Category Archives: #writerslife

Wordplay: Portmanteau

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Portmanteau is a linguistic blend of two or more words. In French, portmanteau means “suitcase,” implying it holds two or more words inside. We, writers, can use portmanteaus to make our word choice more interesting.

Choose carefully. The last thing we want is to cause confusion.

Even authors like James Joyce, Charles Dickens, and Lewis Carroll created a few portmanteaus that sounded like nonsense, but they worked. In fact, portmanteau first appeared in Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass in a quote from Humpty Dumpty:

“Well, ‘slithy’ means ‘lithe and slimy’ and ‘mimsy’ is ‘flimsy and miserable’. You see it’s like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word.”

A master of wordplay and creative word choice, Carroll created an entirely new genre of etymology in one quote. Portmanteau itself is even a portmanteau. It combines the words “porter,” which means “to carry,” and “manteau,” which means “cloak.”

Other portmanteaus have bled into everyday speech, like brunch (lunch + breakfast).

If you go back far enough into any word’s etymology, you’ll find any number of portmanteaus that helped create it.

Common Examples of Portmanteaus

Smog = smoke + fog

Motel = motor + hotel

Infomercial = information + commercial

Spork = spoon + fork

Podcast = iPod + broadcast

Glamping = glamorous + camping

Webinar = web + seminar

Chortle = chuckle + snort

Dramedy = drama + comedy

Listicle = article + list

Newscast = news + broadcast

Pokémon = pocket + monsters

Prequel = previous + sequel

Romcom = romance + comedy

Sitcom = situation + comedy

Telethon = television + marathon

Cosplay = costume + roleplay

Biopic = biography + picture

Bollywood = Bombay + Hollywood

Mockumentary = mock + documentary

Edutainment = education + entertainment

Botox = botulism + toxin

Brexit = Britain + exit

Affluenza = affluent + influenza

Juneteenth = June + nineteenth

Medicare = medical + care

Obamacare = Barack Obama + healthcare

Reaganomics = Ronald Reagan + economics

Ampersand = and + per se + and

Dumbfounded = dumb + confounded

Electrocute = electricity + execute

Flare = flair + glare

Fortnight = fourteen + night

Gerrymander = Elbridge Gerry + salamander

Shepherd = sheep + herder

Splatter = splash + spatter

Squander = scatter + wander (time, money, or opportunity)

Stash = store + cache

Taxicab = taximeter + cabriolet

Velcro = velvet + crochet

Adware = advertising + software

Animatronics = animation + electronics

Bionic = biology + electronic

Bit = binary + digit

Blog = web + log

Breathalyzer = breath + analyzer

Cyborg = cybernetic + organism

Email = electronic + mail

Emoticon = emotion + icon

Intercom = internal + communication

Malware = malicious + software

Modem = modulator + demodulator

Pixel = picture + element

Celebrity Coupling Portmanteaus

Brangelina = Brad Pitt + Angelina Joele

Kimye = Kim Kardashian + Kanye West

J-Rod = Jennifer Lopez + Alex Rodriguez

Lesser-Known Portmanteaus with Definitions

Brony = brother + My Little Pony — male fandom of the My Little Pony series

Movember = Mo + November — an awareness month where men grow facial hair to raise money for men’s health organizations

Ebonics = ebony + phonics — a common dialect in the American Black community

Stagflation = stagnation + inflation — continuous period of high inflation and unemployment

Pizzagate, Russiagate, Monicagate, Weinergate, etc. — The media creates portmanteaus with the word Watergate to imply an event is scandalous.

Imagineer = imagine + engineer — an engineer who works on creative projects

Netiquette = network + etiquette — proper online etiquette

Food Portmanteaus

Cronut = croissant + doughnut

Frappuccino = frappe + cappuccino

Froyo = frozen + yogurt

Grapple = grape + apple

Mocktail = mock + cocktail

Popsicle = pop + icicle

Pluot or Plumcot = plum + apricot (sounds delicious)

Spam = spiced + ham

Tofurky = tofu + turkey

Crossbred Dogs

Aussiedoodle = Australian Shepherd + Poodle

Chug = Chihuahua + Pug

Cockapoo = Cocker Spaniel + Poodle

Horgi = Huskey + Corgi

Labradoodle = Labrador + Poodle

Maltipoo = Maltese + Poodle

Pitsky = Pit Bull + Husky

Puggle = Pug + Beagle

Other Animal Portmanteaus

(usually bred in captivity)

Beefalo or Cattalo = buffalo + cow

Cama = camel + llama

Coywolf = coyote + wolf

Wolfdog = wolf + domestic dog

Geep = goat + sheep

Grolar Bear = grizzly + polar bear (Imagine the size of this bear!)

