The Bin

Book Reviews: Lean Mastery by Michael Craig

Happy Monday, everyone! It’s the start of a new week and, in a few days, the start of a new month. I must apologize for the long absence. Editing, beta reading, my master’s dissertation, it’s all caught up to me past the couple months, some of which I’ll be sharing with you in upcoming posts. First, however, I want to bring you a new book review, this time for a how-to guide called Lean Mastery: A Study Guide for Lean Six Sigma, Scrum, Kanban and Agile Management (Inc. Certification Training for White, Green, Yellow and Black Belts with 300 Test Questions and Answers) by Michael Craig.

Lean Mastery is a beginner’s guide to Lean Six Sigma, a statistics- and analytics-based approach to making a business more efficient and more functional. (For more on the basics of Lean Six Sigma and what it is, you can check out this Wikipedia article.) The guide takes readers through everything they need to know when preparing for Six Sigma Certification, including the pros and cons of utilizing Six Sigma; the five basic steps of Six Sigma, which are also known as DMAIC; the different belt levels of Six Sigma Certification and their roles; the incorporation of Scrum, Kanban, and Agile Management; and much more, all culminating in practice questions and answers for each level of Six Sigma Certification. By the end of the book, readers should know what Six Sigma is, the benefits, and how to apply it either to their own personal businesses or workplaces.

Image retrieved from Amazon

Michael Craig provides everything the full title promises and more. He gives a complete, detailed guide on Lean Six Sigma that even includes some easy-to-follow examples as to how the approach might make a business better for its customers and employees alike. Craig even takes this information a step further by admitting to the potential cons of this process and how they can be turned from negatives into positives. I do wish that Craig had explained the general concept of Lean Six Sigma more clearly and explicitly during the introduction for readers who are just getting started in business and business management, but it is cleared up as the process is described in detail throughout the rest of the book.

My favorite part of the guide—and, I would argue, one of the most crucial parts—is one Craig discusses organizing and using the data gathered earlier in the Six Sigma process. I am a very visual person, so being able to put data into a visual form such as with the value stream map which Craig describes makes more difficult concepts both easier for me to grasp and more enjoyable. While not a fully-visual concept, visual learners will still appreciate the idea/use of a value stream map when trying to understand how Six Sigma leads to a more efficient and functional business.

I can’t say that Lean Mastery is an easy read. While Craig uses plain, straightforward language in his writing, the information is dense and a lot is thrown at the reader in 521 pages. Craig is thorough, seeming to cover everything one could possibly need in order to take the certification exams, but that also means readers will have a lot to process and might need to read this book multiple times, especially since Craig could have been more concise in his approach to the subject. I also do not recommend it to readers not already familiar with statistical terms and some degree of business management. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time looking terms up and will not get all that you can out of the guide.

Overall, I think that Lean Mastery by Michael Craig does a good job in conveying the process of Lean Six Sigma and how it can help businesses while also preparing readers for certification. However, it is not something to read lightly. It requires some knowledge of statistics and business management in order to follow along, so even if you’re starting a business and want to know how to apply this method to your new venture, you should wait until you have a better understanding these concepts before attempting to read this book or learn the Six Sigma process. If you already have this knowledge, time to read the guide carefully, and a true desire to become Six Sigma certified then Lean Mastery is definitely for you.

You can buy Lean Mastery by Michael Craig as an eBook or in paperback on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Book Reviews: Mastering Java by Michael B. White

Hello, readers and writers! It seems that the hectic holiday season has finally come to an end, and the world has already rung in the New Year. I normally don’t put much stock into a new year bringing a lot of change, but I’d be lying if I said that a lot hasn’t been changing on my end. At the very least, I’m getting even more work than usual and one book for which I served as editor (Natir Whitebridge: A Grain of Respect by Ameel Koro) has finally been published. But that’s for another post. Today I want to focus on one thing that hasn’t changed: my book reviews. In particular, I want to review Michael B. White’s Mastering Java: An Effective Project Based Approach Including Web Development, Data Structure, GUI Programming and Object Oriented Programming (Beginner to Advanced).

Mastering Java—much like White’s other programming language book, Mastering Python—is a thorough guide introducing readers to Java, how it works, and how to use it. White uses a hands-on teaching method mixed with typical textbook/how-to writing to take readers on the complete journey from installing Java and learning the basics to exploring complex concepts as web development and GUI programming. From explanations on how to create your first program to a list of Java-related interview questions and their answers, this book contains a little something for both the more beginning-level programmers to advanced users.

