Melissa GoutyMay 16, 20203 minFinding Comfort in the Chaos that Surrounds UsNow, more than a half-century later, I understand that chaos is not connected to people or groups at all. It’s a force of nature all its own
Melissa GoutyMay 11, 20206 minCan Data Help Shoot Your Book to the Top? What factors make a book skyrocket to success? What is it about certain books that make them popular? Is there research that might help wri
Melissa GoutyMay 10, 20203 minThink Outside the Books: Three Touchstones for Inspirationall my ideas don’t come from books. My never-ending inundation of ideas comes from those daily sources that I can always count on and that c
Melissa GoutyMay 10, 20203 minAn Easy, One-Step Reminder of Your ProgressForget your “to-do” list and make a “what I did list” instead. Most of the time, we’re focused on what needs to be done. We make lists of
Melissa GoutyMay 10, 20205 minThe Unexpected Benefits of Being Alone With Yourself“There is a difference between loneliness and solitude; one will empty you, and one will fill you. You have the power to choose.” Solitude i
Melissa GoutyMay 6, 20203 minExciting News! The 2020 Pulitzers Have Just Been AnnouncedThe list of Pulitzer Prize winners in Fiction, Nonfiction, and general Nonfiction has been announced. Add these to your reading list.
Melissa GoutyMay 4, 20206 minThe Best Lesson in Pacing...EVERThe long and the short of it is this: Writers have to know how to set a winning pace for their readers by using both long, detailed paragrap
Melissa GoutyApr 29, 20206 minThe Guilt and Grief of Discarding Your Books - And How to Avoid ItThink twice before discarding your treasured books. Getting rid of a book is like tossing out an old friend and can produce feelings of guil
Melissa GoutyApr 28, 20209 minWhy the Backlash from American Dirt?If you live under a literary rock, you may not know about the furor that has erupted over Jeanine Cummins’ novel, American Dirt, released fr
Melissa GoutyApr 27, 20204 minHere's an Alternative to Quick Success: Go SlowSuccess comes in different forms and at different speeds to different people. For me, getting to success is a slow, turtle-tortu
Melissa GoutyApr 22, 20202 minA Simple Way to Get More Pleasure From ReadingReading is supposed to be fun. Sometimes we read for information. Sometimes we want a different viewpoint. Sometimes we read for pure pleasu
Melissa GoutyApr 22, 20205 minWhat You Need to Know About Being Well-Reado be “well-read” means to know a lot about multiple subjects because you’ve learned from multiple books in multiple genres about multiple ti