Liger or Tigion = lion + tiger

Wallaroo = wallaby + kangaroo

Wholphin = false killer whale (not orca; they’re long, slender dolphins that resemble orca in skull structure, black head, and markings, though with gray tones instead of white) + dolphin

Zonkey = zebra + donkey (Coincidentally, I’m on the waitlist to rescue/adopt a micro-mini version)

Conversational Portmanteaus

Athleisure = athletic + leisure

Brainiac = brain + maniac

Bromance = bro/brother + romance

Chillax = chill + relax

Fauxhawk = faux + mohawk (hairstyle)

Frenemy = friend + enemy

Ginormous = gigantic/giant + enormous

Guesstimate = guess + estimate

Hangry = hungry + angry

Jeggings = jeans + leggings

Mansplain = man + explain

Sheeple = sheep + people

Snark = snide + remark

Staycation = stay + vacation

Threepeat = three + repeat

Twerk = twist + jerk

Another common portmanteau is alcoholic + something addictive (workaholic, shopaholic, chocoholic, etc.) It’s so commonly used, many people believe -holic is a suffix for “addiction,” when in reality, it’s a conversational portmanteau.

Portmanteaus are not compound words. Compound words like “notebook” or “football” or “sunflower” use two words to create one, where portmanteaus shorten one or more words in a creative way.

TKZers, did you realize all these words were portmanteaus? Get those creative juices pumping and give us a new portmanteau! Or add to the list.

Cause and Effect – Guest Post by Lindsey Hughes AKA The Pitchmaster

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by Debbie Burke

Recently I read an outstanding article by Pitchmaster Lindsey Hughes about the importance of cause and effect in story momentum. Her words really hit home so I invited her to share her wisdom with Kill Zone readers.

Lindsey Hughes, Pitchmaster

 

Welcome to The Zone, Lindsey!

Cause and Effect: The Story Chain Reaction

A story is not just a string of things that happen. A story is a chain reaction.

This happens, therefore that happens.

  • A character makes a choice, therefore something changes.
  • A secret is revealed, therefore a relationship blows up.
  • A plan fails, therefore the hero has to try something riskier, scarier, or stupider.

That is cause and effect.

And when it is working, your story feels inevitable. It pulls the reader or viewer forward because every scene creates the next one. The audience does not have to be dragged through the story. They lean in because they feel the momentum.

When cause and effect is weak, the opposite happens.

Your story starts to feel episodic. Random. Wobbly. Things happen because you, the writer, need them to happen, not because the characters, stakes, and previous events naturally created them. The audience may not always be able to name the problem, but they feel it.

Story Momentum = Cause and Effect

Cause and effect is the principle that each important event in your story should grow out of something that came before it.

Not: And then this happened. And then this happened. And then this happened.

Because: this happened, the character did this. Because they did this, things got worse. Because things got worse, they made a bigger choice.

That is story momentum. A strong story does not just have events. It has connected events.

Consequences ➡️ Escalation ➡️ Pressure = Story Momentum

Readers and viewers keep going because they want to know what happens next.

If your hero sends the reckless email, kisses the wrong person, and opens the forbidden door, we want the fireworks.

Cause creates effect.
Effect becomes the next cause.
That next cause creates a bigger effect.

Now your story has rhythm, ratcheting tension, and building suspense.

Think dominoes, not beads on a string

A weak plot is often a bead necklace. Pretty scenes, one after another, threaded together because they all belong to the same story.

A strong plot is a domino line. Each piece knocks into the next.

That does not mean every scene must be loud, explosive, or full of car chases. Quiet stories need cause and effect just as much as thrillers do. In a romance, one honest conversation may trigger a breakup, which triggers distance, which triggers longing, which triggers a reckless declaration in the rain. In a mystery, one missed clue can lead to a false accusation, which drives away an ally, which gives the villain more room to operate.

The genre changes. The principle does not.

How Writers Lose Cause and Effect

Cause and effect is one of those craft elements that sounds obvious until you are 175 pages into a draft, three cups of coffee deep, and your heroine has somehow ended up in Prague with a knife and a new boyfriend.

A few common problems:

1. You are thinking in scenes, not in consequences.​
You know you want the breakup scene, the chase scene, the kiss scene, the courtroom scene. Wonderful. But if those scenes are not triggered by what came before, they feel placed instead of earned.

2. Your character is not driving the action.​
If the plot keeps happening to your protagonist, instead of being shaped by your protagonist’s choices, cause and effect get mushy and your story stalls.

3. You are using information as a shortcut.​
A clue appears. A person arrives. A stranger reveals exactly what the hero needs to know. Convenient? Yes. Satisfying? No.

At the end of each major scene, ask: What changed because of this?

If the answer is not much, the scene may be static.

Then ask: What does this scene cause?

If the answer is nothing in particular, you may not have cause and effect. You may just have a sequence.

A sequence is not enough. A murder happens. Then the detective visits the widow. Then he talks to the neighbor. Then he gets coffee. Then he finds a clue. That is a sequence.

Instead, a murder happens. Because the detective suspects the widow, he pushes too hard. Because he pushes too hard, she shuts down and lies. Because she lies, he follows the wrong lead. Because he follows the wrong lead, the killer gets more time.

The Secret Ingredient: Character Choice

The strongest cause-and-effect chains usually grow out of character decisions, not random external events.

Yes, storms, accidents, and betrayals can launch or complicate a story. But what makes a plot feel rich is when the protagonist’s own choices create the mess. That is where drama lives.

  • Your hero refuses help because he is proud.
  • Your heroine hides the truth because she is ashamed.
  • Your villain overplays his hand because he is arrogant.

Those choices cause consequences. Those consequences force new choices. That is not just plot. That is plot married to character, which is where the sparks really fly.