After reading Mastering Python, I have to admit that I still understand very little about programming. Frankly, I don’t have the time or the patience to devote as much attention as is needed to learning it; I might not even have the mind for it. However, I was interested in checking out how Java works as well because it is the most-used programming language out there. While I will need to re-read both of these books multiple times in order to proceed any further, I do think that Mastering Java will be useful for those with more of a mind for programming.

Image retrieved from Amazon

White’s writing continues to be just as comprehensive here as it is in Mastering Python. The more casual voice makes it easy to follow along with his explanations and instructions, although the terminology is still a lot for someone entirely new to programming to process. It feels as though White is in the room with you, like a college professor trying to lead a workshop on Java programming. That also means that this book is not a passive read. Instead, as the title implies by calling it a “project-based approach”, you have to follow along with White’s instructions for using Java to create your first project. Given the nature of the subject, this is the best way to learning how to program using Java—hands-on—but that also means that you must more actively engage with this book and it will take a while to get through each section.

With the level of interaction this book requires and the fact that it includes interview questions, Mastering Java is not really for those with casual interest or vague curiosity in programming. Those with absolutely no knowledge of programming and Java might also find everything a bit overwhelming at first and will need to re-read the book several times in order to fully absorb the information. For these reasons, this guide is probably best for those with at least a basic understanding of programming and/or Java who are looking to do something significant with what they learn, especially those who want to pursue a career in this area. The most novice of programmers, such as myself, will want to try something more concise and basic and then pursue the more in-depth information provided here.

Overall, just like with his Mastering Python book, Michael B. White’s Mastering Java is not for everyone. It is very detailed and covers just about everything that can be covered in a book like this, which can either confuse and/or frustrate novice users or initially feel repetitive for advanced programmers. Nevertheless, it is a good place to find almost everything you would need to know about using Java or to brush up on the knowledge you’ve already gained. At around 687 pages, the length of the book can be intimidating, but every bit of it is useful and necessary for the purpose of this guide. If you have some knowledge of Java that you wish to expand or you want to review what you already know in preparation for an interview, this guide is the book for you.

You can buy an eBook of Mastering Java by Michael B. White on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com.




Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Friday Fun-Day Writing Prompt: Yuletide Tales

Happy holidays, readers and writers! With all the different cultures and religions celebrating, this time of year can get…hectic, to say the least. Personally, I am not a Scrooge, but I don’t go all-out, either. I like the lights, the decorations, giving and receiving gifts, and some of the movies and TV specials for the various winter holidays. I am not Christian, though, or of any religion at all, and the blatant consumerism is trying at times. However, I do find reason to celebrate around the yuletide season. And you know what really like about this time of year? The folklore.

Every religion, culture, and region has its own set of folklore which goes with wintertime and the associated holidays, distinct yuletide tales which are unique to these peoples and yet have some sort of commonality among them. Each tale and legendary figure has a rich history and its own way of being observed. Some are joyful, some are creepy, and some fall somewhere in between. My personal favorites are Krampus from Germany and La Befana from Italy.

Image retrieved from Salzburg

Like fairy tales, these yuletide tales are ripe with potential for retelling. Case and point: all the Krampus movies that have come out in the past few years. Before those, Krampus also made the TV circuit on shows like Grimm and American Dad. To think, Krampus is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the winter folklore lesser-known by Americans.

That brings us to today’s writing prompt. To keep with the spirit of the season, I want you to pick a lesser-known winter folklore or figure. Pretty much, anything or anyone except for Santa Claus will work for this exercise, but the more obscure, the better. Don’t limit yourself to Christmas lore, either. Consider exploring the rebellion of the Maccabees, Odin and his association with Yule, etc. It can be from your ancestral celebrations or just from a culture, religion, or region in which you have interest.

Once you choose your winter folklore or figure, write a story, poem, or creative essay based on this yuletide tale/figure. It can be an origin story, a modern retelling, a poem which uses the figure or tale as a metaphor, an essay on the influences it has had on modern celebrations, pretty much anything that you want. The only requirement is that your chosen yuletide folklore or figure features prominently in your work.

