Three Actions You Can Take to Feel Happier as a Writer This Year

By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

I’m sure many people wished you “Happy New Year.” But what does it mean when it comes to writing? In other words, what can you do to feel happier in your writing practice? To address this question, it’s essential to first define what happiness means.

According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness and The Myths of Happiness, happiness is to be happy in and with our lives, meaning that you (a) experience more positive emotions than negative ones, (b) feel that your life is good and meaningful, and (c) are satisfied with the progress you are making toward your life goals.

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How to Appreciate and Build on Your Strengths as a Writer

By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

When reflecting on your writing progress this year, it’s common to focus on what didn’t go well, such as receiving a rejection letter, struggling with a writing project, or getting negative feedback. While these setbacks can provide valuable lessons, it’s equally important to acknowledge what went well. In his book Flourish, Martin Seligman advocates for a helpful exercise called “What-Went-Well.”

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Egocentric Reading: Using Literature to Support Your Own Research

By Dave Harris

When we notice egocentrism, it is usually a bad thing: who likes the know-it-all who thinks only of themself? But lack of egocentrism is also bad: we need to know where we stand on issues; we need to trust our own knowledge enough to commit to projects and tasks, and to commit to words on the page. I want to emphasize the importance of egocentrism in reading as a crucial factor in using the research literature effectively, and how writing is an effective tool for building the right kind of egocentrism.

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Three Strategies to Motivate Yourself to Write

By Angelica Ribeiro, PhD

To be happy involves feeling satisfied with the progress you are making toward your life goals. If you are a writer, completing writing projects is likely part of those goals. Therefore, you feel good when you sit down to write. However, I bet there are days when you don’t feel like writing, even if you know it will ultimately bring you joy. So, how can you motivate yourself on those days?

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