Cause and effect not only holds your structure together. It is revealing who these people are under pressure.

Check Your Scenes for Cause and Effect

Take your scenes and connect them using one of these phrases:

  • Because of that…
  • Therefore…
  • But then…

Your heroine misses the meeting.
Because of that, her boss gives the project to her rival.
Because of that, she tries to prove herself another way.
But then, that choice backfires and costs her the client.
Because of that, she has to team up with the one person she cannot stand.

See how quickly that creates movement?

It also exposes weak links. If you cannot connect one scene to the next with a believable because of that or therefore, you may have found a structural soft spot.

When a draft feels flat, random, or slow, ask:

  • What does this event cause?
  • What choice grows out of it?
  • What consequence makes the next scene inevitable?

Remember, story is not about events lined up politely in a row. Story is about pressure, choice, and fallout. Cause and Effect.

~~~

Many thanks, Lindsey, for visiting the Zone! 

Comments are welcome below. 

Lindsey Hughes loves helping people discover their superpower, create compelling content, and feel excited about pitching and networking.  She teaches how to pitch like a boss, network like a VIP, and write like an Oscar winner.

In her wide-ranging career as a Hollywood development executive, Lindsey has worked in everything from feature films, television movies, and TV series, to animation and live action.  She began her career reading scripts for Robert Zemeckis and Kathryn Bigelow, worked under Michael Eisner at Walt Disney Feature Animation, and developed projects for John H. Williams, producer of the billion dollar Shrek franchise.

She is the author of two books, the upcoming Sell Your Book to Hollywood: How to Pitch Your Book, Find the Right Producer, and Navigate the Deal and How to Turn Your Screenplay Into a Novel.

For help with storytelling and networking you can reach her at thepitchmaster.com.  To be notified when How to Pitch Your Book to Hollywood is published, sign up at booktohollywood.com. Subscribe to her free weekly newsletter for actionable creativity and career tips at thepitchmaster.com/newsletter.

 

 

Reader Friday-The Hobby Horse

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In honor of Good Friday, please share a hobby/activity you enjoy.

The only rule is this: it must have nothing to do with publishing or writing. Not to say your hobby/activity doesn’t feed your storytelling brain cells, but if you have one unrelated to writing, this is the day and the space to share it.

And . . . go!

Oh! Me first? You got it!

Target shooting’s my game–if it fires a bullet, I’ll try it.

 

Okay–your turn, TKZers. What do you do when you’re not writing/reading/editing/marketing?

 

 

 

 

7 Unusual Ways to Improve Focus

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We live in a world filled with distractions. Attention spans have shrunk from roughly 2.5 minutes in 2004 to about 40-47 seconds — some report a reduction to as low as 8 seconds — a drop of 60-70% since portable digital screens entered our lives.

Now more than ever, focus is at an all-time low, many preferring social media to writing. With the introduction of AI to shortcut the writing process, the problem is only worsening.

Writers who focus long enough to write without AI tools have become valuable to companies and organizations who hire freelance writers to grab the attention of their target audience. With the exception of tech companies who hire writers to train AI models — no amount of money is worth selling your voice! — all say they’ll trash your application if you use AI tools for any part of the application process: resume, cover letter, and writing samples.

Freelance writers need to able to flex their creative muscles, or they’ll never find work.

Authors need to be able to flex their creative muscles to touch the lives of readers.

Freelance writers — or authors who supplement their income with freelance work — have run across the “No AI” warning many times.

When I first ran across it, it made perfect sense. Of course, companies and organizations want the human touch. Any AI prompter can produce thousands of words on various topics. Only a real writer can trigger emotions in the reader.

Writers can’t flex those mental muscles without the ability to focus. In today’s world, new writers especially may suffer with a lack of focus. They’re juggling school, work, family, or all three, and don’t take their writing seriously yet. Many professional writers juggle just as much, if not more, but they’ve learned to hit the keyboard whether they’re inspired or not.

The ability to focus is an important life skill for us all. Hence my motivation for this post.

7 Unusual Ways to Improve Focus

Chewing Gum

Sounds crazy, I know, but I read this recently and couldn’t avoid diving headfirst into a research rabbit hole.

  • The physical act of chewing, or mastication, acts like a motor for the brain that activates motor fibers in the jaw that increase cerebral blood flow. This delivers more oxygen and glucose to regions responsible for attention and memory, such as the thalamus and hippocampus, according to Scientific America.
  • Chewing stimulates the trigeminal nerve, which is linked to the brain’s arousal system.
  • EEG studies show shifts in brainwave patterns associated with being both calm and alert — what researchers call “relaxed concentration.”
  • Improved Reaction Times: Many studies found that “chewers” have significantly faster reaction times on cognitive tests.
  • Reduced Stress: Gum can lower cortisol levels, which help manage anxiety that often interferes with focus, according to the National Institute of Health.
  • While non-chewers often see their performance decline over 30 minutes, gum chewers maintain consistent accuracy.
  • Some experts believe chewing serves as a form of productive fidgeting, keeping the brain stimulated enough to stay on track without being a major distraction, according to Science Daily.

The Spider Technique

This mental training exercise helps you ignore external distractions.

If you held up a vibrating tuning fork to a spider web, the spider will rush out to investigate. After several repetitions without finding prey, the spider wises up and stops reacting.

