations of strong women living in rural Michigan; and Susan E. Wadds' What the Living Do, with a tough but flawed narrator who … [Read more...]

The story of a ten-year-old girl who got a real hippopotamus for Christmas

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Forget Holly Jolly My dentist is somewhere in her thirties, expecting her third child. I recently had a crown replaced and was forced to listen to boring Christmas songs while she drilled out the old porcelain crown. Between swishing and holding my mouth open, I told her it's a shame "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" isn't 'played more often. She had never heard of the song! This makes … [Read more...]

What That AARP “Guide to Become a 60-Something Debut Novelist” Got Wrong

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Is it really that easy? Kudos to author Anastasia Rubis on the success of her recent novel. But lest you think her AARP guide to becoming a debut novelist seems easy, keep in mind Rubis is no slouch. She's quite an accomplished writer. That goes a long way toward knowing how to write well and edit. Rubis’ writing has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post, New … [Read more...]