Winter can be a stressful, overly-commercial, and sometimes hypocritical time of year, but great writing can come from it, too–remember A Christmas Carol? All you need is a bit of inspiration and time!


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Book Reviews: McDowell by William H. Coles

Often, our feelings about a character are pretty straightforward: we love them, we like them, we dislike them, or we hate them. Successfully creating a mixture of these emotions can be a challenge, although many of the best authors seem to pull it off. Within this challenge, one of the hardest things for a writer to accomplish is making a character which we love to hate. It’s even harder to change our feelings about that character over the course of a novel, yet that is exactly what William H. Coles does with the protagonist of McDowell. That is why today’s review will be focused on this novel.

McDowell by William H. Coles follows the rise and fall of Hiram McDowell, a renowned American surgeon and philanthropist. McDowell has spent years meticulously building his career and life. He has founded a hospital for the underprivileged in Nepal, has climbed some of the world’s tallest mountains (including Mt. Everest), and has navigated the world of healthcare politics with hardly a scratch to his reputation. All of this and he manages to financially provide for an ever-growing family. However, everything is not what it seems. Beneath his public persona, McDowell is not the saint he would like everyone to believe. Adultery, broken promises, weakened family ties and friendships, McDowell seems to have sacrificed every relationship in his life in favor of his own pleasure and career advancements. Little does McDowell know, karma has a way of catching up with everyone.

Image retrieved from Amazon

At the beginning of the novel, McDowell is rapidly approaching the peak of his career. He is nationally recognized and considered to be one of the best, if not the best, in his field. He can travel all over the country and the world,fulfilling his lust for adventure and women while also using his skills as a surgeon to help the less fortunate. Now the ultimate honor is in sight: a seat on the President’s cabinet. Then disaster strikes, ripping his entire family apart and leading McDowell toward financial ruin. Thus begins McDowell’s slide down a slippery slope into anger, deceit, and even felonies. Can anything redeem this ambitious, self-centered man? Or is he doomed to forever be ignorant of his own wrongdoings?

I can genuinely say that I have never come across a novel quite like this one Coles has written. Coles has created something incredibly complex, not only inits plot and characters but in the emotions which it evokes. I began the novel absolutely despising McDowell and, for much of the book, I remained that way. However, little by little, Coles complicates my feelings for the character, sometimes thinking that there is a slim possibility for redemption and other times thinking that a man like him can never change. By the end, my feelings for McDowell landed somewhere in between like and dislike. He started as a character I loved to hate and ended a character I truly cared about, although I know he is not innocent of all wrongdoing and would not want to socialize with someone like him real life.

The outstanding character development does not end with McDowell. Almost every character, including secondary characters, are well-rounded with extraordinary depth. Coles even hints at backstories for characters which only appear for a handful of chapters, and many of these characters are not what they seem to beat first glance. From Paige, the hard-hitting and truth-focused journalist, and Sophie, McDowell’s artistic and bisexual daughter with a heart of gold, to Rosenthal, Paige’s sexist and ageist new boss, McDowell has a wide cast of characters which seems to include samples of people from every walk of life. No one is perfect, and only one character can be considered “pure”. Everyone else is fueled to some degree by self-interest and, in some cases, revenge; even those characters with the best of intentions cannot be considered completely innocent.

At 472 pages long, one would think that the story would run into superfluous events or lagging in the storytelling. However, the plot proves to be both gripping and intricate, weaving events and characters together so tightly that one change or omission could cause the whole thing to fall apart. Everything Coles writes contributes directly to either character development or plot—usually both—and is all necessary for the novel to have such a powerful impact on the reader. Fortunately, Coles’s style is so compelling and crisp that one can read through a hundred pages without realizing how much time has passed. If it had not been for other commitments, I probably would not put the book down until I was finished.

It is only fair to warn my readers that McDowell covers some issues which are politically sensitive, especially right now. The book features sexism, questionable morals, members of the LGBT+ community, characters of multiple ethnic and racial backgrounds, depictions of poverty, emotionally abusive relationships, and murder. Essentially, Coles incorporates as many of modern society’s issues as is possible in a single novel. Surprisingly, each of these issues fits naturally into the narrative and is handled in a way which leaves it up to the reader to decide how they feel about it.