Train yourself to be the wise spider. When a door slams or someone enters the room, acknowledge the sound but choose not to glance over. Practicing “tunnel vision” helps build a mental barrier against interruptions.

Look at “Kawaii” Images

Kawaii means “cute” in Japanese. Hope this one doesn’t sidetrack you for hours, but looking at cute photos of baby animals can significantly boost performance on tasks that require high focus, like writing a novel. A study by Japanese researchers found that cuteness-triggered, positive emotions narrow the breadth of attentional focus, making you more detail-orientated and less prone to veering off-course.

Loop One Song on Repeat

I’ve done this one, and it does work.

Listening to music is common among writers, but listening to one song or album on a loop for hours is a specific high-focus strategy. Your brain has two attention systems: conscious and unconscious. Familiar, repetitive music occupies the unconscious system — the part that usually scans for distracting background noises to assess potential threats — without taxing your conscious mind. This creates a “trance-like” state, or as creatives call it, “the zone,” our ideal happy place.

Create a To-Do List

Sounds simple, I know, but it works. I’ve done it for years.

Rather than fight stray thoughts, whether it be ideas for future scenes or things you need at the grocery store, give them a temporary home by writing it on paper or in Notes on your phone. This externalizes the To-Do item and sends a signal to your brain that the item is safe and can be released from your working memory. Otherwise, your mind will keep trying to remember it.

Practice Positive, Constructive Daydreaming

Sometimes the best way to focus is to stop trying. I do this a lot, too. When I reach a point where I’m spinning my wheels or hit a mental wall, I walk outside and watch my wildlife. Or go for a 20-minute walk. Or take a shower. Or read a book for a while. Or meditate. Or exercise. Do anything that allows free thoughts to flow, like daydreaming. This engages the brain’s default mode network, which replenishes your “willpower reserves” and often leads to creative breakthroughs that a forced focus cannot reach.

Strategic Cold Exposure

Dunking your face in a bowl of ice water for 20-30 seconds is not only an anti-aging technique but a reset for your nervous system. Cold exposure triggers a sharp release of norepinephrine and activates the sympathetic nervous system. This is often followed by a parasympathetic rebound that leaves you feeling calm, alert, and mentally sharp.

How many of these have you done? Did they help?

What Are You Reading in 2026?

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“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ― Stephen King

* * *

Most writers are avid readers. An article on medium.com sums it up this way:

In a nutshell, reading and writing are inseparable. The better writers tend to be exceptional readers, and better readers can produce exceptional writing. A writer who doesn’t read is like a musician who doesn’t listen to music or a filmmaker who doesn’t watch films. It is demoralizingly hard to do good work without experiencing the good work that has been done before.

A well-read writer has better verbal skills, discerns the nuances of language, and distinguishes between poor and quality writing, so read more, read widely, and learn from other people who do what you are aiming at with the facility and the skill level you would love to cultivate.

 

I’ve been reading an eclectic variety of books in 2026. Here are some of them:

On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides

The story of the battles around Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War. I’m writing a novel with Korean War veterans and I wanted to get details of the actual battles.

 

 

Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

A book club pick. It’s an interesting novel that explores aspects of the fear of death, the art of fortune telling, and the power of suggestion. Most authors will appreciate the first chapter which almost guarantees readers will turn the page.

 

 

Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen

A fascinating look at the expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan that resulted in the first circumnavigation of the Earth. It’s one of the books that fuels my fascination with the early explorers.

 

 

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey

Time to saddle up and read about the cowboys. Although I skimmed the long, descriptive sections, I liked the story and found myself eager to get back to it each evening.

 

 

Balancing Life’s Roles by Jarrell Gibbs

This common sense guide to handling all the different roles we play in life was written by a friend of ours. Very useful advice especially for young people.

 

 

Satan’s Subway by Steve Hooley

Our very own Steve Hooley authored this middle grade fantasy. Once again, Steve tackles a serious issue through the eyes of a the Mad River Magic gang.

 

 

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

This was also a book club pick. I read just a few chapters before it had to be returned to the library. The book is wildly popular, and I’d be interested to know if any of you have read it and what you think about it.

 

 

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Just started this one. I imagine it would be interesting to many authors.

 

 

Now I’m looking for a good mystery. Any recommendations?

* * *

So TKZers: What books are you reading in 2026?

* * *

 

A missing person. A trail of secrets. Private pilot Cassie Deakin reluctantly follows a mystery that refuses to stay buried—uncovering truths that shine brighter, and more dangerously, with every step.

Click the image to go to the Amazon book detail page.

We Become the Stories We Tell Ourselves

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The idea for this post began with a quote attributed to Michael Cunningham in A Home at the End of the World…

“We become the stories we tell ourselves”

This is especially true of writers. If you tell yourself, “I’ll never find an agent” or “My writing isn’t good enough to score a publishing contract,” chances are you won’t. Why? Because you’ve adopted a negative mindset.

