Tag Archives: writing

by | December 10, 2025 · 2:10 pm

Learning to ask for help

Kayaking can be magical. Some of us need support. Volunteers with the Blackstone Heritage Corridor helped me in and back out of the boat. The paddling? That was up to me.

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Click to learn more.

Here are some lessons I’ve learned about asking for help/support, from years of practice. The recording I made here was first shared through Michael Whitehouse’s Grateful Growth Summit. Many thanks to Michael for spurring me to meet his challenge of creating a fifteen minute talk for this event. The recording has more “what to do” suggestions than are listed here.

“Why Learning to ask for help is a good thing…for your business”:

I’ve started writing a book on why learning to ask for help is a good thing… for your business, for your personal life, and for those you enlist to help. This post is not comprehensive. Below are a few tips that I will expand on as the manuscript is developed. Let me know if you have questions or comments, please!

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by | September 19, 2025 · 4:14 pm

Stories Can Change Us

Looking to the future, hoping for a harvest

LISTEN:

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Click to learn more.

Something interesting can happen when we turn up old earth in a garden. Plowing a familiar furrow may lead us to encounter, when we’re lucky, something different, perhaps a pretty fragment of an old china plate or glass bottle.

We may worry, when writing, that we are covering old ground. Or, as teachers sharing the same lesson with different classes, we review the same concepts, over and over! However, the repetition itself may, without our realizing it, bring change into our lives. And that can make all the difference.

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by | August 13, 2025 · 5:29 pm

How to Write a Blog

We called this boat henge, along the Missouri River–made me smile

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps nonfiction authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Let’s get in touch.

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So, how do you start? Write something. Toss in some photos. Dip your toes into the blogging world. Find a place to put your writing up on the internet. Tell your friends. Blogs are meant to be shared, not kept secret.

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by | July 22, 2025 · 5:34 pm

First-time Author’s Musings

Guest post!

Lesia A Alexander is a published author and a poet who brings her unique blend of creativity, spirituality, and storytelling to her writing. As a first-time author, she shares her journey of self-discovery and exploration in her work, reflecting on the human/animal experience and our connection to the natural world. With her debut book and other written works, Lesia inspires readers to cultivate awareness, compassion, and a deeper sense of connection.

Writing a book for the first time is not for the impatient or those wishing for exact and predictable outcomes. One of the common metaphors applied to the process of writing a book is that of carrying and birthing a child. That makes plenty of sense, but I also see that writing a book is like raising a child. No one can prepare you for the process, and you never know how they will turn out. And like raising a child, it’s a massive learning curve.

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by | July 17, 2025 · 5:39 pm

Reluctant writers

A boat might help…

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps nonfiction authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Let’s get in touch.

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I was a very reluctant writer. Formal writing requests were unwelcome, since I sensed that critical parent at my shoulder admonishing me. “That’s terrible grammar,” the voice in my imagination scolded. “That’s really stupid, no one will want to read this,” was another message lurking in my brain. Or that motivation-killing script? “You really do not have anything important to say.” Does any of this sound familiar?

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by | July 10, 2025 · 5:35 pm

Are you sure you’re not a writer?

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Let’s get in touch.

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Have you ever said, “I can’t write.”? Maybe you have insisted, “I’m not a good writer.” Or, God forbid, someone has told you, “You can’t write.” If this sounds familiar, I have some good news. Writing (and drawing, painting, and so many other creative endeavors) are not gifts. They’re skills that can be improved with practice.

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by | June 11, 2025 · 4:41 pm

Common Sense

Dad helping my brother launch a water-filled rocket

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Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Learn more.

My dad could do anything. Really. Whenever my siblings or I got stuck trying to complete any practical task, we turned to him, and predictably, he was able to fix, open, close, or repair it. Every single time.

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by | April 21, 2025 · 3:56 pm

Being Curious

So much to discover…

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to get in touch.

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You’ve likely heard it before: Follow your passion. It’s often framed as, “Follow your passion and good things will follow,” with the not-too-subtle implication that your passion will result in prosperity. I have always felt skeptical about this, since I’ve witnessed many frustrated folks who “followed their passion” only to discover that what they loved offered no particular value to anyone else.

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by | March 21, 2025 · 3:06 pm

Meltdowns and hissy fits

Looking for a light at the end of the tunnel

Want to get the scoop on self-publishing basics? Self-publishing 101

Marjorie Turner Hollman helps authors self-publish their books. She is also a disability advocate, sharing information about Easy Walks (not too many roots or rocks, relatively level with firm footing, and something of interest along the way) in open space. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

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Have you ever made a decision, then wondered why you ever thought it was a good idea? These days I help professionals who want to share in writing their skills and life lessons learned, then turn that writing into a self-published book. There was a time, however, when I needed all the help I could get.

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by | March 17, 2025 · 12:19 pm

No longer afraid

At the grand canyon of Yellowstone National Park. Some fears (like of heights!) are worth clinging to.

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Glancing through the glass window, she tucked an unruly lock of her dark, shoulder-length hair behind one ear. She leaned inside the office door, her dark eyes scanning the room; her knee-length skirt covered substantial hips.

“Marisol?” she asked, hoping my co-worker was nearby. My eyes darted down the piece of paper on my desk, hoping to fix on a useful phrase. “Marisol não está aqui,” I told her. Marisol isn’t here. I read with care from my “cheat sheet,” the unfamiliar syllables of Portuguese tumbling awkwardly off my tongue. The woman nodded, drew her head back and strode off.

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