Overall, McDowell by William H. Coles can be considered a modern masterpiece. It is well-written, gripping, and provocative. The characters are realistically flawed and complex, and you are likely to find at least one character to whom you can relate. I noticed a few incredibly minor proofreading errors, but they are no reason at all to miss this book. In my opinion, it’s no wonder that it was a finalist in the William Faulkner Creative Writing Competition two years in a row.

You can buy a physical or eBook copy of McDowell by William H. Coles on Amazon. Also make sure to check out the McDowell website and Coles’s website and podcast.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Five Ways Fiverr Lets Down Freelance Writers

Let me start by saying that, for the most part, I have had a pretty positive experience on Fiverr. I’ve made some good connections with repeat clients, I’ve built up my portfolio some, and I’ve only run into one problem while getting my money from them. However, after almost two years on the platform, I’ve learned quite a lot about not only Fiverr but freelance writing and editing in general. Mostly, I’ve learned what not do.

I’ve learned to not take on projects you’re not excited about, especially ones which flat out conflict with your values and interests. I’ve learned that however long you think it will take you to complete a project, you should multiply that number by at least 1.5 and use that as your timeline. I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to put your well-being before making money, especially if you’re stressed or are having health issues. Most importantly, though, I have learned that you should not price your freelance services too low, no matter what the client might try to convince you is the “right” or “fair” price. Trust your own research when it comes to pricing, not theirs.

The problem is that the experience writers–and other creative freelancers–have on Fiverr directly contradicts some of the most important lessons of freelancing, especially pricing. It’s just not built to accommodate career freelance writers, editors, artists, graphic designers, etc., if they want to be paid what’s considered fair in their respective industries.


Image retrieved from Scam Detector

In particular, there are five prominent ways in which Fiverr lets down freelance writers:

  1. Fixed rates only. Freelance writers and editors both usually rate their services per word, per page, per hour. Fiverr has none of these options. Instead, you must somehow figure out a way to price your services using a fixed rate. The three package options can help to a degree by allowing you to have different prices based on word count or something similar, but there’s no way to work per hour or by the exact word or page count. You could end up writing 1,000 words for the same price as 100 if you can’t find the right way to group the packages.
  2. Buyers expect scab wages. Not all buyers on Fiverr are like this. Most of my Fiverr customers have been fairly reasonable about following industry standards rather than “Fiverr standards”. Still, a good number of them expect you to work for what would be pennies compared to those offering their services on a platform other than Fiverr. They think that just because you’re getting work through Fiverr, you should work for significantly less than the average writer. I had an experience with this very recently. I had been ghostwriting for someone on Fiverr at a rate of $250 per book, which was then raised to $300 per book as it went from novelization of a screenplay to writing a novel based on an outline. When I had first agreed to this, I didn’t know what was considered fair pricing for ghostwriting in the writing/publishing industry. I eventually learned the truth while researching a post for this blog on ghostwriting. According to a guide from Writer’s Market, I should’ve been charging at least $25/hour. Huffington Post says that anyone charging under $15,000 per project for ghostwriting books is either really new and looking to build their portfolio or very low quality, even suspicious or a scam. This Fiverr buyer was only paying me at best one-tenth of what I should have been paid, and that isn’t including the work for supplemental research and revisions I put in. When I told him that he either had to accommodate a raise to the entry-level rate of $25/hour or we’d have to part ways, he essentially said we’d have to part ways and questioned this new rate for no reason other than the fact that my services are provided through Fiverr. This is someone who had been very happy with my work before, and yet he thought that I shouldn’t charge the industry standard solely because of the platform; my effort and skills meant nothing when it came to price. Perhaps if we had connected elsewhere he would have thought this rate was fair, or he might have just tried to force me into something much lower anyway. The difference is that on Fiverr, it’s more acceptable to expect unfairly low prices.
  3. There’s a maximum amount for custom offers based on seller level. Services like writing, editing, graphic design, commissioned art, website design, etc. are high-paying for a reason. We are experts in highly-specialized fields that require a combination of education in that field and natural talent. Even the cheapest of fair rates aren’t going to be what the average person considers “cheap”, not even if they “just” freelance. That’s why it’s so easy for people in those fields to get ripped off when working through a platform like Fiverr. One of the biggest issues is that there is a maximum amount which you can charge for custom offers–which are much easier to work with than flat-out orders–based on your seller level. For new sellers and level one sellers, that maximum is $5,000. For level two and top sellers, it’s $10,000. If you charge the lowest of the acceptable rates in the writing/publishing industry, this might not be a problem. If you have any experience and self-worth, though, it’ll be a challenge to get your fair pay all in one order for anything longer than, say, articles or novellas.
  4. The already-low rates get cut by 20%. Fiverr takes a 20% cut of every order as a fee for using their site. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem. After all, they have to make money somehow. However, the rates are low enough that 20% can feel like a sizeable slice, especially in comparison to places like Guru, which only takes about 8.95% as a transaction fee.
  5. Harder to show your portfolio. Let’s face it, no one wants to hire a writer or editor if they don’t have a good sense of their work. The most highly-respected examples are usually those which have been published, and the best way to show them off is to provide a link to where they can be purchased or your own site. Fiverr, however, loves to flag any external link as a problem. There are options to show off your work if your freelance work is more visual, such as graphic design and painting. You can just upload an image to the related gig. For writers, though, it doesn’t work that way. You can upload a PDF of sample work and hope that the potential customers will have PDF readers available, but there are no options to upload a Word doc or anything like that. That means the portfolio options for writers and editors are limited. No portfolio, fewer jobs, less money.