Same principal applies to, “I can only write on weekends.” If you tell yourself you can only write on weekends, you’re already making decisions about your ability to write Monday through Friday, so if you slip behind the keyboard on a weekday, it’ll be more difficult to write. You’ve handicapped your creativity with a fixed (negative) mindset.

We’ve discussed fixed vs. growth mindsets before. I want to revisit the Mental Game of Writing *shameless plug for JSB* from a different angle, because it’s not discussed enough in writers’ circles.

RAY EDWARD’S THOUGHT EXPERIMENT 

Imagine you’ve been given a treasure. This treasure, like all magical treasures, comes with conditions. While it’s an unlimited treasure, each day you can only take one gold coin. Just one. And every day you suffer from amnesia. When you forget you have this treasure, you lose a day of unlimited value.

How will you remind yourself to take the coin? Leave a note? Set an alarm? Phone a friend and ask them to remind you? How will you remember not to waste a single coin?

You already own this treasure. It’s called life. Consider this your reminder. Each new day offers endless possibilities, in life as well as writing. What will you do with your coin today? Will you squander it by scrolling through social media for hours? Or will you cash it in for its full value?

Look. We’re all guilty of procrastination from time to time. The trick is to prioritize your writing.

Every morning, I watch the sunrise. Not only does it inspire me, it grounds me with a positive mindset for the day. If you roll over and slap the snooze button, dreading the day ahead, you’ll start the day with a negative mindset. Things tend to roll downhill from there.

Have you ever heard a writer complain about being a lousy writer? That’s a fixed mindset. Their mind is made up. They will never write well. Period.

A growth mindset is positivity based. If that same writer said, “I may not be the best writer today, but I will be” they’ve flipped the script. Because now, they know if they continue to show up, they will improve.

See the difference?

The writer with the growth mindset is moving forward. The writer with the fixed mindset would rather complain about writing than study, hone, and implement their craft.

Writers aren’t the only ones who fall prey to a fixed mindset. It’s easy to do.

Do these excuses sound familiar?

  • Too much to do today. I’ll write tomorrow.
  • Can’t write now. I just worked an eight-hour shift.
  • Too tired to write.
  • Not in the mood to write today.
  • I’m not inspired.
  • I have writer’s block.

Every excuse is steeped in negativity, yet this is common rhetoric in the writing community.

Let’s pull back the veil on each one.

TOO MUCH TO DO TODAY — I’LL WRITE TOMORROW

When life shakes the to-do list in your face, it’s easy to avoid the keyboard. The problem is, tomorrow never comes. If you are a professional writer, or striving to become one, then you must prioritize your writing.

Can you carve out thirty minutes in your busy schedule today? How about fifteen? How about five? No one’s too busy to write a paragraph.

CAN’T WRITE NOW — JUST WORKED AN EIGHT-HOUR SHIFT 

Writers all over the world work a full-time day job. Lee Child wrote his first novel during his commute to and from work. If you’re driving, can you dictate into your phone? Hands-free, please! I don’t want to cause any accidents.

Or write on your phone during your lunch break.

Or start supper fifteen minutes later than usual — after you’ve hit the keyboard.

Priorities, priorities, priorities. How bad do you want it? If writing full-time is your ultimate goal, you must continue to show up.

If you train yourself to write for fifteen minutes when you arrive home from work, the word count will continue to grow. An ever-increasing word count leads to confidence, excitement, and joy. There’s no downside. None. If all you have is fifteen minutes, you must protect that time. Tell your family and friends how much writing means to you. The house won’t burn down if you disappear for fifteen uninterrupted minutes, nor will your children starve.

Some days the words will flow. Other days they won’t. That’s okay. You still made progress. Don’t get caught up in evaluating your writing or hitting a certain word count right away, or you’ll backslide into a negative mindset. Celebrate the fact that you showed up.

TOO TIRED TO WRITE

With all the snow blowing I’ve done this winter, it’d be easy for me to use the “too tired” excuse. Battling Mother Nature does wear me out, but I also have multiple writing projects that need my attention. I take time to rest, enjoy a nice hot cup of tea, then hit the keyboard. If my hands hurt from squeezing the handles of my snowblower (a common problem), I may only squeak out 500 words that day — self-care is equally important — but at least it’s something.

NOT IN THE MOOD TO WRITE TODAY 

If we sit around waiting to get in the mood to write, the WIP will languish on the hard drive for months, even years.

“The only way out is through.”

—Robert Frost

Here’s where having a solid writing routine in place makes all the difference. For me, it’s sliding on the headphones. Once I crank the music, the world fades away, my focus narrows on the screen, and I’m transported into my story. It’s a form of self-hypnosis. When I hear that playlist, my creativity soars.

Find a routine that works for you and stick with it. You may be surprised by how quickly you can jump into the zone.

I’M NOT INSPIRED 

Seriously? I’ve never understood this excuse. What are you waiting for, a lightning rod to shoot from the sky? Lemme tell ya, watching cat videos on social media won’t inspire you, either. Stop wasting precious writing time. Slide on the headphones, or whatever works for you, and write something, anything, even if it’s only a paragraph.

If you don’t know what to write, review your writing from the day before. It’ll come to you. If you’re still stuck, go for a walk. Alone. And think about your story.

Planners may have a slight advantage over pantsers in this regard. If I know my next milestone in the story — first plot point, first pinch point, midpoint, etc., etc. — then I’m able to say, “Okay, the MCs need to wind up doing this or that. How do I get there from here?”

