This video gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “two steps forward, three steps back.” If you think your writing career is going backwards, maybe that’s a good thing? (If you cannot see the embedded video in your newsletter email, please click the headline and go directly to our site to view it.)

Happy April Fools Day! Today’s video is a vivid picture of an author trying to break into traditional publishing. A great line at the 2:12 mark. (If you cannot see the embedded video in your newsletter email, please click the headline and go directly to our site to view it.)

Watch the miracle of growth in today’s video: a one-year time lapse of the growth of a mango tree. Starting with a seed. Extraordinary to watch. But even more intriguing is that it will take another 3-5 years before it will bear fruit. Think of the metaphor of the writing life. From the seed of an idea. Then writing 300 words a day for a year will create the foundation of a 100,000-word …

Everyone starts somewhere. Sixty years ago a seven-year-old played his cello for President John F. Kennedy (and former President Eisenhower who was also in attendance). The performance was at the National Cultural Center, which was later renamed The Kennedy Center. The young boy is introduced by Leonard Bernstein. The cellist? Yo-Yo Ma. To put more historical context to this event: Thirty days …