Image retrieved from Millo

Fiverr is not necessarily a bad site. You can optimize it by offering services you can do very quickly for low prices. For example, I’ve had a fair amount of success with my one-liner gig and writing/editing short online articles. Even beta reading and query writing has gone well for me on there.

However, it is a horrible place to offer larger freelance services. I do not recommend offering writing or editing services for anything larger than novellas on Fiverr. Instead, the best move you can make is to create your own website where you can have a portfolio and links to your work, post reviews from former clients, and set your own rates in any format that you like. WordPress and Blogger are probably the best places to consider if you’re new to website building and/or don’t have a lot of money to spend on it. Another safe move would be to consider places like Guru, iFreelance, Freelancer, and Reedsy (if you’re experienced enough). I haven’t tried out these sites fully yet so I cannot recommend one in particular, but they are consistently offered as good sites for writers, editors, and other freelancers to offer their services.

Have you had experience as a seller of freelance writing/editing services on Fiverr? Was it positive or negative? Do you think writers and editors should offer novel-sized services on there long-term? Or is it better as a gateway for making some contacts and potential client relationships? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Presenting The Writer’s Scrap Bin Shop

I have some exciting news, everyone! (Well, exciting for me, at least.) I’ve been talking for some time about selling products with The Writer’s Scrap Bin logo on here. I even signed up for Vistaprint’s Promobox to get sample designs and products as well as their ProAdvantage program, which helps resellers buy and ship products made by Vistaprint to their customers. Well, the day has finally come: The Writer’s Scrap Bin Shop is officially open!

The shop is run by a WordPress plugin called Woocommerce. I am very new to this plugin–to the concept of selling through a blog at all–so this has really been a learning experience. However, I have seen so far some pretty cool features, including automatic calculation of taxes and shipping costs based on the buyer’s location. Mind you, as I am still learning this plugin and I can only afford the free version, the shop appears a bit crude at the moment. Hopefully, as I learn more about this plugin and all its features, I’ll be able to polish it and make it more visually appealing.

Right now there are sixteen products available on the shop, including two bundles called the Writer’s Kit and the Accessories Package. The Writer’s Scrap Bin sells a variety of products, including notebooks, pens, mugs, shirts, and even a phone card holder. All of the physical products are made and shipped by Vistaprint through their Vistaprint ProAdvantage program, and some are even designed by them through such things as their Promobox.

In the future, I plan to expand to include digital products such as eBooks, ways to buy my services through the blog, and mugs with some puns and other sayings I’ve written on them. (Hey, I get paid $5 for every five of those I do on Fiverr, why not save some of my ideas for me to profit off of directly?)

Here’s the best part: in honor of its opening weekend, everything on The Writer’s Scrap Bin Shop is 50% off until Tuesday, November 27th!

To check out this new branch of The Writer’s Scrap Bin and pick yourself up some one-of-a-kind swag, visit www.thewritersscrapbin.com/shop.


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Self-Care: A Story of Neglecting Personal Care

Happy Thursday, everyone, and happy Thanksgiving to my American readers! Today I want to focus on a very personal matter which has greatly affected my life lately: self-care. Writers and other artists are notorious perfectionists with a tendency to work themselves to the bone. While such dedication means we produce top-notch work, it also means that we don’t do a lot to take care of ourselves. Neglecting ourselves for our work might seem like a worthwhile sacrifice at first–after all, we are trying to build our careers and build better lives for ourselves–but it is the worst move we could possibly make as freelancers.