The answer may require research. Or the introduction of a new character. Or better yet, kill a character. Nothing kickstarts creativity faster than raising the stakes.

I HAVE WRITER’S BLOCK 

Pah-lease. Writer’s block is nothing more than a negative mindset with a title attached. You’ve convinced yourself you cannot write for whatever reason. Flip the script in your head, and the words will flow like Niagara.

Perhaps, you’re overwhelmed. It happens. Take a breath. You’re okay. Move on.

Or maybe, real life has given you more than your fair share lately. Or you’ve written yourself into a corner. Figure out what the root cause is, but please don’t call it writer’s block.

Burnout is something else entirely — been there, done that, got the scars to prove it — the subject of which has too many variables to discuss now. Want me to cover it next time?

Maintaining a positive mindset takes work and perseverance, but you can do it… if you want to.

Therein lies the rub.

How will spend your treasure today?

When You’re Happy and You Know It

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By Elaine Viets

 

What made you happy in the last 24 hours? What about the last three months?

OK, I’ll go first.

A surprise gift of orchids from a friend. And the silly antics of my cat Vanessa. Both made me happy in the last 24 hours. They’re pictured below.

In the last three months, the weekly phone calls from my cousin Lisa made me happy.

These questions are important not only for our well-being, but to understand how  writers create our characters. I read about happiness in a recent article in The Pudding, and if you don’t subscribe to this free newsletter, you’re definitely missing out on happiness.

Writer Alvin Chang’s Pudding article “mapped out 100,000 moments collected as part of a research project on what makes people happy. From sensory pleasure and serendipity to leisure and personal growth, he identified the major themes that emerge when we think about our most cherished moments.”

Here are few that may make you smile, especially the first one:

“My boss was away on business which made my workday very enjoyable and left me with a smile on my face all day.” Female, 36, married, parent

“I went to see my Grandma at the nursing home.” Male, 26, single

“My husband was ignoring me and I laid in bed thinking of funny words with the word ‘sass’ in them to describe him (like Sasquatch) – it amused me greatly.” Female, 26, parent

“I got to leave work early on Friday.” Female, 53, single, parent

“I took a day off to enjoy a nice day.” Male, 38, mot a parent

“Enjoyed a Hardboys Peach Country hard cider.” Male, 32, single, not a parent

“I made progress on some household projects.” Female, 22, married, not a parent

“I was able to stay home and work, while my brother-in-law picked up the kids from school by switching his schedule.” Female, 37, married, parent

Scientists used to believe that happiness was U-shaped. “We are happy when we’re young, less happy when we’re middle-aged and then happy again when we’re old.”

Chang mentioned a research article by Arthur Stone that surveyed people between 18 and 85. It said, “Stress and anger steeply declined from the early 20s, worry was elevated through middle age and then declined, and sadness was essentially flat.”

But hold on . . . that U-shape may no longer be true. Another story says, “Pooling Global Minds data across 44 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, over the period 2020–2025 we confirm that ill-being is no longer hump-shaped in age but now decreases in age.”

So the middle-age slump is out. The twenties are a rough time. The reason for this is sad: “the deterioration in young people’s mental health both absolutely and relative to older people.”

Once you get through your difficult 20s, your chances of happiness increase.

When Harvard researchers followed people for their entire lives, Alvin Chang wrote, “they found that good relationships were the most important thing for happy, healthy lives.” We need a “meaningful life with a sense of purpose.”

That makes sense. Except social media and smart phones have made us addicted to screens from a young age. “It’s taken a toll on how much time we spend with each other.”

Alvin Chang included a “happy map” with his article. Check it out here. https://pudding.cool/2026/02/happy-map/ he  says it’s “a mirror of the broken world we’ve built, as seen through our most cherished moments.”

What makes your characters happy?

Now in paperback: Sex and Death on the Beach, my new Florida beach mystery, is now in paperback. If you read it and like it, you’ll make me happy. https://tinyurl.com/3ut3chuu

 

 

Why We Procrastinate and How To Stop

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Many believe those who procrastinate are lazy or unmotivated. It can be true of some, I suppose. Most, however, are caught in a torturous loop that stems from the brain. Once you fall prey to these endless cycles, it’s difficult to claw your way out.

A War Rages Inside the Brain

There are two culprits triggering procrastination.

The prefrontal cortex, responsible for:

  • Planning
  • Decision-Making
  • Abstract Concepts
  • Goals

And the limbic system, which regulates:

  • Pleasure
  • Fear
  • Reward
  • Arousal

Note how the prefrontal cortex’s job centers around self-control and the limbic system’s responsibilities are all emotional based.

When you have a task to complete, your prefrontal cortex sends a signal to your limbic system that says, “C’mon, it’s time to work.” Because your limbic system is like an unruly teen who seeks only pleasure and avoids pain or discomfort, it often returns a signal that says, “Let’s do something else that feels good right now.”

Procrastination is the war between the two, and we’re caught in the middle. Social media and other online activities have only worsened the problem, resulting in more and more procrastination. Devices like iPhones don’t help by trying to guilt you into increasing your screen time. Don’t fall for it. They do not have your best interests in mind.

Though procrastination may feel good in the moment — the limbic system tricking you into believing your actions are justified — that nagging task lingers in the prefrontal cortex, which leads to guilt, anxiety, and stress. Once you start procrastinating, it’s difficult to stop, because the limbic system rewards you with dopamine, the feel-good hormone.

