It might seem that writers live pretty safe lives. Yes, there are some, mostly journalists, who immerse themselves in troubled and war-torn countries, and they can and do get hurt. But most of us who ...

Every January, if you’re like most people, you probably spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make this year better than the last. It’s a pretty common exercise, made more real considering ...

Many people have written to me saying they love all the research on bettering themselves but need that first step on how to shoehorn it in to their day-to-day life. Incorporating a lot of the blog’s ...

When I wrote my first play "Crazy for Life," I had no idea what I was doing. Seriously. I had acted before but never written a one-person show, particularly one about my own experience living with ...

This story comes from Life Kit, NPR's podcast with tools to help you get it together. To listen to this episode, play the audio at the top of the page or find it here. It's kind of a truism that ...

We’re total suckers for self improvement: The self-help industry brings in billions of dollars each year from countless books. All that encouraging advice can feel empowering and commonsensical, ...

Pissing off the porch seemed like the perfect metaphor for his chosen profession until one night last January, when John Graves was heading outside to relieve himself and fell down the stairs. His ...

Writers like myself are a ubiquitous lot, as a visit to any Starbucks makes clear, but my experience suggests that non-writers know relatively little about the profession. Indeed, while many Americans ...