I’m going to tell you a little story. I’m a perfectionist obsessed with always doing my best and pleasing everyone but myself. It’s how I’ve been for as long as I can remember. For most of my formative years, this didn’t cause too many problems. Yes, I was incredibly shy and had stage fright. However, I was studious, had near-perfect grades, and had a bright future ahead of me. I was the good, polite, overachieving child that every parent wants–unless you want an athletic kid. That was never going to happen. (I trip over myself for no reason, bruise by just looking at something, and hit my head far more often than I’d like to admit.)

Then came my senior year of high school. I was all set to overachieve once again, but guess what? It’s a hell of a lot harder to keep up with over-achievement by that stage in one’s academic career. I was senior editor for the school yearbook, staff liaison and secretary for the student government, and my high school’s liaison to the school board and the city counsel. In addition to the required history and English classes, I took drama, leadership, yearbook, AP calculus, and zero-period (meaning more than an hour before the rest of school started) physics. That’s not to mention that the AP calculus and physics classes were shared with another school in our district, so I had to go to that school for zero and first period and then go to my high school for the rest of the day. On top of all that, there was a lot of family drama at home that stressed out everyone.

Needless to say, I didn’t have time for self-care. I was miserable. I had a meltdown in the bathroom after a decent presentation. I was sick most days and kept having horrible back pain. I threw up constantly and could hardly eat, quickly developing a stomach condition for which I still have take medication to this day. Honestly, my mind started blocking out most of the year from my memory almost immediately. Even now I can only remember bits and pieces and feeling as though I let everyone down.

I graduated top of my class, was valedictorian, and heard about my teachers still gushing over me for a couple of years after I went off to university, but my health and mental state suffered. I had no concept of self-care, and I paid for it.


Image retrieved from Healthy Place

Surely after all of that I learned to pay more attention to self-care, right? After all, my senior year resulted in me having numerous stress-induced medical conditions, being a permanent bundle of anxiety and nerves, and (unjustifiably) feeling too embarrassed to visit my high school whenever I returned to my hometown. I must have learned the importance of self-care.

Apparently, I don’t learn well from my mistakes.

For the past few months, I have been involved in a project I hate ghostwriting stories I hate for a price which isn’t even a tenth of what it should be. The client has been nice enough and understanding about the need for flexible deadlines, but it’s been too much work for too little pay. I’ve burned myself out. For the past several days, I have had a relapse in my stress-induced stomach condition that has caused severe intestinal issues and vomiting. Additionally, I have also had stress- and dehydration-induced migraines that aggravated the stomach problems. Only now I am realizing how much I need to focus on self-care and putting my personal needs over this underpaying project.

The point of my story is this: don’t be like me. Put yourself first. Don’t settle. Ask for a fair rate and if they can’t afford it or just won’t give it to you, don’t stay only for the “experience” or because you think that even a little money can help. You might be able to pad your pockets for a while but in the long run, it’ll just ruin you for other, better-paying projects. Whether you’re just starting or you’re a seasoned veteran, it’s important for your health and sanity for you to take on projects that you are excited about and which will pay you fairly.

Most importantly, pay attention to self-care. It is so easy to forget to exercise, eat right, and make time for yourself when you work a regular nine-to-five job; when you write, freelance, and/or work from home, it’s almost impossible to fit self-care into your schedule. The line between your personal life and your business blurs beyond recognition. However, if you don’t take care of yourself, you will suffer and so will your work ethic. You are your most valuable asset.

What has been your experience with self-care as a writer? Have you ever reached rock-bottom from too much work? Any advice to keep this from happening to others? Leave your thoughts and words of wisdom in the comments below!



Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Book Reviews: Rejuvenaging by Dr. Ron Kaiser

In the modern era, aging is one of the most dreaded parts of human life. From Alzheimer’s and dementia to social isolation and deteriorating bodies, mainstream media depicts aging as unnerving at best. Add on top of that the concerns about being able to fund retirement and/or losing our contemporaries, and aging sounds like one of the worst things to happen to us. What we tend to forget, however, is that just as many wonderful things happen when we get older: we have more free time, our families grow with the welcomed addition of grandchildren, and, overall, we get a new lease on life. If approached with the correct mindset, our golden years can truly be our golden years.

