Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

My husband doesn’t read my books—and why it doesn’t matter

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Confession: I don't ask my husband to read my books. They aren’t the kind of books he enjoys. Loving me doesn’t require loving my sentences. I’ve learned reading isn’t the only proof of support. Take that photo above: he’s fixing my standing desk, wearing a sweatshirt that reads Warrior Strong. What counts as support, really? And what if your loved ones don’t support what you do? For me, … [Read more...]

The human at the other end of the dog’s leash

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Obviously this dog is love-starved: Cowboy has never met a stranger. I can't say the same. I still hesitate before talking to people I don't know. Cowboy has no such concerns. He simply assumes everyone is worth meeting. Meanwhile, I'm not sure they want to meet me. They ask, "How old is he?" "What's his name?" "Is he always this friendly?" I'm happy to answer, but there's always that moment … [Read more...]

Self-Care: Arranging Your Life for the Person You Are

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The Freedom of Acceptance: One of the unexpected gifts of being diagnosed with ADHD twenty-five years ago: I'm no longer embarrassed when my brain wanders off. This is a form of self-care I've stopped trying to camouflage every symptom. If someone's talking and my attention slips sideways, I don't fake it anymore. I just smile and say, "Oops. That blew right past me. What was that … [Read more...]

When a Word Makes You Notice the Writer

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I discovered a book club group discussion on Facebook about the phrases and words readers notice, and how those words then seem to appear in every book. It made me realize that readers are pattern detectors. They notice repetition and choices that authors themselves may not realize they’re making. In this way, it isn’t always the plot, the characters, or the pacing that pulls a reader out of a … [Read more...]

When Kacey Musgraves accidentally wrote the theme song for my novel’s heroine

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Serenity's Anthem: Kacey Musgraves' "Dry Spell" Writers believe we make deliberate choices about our characters, but then a song comes on the radio and we suddenly recognize something we'd written without fully understanding it. The other day I heard Kacey Musgraves' "Dry Spell" and nearly drove off the road. Serenity, the heroine of Love and Other Incurable Ailments, could have penned every … [Read more...]