Those stuck in this torturous loop know they should work on that project, but their mind is in turmoil. Add in real-life stressors, and procrastination worsens.

Yes, I speak from experience. After leaving my husband of twenty-seven years, starting a new life in a new area, moving again to another new area, where I bought my home, I had plenty of reasons to justify procrastination. Thankfully, I also took a year-long break from social media, which helped maintain my inner peace.

For those of us who didn’t grow up with the internet, the “noise” can be downright deafening at times. I also had to learn how to do “guy jobs.” Please don’t jump all over me for that comment. I know it’s sexist, but I never mowed a lawn or used a snow blower before. New England’s constant snowstorms and blizzards this year has forced me to use muscles I didn’t know I possessed. 🙂 There’s an art to snow blowing — it’s become another creative outlet for me, only with aches and pain afterward. LOL

The most important thing that saved me from endless procrastination was my longtime belief in mindfulness, the practice and awareness of living in the moment.

How To Cure Procrastination

Step #1: Realize what’s happening in your brain.

I solved that for you today, but feel free to study more about this war inside you. Fascinating research.

Step #2: Practice mindfulness.

An easy way to begin the practice of mindfulness is to walk outside. Stop. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, the benefits of which we’ve discussed before.

What do you hear? Birdsong? Pinpoint where without opening your eyes. Is there a pattern to his song, or is he communicating with another?

For weeks, I listened to this tiny wood thrush who nests on my covered porch. Amazing little birds that can easily sing over fifty unique songs and can even sing two different melodies at once. I thought he was singing just to sing, until I noticed him stop to listen. Sure enough, another wood thrush sang back.

My breath halted. Since males try to out-sing each other, this must be a singing competition.

I was so invested in rooting for my little porch buddy, nothing else mattered in those precious moments.

What do you smell? The sticky sap of a pine tree? Smoke from a campfire or woodstove? Pinpoint where without opening your eyes.

What do you feel? Focus your awareness on your skin. Is the wind cool against your cheek? Does the sun warm your scalp?

What do you sense? You most certainly are not alone. Wildlife surrounds you, even in the city. Stand in the moment and engage all your senses, except sight. By taking away the ability to see, you must rely on your other senses.

When you’re done, take three steps forward. Start over. There’s one catch — you cannot list anything you already mentioned. This will force you to dig deeper, concentrate harder, your awareness opening like rose petals. Repeat at least three or four times. With each step forward, you’re healing your mind, body, and spirit.

Mindfulness is an important life skill to master.

Besides being a cure for procrastination, mindfulness has many health benefits:

  • Reduces stress
  • Reduces anxiety
  • Fights depression
  • Improves focus and memory
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Boosts immunity
  • Improves sleep
  • Manages chronic pain and illness

Step #3: Work on the project you’ve been avoiding for five minutes. Your limbic system will reward you with a dopamine hit — good job! You did it! If you struggle to continue past five minutes, that’s fine. Stop there. Do this every day. Soon, you’ll be so invested in the project, five minutes will turn into fifteen, thirty, one hour, or more.

Though writers are not immune to procrastination — some say, we’re the poster children for it — it does help to have a regular writing routine. Walking into an office or sliding on headphones sends a silent signal to the brain that it’s time to work, but that doesn’t mean the limbic system won’t respond with, “Let’s play instead.”

The next time you find yourself scrolling on social media instead of completing a task, take a moment to ask yourself why. Are you procrastinating or do you need a break? If it’s the latter, enjoy. Mindless fun is important, too. If it’s the former, put down the phone and walk outside. Please don’t tell me it’s too cold. I’ve been out there in double negative degree temps and survived just fine. Bundle up. It’s worth the effort. What you’ll experience is the cure for what ails you.

If, for health or mobility issues, you are unable to go outside, use the body scan method to practice mindfulness. Lie Lay Recline in a comfortable position with your eyes closed. Deep breathe for a few rounds. Then focus on your feet. Note how your heels touch the surface below them. Do your toes tingle? If you concentrate long enough, you’ll feel blood flowing through your feet.

Next, take note of your ankles. Little by little, work your way up your body. When you reach each organ, envision how it works inside your body. Once you reach your scalp, you may open your eyes.

The body scan method also works for insomnia.

What do you think about this war inside your brain? 

Inappropriate Character Flaw or Nervous Habit

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True confession time. I have a horrible nervous habit — reaction? — when someone falls. I’ve struggled with it my entire life, but try as I might, I can’t change my behavior. Believe me, I’ve tried.

What is this awful flaw?

Let me preface this by saying, I feel all the correct emotions, hoping the person who fell is not seriously hurt, didn’t break a bone, or worse. I’m deeply concerned about their wellbeing — I really am — but the uncontrollable laughter that wells from deep inside me counteracts any genuine feelings I try to convey. It’s terrible for the person who fell. It’s even worse for me, because it’s not an accurate portrayal for how I feel in the moment. But I can’t stop laughing.

How would you handle a character with a flaw like mine?