In his latest book, Rejuvenaging: The Art and Science of Growing Older with Enthusiasm, psychotherapist Dr. Ron Kaiser chooses to view aging in a much more positive light. He argues that advances in healthcare and science have extended the average life expectancy to the point that our retirement years will outlast our working years, so why not enjoy them? To help readers do just that, Dr. Kaiser presents them with a thorough, insightful guide which covers everything from shifting our view of life to maintaining our health and minds as we grow older. By the end of this book, older readers will have the tools to combat the effects of aging and younger readers will have a plan for enjoying the remaining stages of their lives.

Image retrieved from Amazon

Dealing with the aging process has been thoroughly discussed over the years. However, Dr. Kaiser approaches this topic from a very unique angle. While he does outline ways in which to counteract how aging has already affected someone, he mostly focuses on a proactive approach. He reminds readers that aging is not a spectator sport. Rather, we must work to keep ourselves feeling youthful and happy as we get older or else we really will waste away. As an experienced psychotherapist, the founder of The Mental Health Gym, and the creator of a branch of positive psychology dubbed “Goal-Achieving Psychotherapy”, Dr. Kaiser has the knowledge and first-hand experience to help people become active participants in their aging instead of bystanders.

All of Dr. Kaiser’s advice has roots in his psychotherapy practice, scientific research, and his own experiences as he gets older. He is even kind enough to provide a list of his sources in a bibliography at the end of the book, several of which I plan to read for myself. Nevertheless, Dr. Kaiser does not bog down his writing with too much medical jargon or statistics. Instead, he utilizes plain language and personal anecdotes from his clients and his own life to illustrate his points while keeping the reader engaged. In fact, this book is quite the page-turner, and readers will find themselves simultaneously wanting to continue reading and wanting to try out recommended exercises and websites.

Admittedly, a lot of Dr. Kaiser’s advice seems obvious, such as reading more and taking small steps in order to accomplish a larger goal. Regardless, these are also tips that people either don’t think about because they seem so obvious or simply don’t follow. Dr. Kaiser reminds readers of these concepts, encouraging them to pick and choose what works for them, and gives them ways to keep themselves accountable for executing these concepts.

Overall, Rejuvenaging by Dr. Ron Kaiser is a wonderful read for people of any age looking to enjoy their retirement years. He helps prepare readers mentally, physically, and emotionally for growing old happily and highly encourages people to start this process young to make the most out of life later. Fortunately, Dr. Kaiser’s advice works for those who choose to “start growing old early,” to put it in the psychotherapist’s words, as well as those who are already at retirement age. So, if you’re worried about getting older, need help enjoying your retirement years, or just want to make sure you make the most out of life, I highly recommend Dr. Kaiser’s work.

You can buy a print copy of Rejuvenaging by Dr. Ron Kaiser on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!


Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011


Book Reviews: Big Things Have Small Beginnings by Wes Berry

When it comes to achieving one’s goals, I am a strong advocate for the “baby steps” concept. After all, one word leads to one sentence, one sentence leads to one paragraph, one paragraph leads to one chapter, and one chapter leads to an entire novel. The smallest actions can be the start of big things. The effects might not be obvious at first or might be slow to take off, but with effort and resilience, every little thing pays off in the long run. Just ask Wes Berry, successful business owner and author of Big Things Have Small Beginnings: Learn to Play in the Great Game.

Big Things Have Small Beginnings shows readers how to recognize and take advantage of the small things which will help them successfully play not just the great game of business but also the great game of life. Berry advises potential entrepreneurs on every aspect of running a business: setting and achieving objectives, making connections, helping the business grow, finding extraordinary personnel as well as an extraordinary product/service, and even channeling the ambition which comes with running a business in a productive manner. All the while, Berry tells the story of his own successes and failures in order to demonstrate how the small changes and initiatives can add up. By the end of the book, readers will know the value of the little things in life and business and have some helpful tips for launching and running a business that you won’t find in traditional business books.

