VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

Overcome writing blocks and writing anxieties by setting goals! If you find yourself wanting to become an Expert Author, but are anxious about your writing abilities, or feel you have exhausted every writing bone in your body, listen up: YOU CAN WRITE! Goal setting, in article writing, in business, in publication and even in one's personal life, helps you focus your efforts into a plan. Whenever you are stuck or feel anxiety looming, you can refer to this plan and stay on the road to success. Here are some tips on how you can effectively set goals and conquer any writing anxieties once and for all. 1. Set a Goal Setting a goal can be as broad as "I want to write more articles or books," or something a little more focused as "I want to master 2 niches related to my expertise." Once you have set a goal, it will become your mission to achieve this goal. When you are in a tight spot, you can revert back to your original goal and consider the...

When I began as the Director of the St. George Book Festival three years ago, I had a dream of what it could become. I wanted the book festival to be more than just coming to hear an author talk about their latest book. I wanted it to be a family, reader of all ages and community event. But even though I had this vision of what could be, making it happen was another matter. A lot of people pat me on the back for a job well done, but in all honesty, I couldn't have done it without my committee: Dave Smith, Darren Edwards, Dawn McLain, Lenore Madden, Lin Floyd, Bonnie Anderson, James Duckett and Ami Comeford. Or without our partners and supporters: Joel Tucker and Alan Anderson at the Washington County Library System, Pam Graf and the Spooky Town Fair committee, Mary Nell Lundquest and her team at the St. George Children's Museum, Jon Braaten at Abby Inn, Donna MacBean, and David Rowland at Comics Plus. It's been a long road and this year was filled with grow...

Write Poetry Who hasn't written a poem before? Even once? I believe most people go through a phase in life and it pushes them to pen a poem; ok, or something that resembles a poem. At an early age, we have been exposed to poems. Remember the nursery rhymes? They're poems. Someone put melodies on them so adults can sing the rhymes to little kids and the little kids can remember them easily. You've probably written a poem of some sort in the past. Whether you write poems for fun, for personal reasons, or for publication, here are 3 poetry prompts you can try out: 1. I Am. For each of the letters in your first name, think of at least 3 positive adjectives. Next, go over your adjective list and circle the ones that describe you best. Then use those adjectives for your "I Am" poem. 2. A Quinzaine. Quinzaine is from the French word quinze, which means "fifteen." A quinzaine is an unrhymed verse having 3 lines and 15 syllables. Li...

Write Where You Are I caught the writing bug when I was ten, when I joined an essay writing contest. The topic was: "Where did you spend summer and what did you do?" I wrote about the summer I spent with my grandparents. I described how grandpa taught me to climb trees, and how soon after that, I discovered how scary it was to climb down from a branch ten feet above the ground. I described how my grandma brewed strong coffee, and how the aroma drifted and lingered throughout their little hut every morning. I described the long walks and spontaneous swims in the rivers I took with my aunts and uncles. It was a simple topic, but it had a tremendous impact on my life. I knew writing was what I wanted to do. And now, nearly 20 years later, I can still hear grandpa's laughter, still smell grandma's coffee, still shiver at the memory of how cold those rivers were. Their little hut is forever etched in my memory. I grew up; now I'm a writer....

7 Writing Muse Kickers to Fill Up That Blank Page Nothing is more daunting for any writer than having to stare at a blank sheet of paper. When we stare at a blank sheet of paper, we often think, "What am I going to write?" A few minutes later, it becomes, "Oh my goodness, I can't think of anything to write!" And several minutes later, it turns into something like, "Write, darn it! Write! Write! WRITE!" Some writers call this writer's block. But I call it the "Writing-Muse-Needs-A-Kick" syndrome. And that's exactly what we're going to do with your writing muse gone truant. We're going to kick her back into gear so you can fill up that blank page. Here are 7 writing muse kickers for you to try right now: 1. First Line: Begin a story with "There was once a chance I didn't take..." 2. Cliche Starter: Weave a story or poem around the cliche, "keep your powder dry." 3. Po...

The Month of October is finally here and with it comes not only National Book Month...but the St. George Book Festival! I have been director of the book festival for the past three years and even though I don't get to be involved like all the other authors, poets, readers and families get to, I still enjoy this festival more than any other event in my hometown. Why? Book festivals, conferences and writing workshops are a time for those who love to read and write to network, shine and just enjoy the joys of literacy. The month of October is one of the busiest months with so much to offer all around the United States. Just hop online and Google "book festival" and see what pops up. You'll be surprised at the list and list of events all over. There is so much to do during the week of October 19th thru October 24th in St. George during our book festival from Author appearances, Speaker Panel Discussions, a Poetry Slam, Contests, Writing Workshop, Performanc...