Readers would hate an MC who laughs when someone falls. It’s so inappropriate, many wouldn’t care how the character felt inside. Even my mother had a difficult time dealing with my nervous habit, especially since I’m a very even, calm, happy-go-lucky person. Not an overly serious one, though. Which may be part of the problem. If we don’t laugh, we cry, right? Perhaps it’s a survival instinct.

Hmm…

Or maybe, it’s because of my lighthearted nature that when something shocks me like a fall, it throws me into a mental tailspin. Uncontrollable belly-laughter is the result. The worst part? The more I love the person, the harder I laugh. For a long time, I thought there was something seriously wrong with me. Only a sadist would laugh at a time like this.

Since this happened again recently — thankfully, the loved one who fell has the same flaw — it drove me to find answers.

On Quora, someone asked the question, “Why can’t I control my laughter when someone falls?”

A psychology student responded:

“Laughter is a parasympathetic response which calms the nervous system down and often occurs in situations of relief (people engage in nervous laughter to try to calm themself down). The laughter can force you to engage in rapid diaphramatic breathing (belly laughing), which stimulates other parts of the parasympathic nervous system, creating a calming effect.”

Ah-ha! It’s an empathetic response. I felt somewhat better, but I needed more. So, I dug deeper and found an article in Scientific American entitled, Why Do We Laugh When Someone Falls?

William F. Fry, a psychiatrist and laughter researcher at Stanford University, explained:

EVERY HUMAN develops a sense of humor, and everyone’s taste is slightly different. But certain fundamental aspects of humor help explain why a misstep may elicit laughter.

The first requirement is the “play frame,” which puts a real-life event in a nonserious context and allows for an atypical psychological reaction. Play frames explain why most people will not find it comical if someone falls from a 10-story building and dies: in this instance, the falling person’s distress hinders the establishment of the nonserious context. But if a woman casually walking down the street trips and flails hopelessly as she stumbles to the ground, the play frame may be established, and an observer may find the event amusing.

Exactly! I would never laugh if someone fell from a 10-story building and died. Strangely, I also don’t laugh if animals or the elderly fall. My brain must deem that more serious. Everyone else is fair game. Including me, by the way. All it takes is one little smirk from an onlooker and I die laughing.

Another crucial characteristic is incongruity, which can be seen in the improbable or inconsistent relation between the “punch line” and the “body” of a joke or experience. Falls are incongruent in the normal course of life in that they are unexpected. So despite our innate empathetic reaction—you poor fellow!—our incongruity instinct may be more powerful. Provided that the fall event establishes a play frame, mirth will likely ensue.

And you thought I was a terrible person. Shame on you. 😉

Play frames and incongruity are psychological concepts; only recently has neurobiology caught up with them. In the early 1990s the discovery of mirror neurons led to a new way to understand the incongruity aspect of humor.

When we fall down, we thrash about as we reach out to catch ourselves. Neu­rons in our brain control these movements. But when we observe another person stumbling, some of our own neurons fire as if we were the person doing the flailing—these mirror neurons are duplicating the patterns of activity in the falling person’s brain.

My hypothesis regarding the relevance of this mechanism for humor behavior is that the observer’s brain is “tickled” by that neurological “ghost.” The observer experiences an unconscious stimulation from that ghost, reinforcing the incongruity perception.

Thank you, Doctor! Still, it’d be a tough flaw to give a character. The only way to handle it would be to show how awful the character felt about laughing. Even then, I don’t know if it’s enough.

What do you think? Is all inappropriate behavior a tough sell, or does it make the character more relatable?

For the brave souls among us, do you have a similar flaw? What is one thing you’d change about yourself if you could?

Celebrating Public Domain Day – Part 2

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Montage of 1929 Works

by Debbie Burke

Y’know what they say about great minds?

Well, Kay DiBianca and I independently had the same idea this week: Public Domain Day 2026.

When I went to schedule my post, I noticed Kay had already scheduled hers. So we put our great minds together and decided that1930 was such an exceptional year for books, films, and music, there was enough to cover without duplicating each other.

So here is Part 2 featuring music and recordings.

George and Ira Gershwin published four great tunes:  I Got Rhythm, I’ve Got a Crush on You, But Not for Me, and Embraceable You.

More hummable earworm songs: Georgia on My Mind, Dream a Little Dream of Me, Body and Soul, Just a Gigolo.

Music and lyrics have their own copyright dates as sheet music but recordings of those songs by particular musicians may fall under different later dates. For 2026, these specific performances entered the public domain:

In an interesting side note, the soundtracks for a number of cartoons were built on musical compositions that had earlier gone into public domain. For boomers, our first introduction of these tunes often came from cartoons, singing along to: “A Hunting We Will Go”, “The Farmer in the Dell”, and “Pop Goes the Weasel”. I have clear memories of several  cartoon heroes playing a flute to coax a cobra from a basket with the “Snake Charmer Song”.

How many of us boomers were called to the TV by the siren song of the “William Tell Overture,” the theme for The Lone Ranger?

Want to stroll farther down memory? Check out Duke University’s annual public domain summaries.

~~~

TKZers: Did any of these characters, books, films, cartoons, or music inspire your writing? Which ones and why?

Would any of these songs play well for the soundtrack of a movie based on your book? Which ones?

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Tawny Lindholm Thrillers will probably enter public domain around the beginning of the 22nd century. Meanwhile, you can read them at this sales link.

Debbie Burke website.