Image retrieved from Amazon

There are thousands of books and websites out there for helping people start a business. Most of them have very useful information and some can be entertaining as well, but Berry’s work has clicked with me in a way that the others have not. The emphasis on paying attention to the smaller things to reach the bigger goals really resonated with me. I also found Berry’s personal success story to be inspiring and helpful; it demonstrates a level of creative, out-of-the-box thinking that everyone should aspire to, especially if they want to make an impact on this world. The stories about trading products/service for airtime and the section on learning about franchising were particular informative, unique, and, in the case of the franchising, chuckle-worthy.

Those are the most engaging aspects of this book: the unique perspective, the humor, and the optimism. I felt as though I were having a genuine, face-to-face conversation with the author himself. While it might not be considered the most “professional” approach, this tone really kept my attention and put me at ease enough to actually absorb Berry’s advice. It adds a personal touch which too many business resources lack and, when combined with the photographs and other visual aids, prevented the writing from becoming too dry. At times I felt this approach bordered on rambling, but Berry always returns to his point and ties everything together by the end of each chapter.

Berry’s personal history of growing up with a small family business, briefly attending a military school, and involvement with the Freemasons and other organizations perfectly supplements his business and life advice. His experience provides solid examples of how his tips do—and, sometimes, do not—work out. It also creates a connection between Berry and his readers and gives the readers a few laughs. I particularly got a kick out of him mentioning his Freemason membership, both because I thought it included great ideas for leadership building and because I have a few ancestors who were also Freemasons. There seems to be a little something that any reader can relate to in Berry’s experiences, and that alone makes this book worth the read for aspiring business people.

Overall, Big Things Have Small Beginnings by Wes Berry is a great tool for those looking to start or struggling to maintain their own businesses. While Berry covers a lot of ground, this book is not a complete, comprehensive guide to business. Nevertheless, the topics that it does cover are key to succeeding in business and in life, and there are very few business resources that will so clearly demonstrate the importance of focusing on the small things as Berry’s work does. If you are trying to break into business and feel like something is missing from your approach, give Big Things Have Small Beginnings a try. You never know, the Devil might just be in those small details you’re overlooking.

Big Things Have Small Beginnings by Wes Berry is available in print on Amazon.

Do you know of any books I should read? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com and let me know!



Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011

Friday Fun-Day Writing Prompt: Mirror of Erised

Happy Friday, everyone! Well, it’s still Friday here in California, barely. I’ve had quite a bit on my plate recently, and that has caused me to fall behind on the NaNoWriMo challenge. However, it’s not a complete loss. I’m writing for myself again rather than just bringing other people’s ideas to life, and that has made all the difference. I’m having fun making progress on Beorn the Alchemist after being stalled for so long. That’s why I wanted to make today’s writing prompt one directly related to NaNoWriMo. Actually, it’s not my writing prompt but one created by Mugglenet, one of the most popular Harry Potter fan sites in the world. The best part: it involves the Mirror of Erised!

For you Muggles who have not read Harry Potter or watched the movies, the Mirror of Erised is a mirror which, when you stand directly in front of it, shows you nothing less than your deepest desire. For example (*SPOILER ALERT*), Harry sees his family–most prominently his parents–when he looks into the Mirror of Erised because his deepest desire is for a family that loves him. It’s some pretty deep stuff.

Image retrieved from Mugglenet’s Facebook page

Anyway, today’s writing prompt involves looking into the Mirror of Erised. However, it’s not your deepest desire that you’ll see but your main character’s. Here’s the prompt:

Imagine that the main character for your current WIP is looking into the Mirror of Erised. What does he/she see? Why? How does this desire affect their actions? How does realizing that this is their deepest desire affect them? Write all of this down as notes. If it helps, write out a scene in which your main character is in front of the Mirror, including his/her thoughts and how seeing the image of this desire fulfilled makes them feel.

As you progress through your current WIP, whether it’s writing it for NaNoWriMo or going through your fiftieth rewrite, refer back to these notes, especially when you get stuck. It can help you find your main character’s true motivations and keep his/her actions and reactions consistent. You can also use it to provide your writing with some subtext. After all, even when the desire is not at the forefront of the character’s mind, it’s always lingering just beneath the surface.

What was your experience with this prompt? What does your main character see in the Mirror of Erised? What does it say about him/her? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

If you know of any good writing prompts or any resources for new prompts, feel free to discuss them in the comments or e-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com so that I can let your fellow writers know.

Happy writing, everyone! And keep the ball rolling, NaNoWriMo participants!



Designed by Stephanie Hoogstad circa 2011