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Debra Stang

Kansas

Freelance writer, proofreader, editor, fiction coach, social worker

Interests: Writing, proofreading, editing, social work, health care, mental health, suicide survivors, reading, pets, LGBTQ interests, lesbian issues, atheism, and time management

Recent Activity

A Freelance Writer's Guide to Dealing with Burnout

My pen flew across the room, narrowly missing my 14-year-old cat who had chosen that moment to stick his head out from behind the sofa following a long nap. I cursed. I was sick and tired of writing self-help articles. I'd been writing several such articles every day for two... Continue reading

Posted Jan 31, 2016 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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How to Get Your Novel Off on the WRONG Foot

The good news for writers is that Amazon Kindle and similar platforms allow them to get their books directly to readers. No longer does a writer have to search frantically for an agent and wait to get the nod from one of a handful of major publishing houses. The bad... Continue reading

Posted Jan 24, 2016 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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7 Healthy Activities That Won't Take Five Minutes of Your Time

Ah, yes, the glamorous life of the freelance writer. It you have a day job, like me, you stumble out of bed at the crack of dawn. Looking like something that escaped from Tales from the Crypt, you try to jolt yourself awake with caffeine while you commit a few... Continue reading

Posted Jan 17, 2016 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Writing with Mania

During my struggles with bipolar disorder, my main challenge has been depression. I've found dozens of ways to force myself to write when I'm crying, stuck in the depths of despair, and even suicidal. Mania presents a whole new set of challenges. My thoughts whiz by in no discernible order.... Continue reading

Posted Jan 10, 2016 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Coping with a Bad Review

"Writers fall into two groups: Those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review and those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review." - Isaac Asimov Asimov is right. Bad reviews hurt. Even the ridiculous hatchet jobs with half the words misspelled. Even the reviews that totally... Continue reading

Posted Jan 3, 2016 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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10 Writing Goals I want to Meet in 2016

OMG. It seems like just yesterday that I was watching Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and anticipating a nice afternoon of football. Now we're finished with Christmas and it's almost time to think about those pesky New Year's Resolutions. Maybe I'm masochistic to make them at all, since they often fall... Continue reading

Posted Dec 28, 2015 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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9 Favorite Holiday Movies and Specials and How They Made Me a Better Writer

One of the things I love about the month of December is the chance to see some of my favorite Christmas movies and specials. These are programs I've enjoyed for years, often since childhood. In some cases, I can almost recite the dialogue along with the actors. All of them... Continue reading

Posted Dec 20, 2015 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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My Three "Magic" Wishes

I've never had the good fortune of coming across a genie's lamp. It's probably just as well. If I did, I can see myself wasting my wishes on the usual crap - fame, fortune, exotic travels, perpetual youth, a gorgeous and intelligent partner...mmm, my mouth is watering. But suppose I... Continue reading

Posted Mar 31, 2015 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Where Do Characters Come From?

Nonfiction and editing are my bread and butter. They help pay rent on the apartment and keep the car insured. But I have been spending some more of my time playing around with fiction. That means coming up with characters who interact in the worlds that I create. Where do... Continue reading

Posted Mar 17, 2015 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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How to Keep Your Muses Healthy

Let's be honest. My muses can be total bitches, especially when I'm already feeling depressed and they heap criticism on top of me. Never is their imagination more devilishly clever that when they're telling me all the things that are wrong with me and all the reasons this planet would... Continue reading

Posted Mar 10, 2015 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Fighting Depression with Everything I Have

It's been a while since I've added anything to this blog. That's because, in spite of ECT, depression is still kicking my tail. Through lots of therapy, some of it in an intensive outpatient program, I've come to realize that this is a chronic condition. I won't always feel this... Continue reading

Posted Mar 3, 2015 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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A Shocking Development: How ECT Gave Me Back My Writing

"There is not much else I can do for you chemically," my psychiatrist told me directly. "And that means?" I asked, trying to care. "I'm recommending ECT." ECT. Electro-convulsive therapy, once known as electro-shock. I knew what that was all about, or at least I thought I did. I'd seen... Continue reading

Posted Aug 7, 2014 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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7 Writing Books I Can't Do Without

I've been writing professionally for almost 15 years now. During that time, I've done many things right...and just about as many things wrong. I've learned a lot of lessons. Some I've picked up the hard way by making mistakes and losing money or business. Others lessons, I've been fortunate enough... Continue reading

Posted Jan 12, 2014 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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4 POSITIVE Personality Traits That Can Lead to Procrastination

Do you routinely experience problems with procrastination? If so, you may have been told that you were lazy, disorganized, lacked a sense of responsibility, or were otherwise flawed. Before you slink off hanging your head in shame, however, stop and reconsider. There may not be anything wrong with you at... Continue reading

Posted Jan 5, 2014 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Book Review: A Bad Good-Bye by Jack Runion

By Debra Stang "I especially recommend it to Christians who are concerned about the fate of their loved ones' souls or about God's place in the lives of survivors." On January 19, 2008, Jack Runion's father, Charles "Dan" Runion, ended his life with a gunshot to the chest. On January... Continue reading

Posted May 29, 2013 at Blog

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When Are You a Writer?

"What do you do?" Whenever you meet someone new, you can expect this question to pop up early in the conversation. Do you tell the people who ask you this question that you're a writer? If not, take a few minutes to think about why. What would it take to... Continue reading

Posted May 1, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Book Review: Why Suicide? by Eric Marcus

By Debra Stang As suicide survivors, we all know that suicide leaves in its wake so many unanswered questions. Why this time of the day? Why this day of the year? Why this method? Why...? Author Eric Marcus is the first to admit he can't answer all the questions. What... Continue reading

Posted Apr 29, 2013 at Blog

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How Often Should Freelance Writers Blog?

When you started your freelance writing blog, you probably struggled with the question of how frequently to post. Back when I began my first blog (It was called "Confessions of a Keyword Concubine"), the prevailing wisdom was that writers should post every day, or at least every week day. The... Continue reading

Posted Apr 28, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Freelance Writing Tool: Toggl

A few weeks ago, I was reading a book on time management and came across a familiar piece of advice: track your time so that you know where the minutes and hours are really going. I'd tried doing that exercise in the past with pen an paper. I usually kept... Continue reading

Posted Apr 24, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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5 Phrases You Don't Want to See in Freelance Writing Job Ads

Okay, I admit it. I look at the freelance writing job ads on Craigslist. While many of them offer ridiculous terms or are just flat out scams, I have actually found some petty decent gigs there, too. The trick to making it worthwhile is to avid spending too much of... Continue reading

Posted Apr 21, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Book Review: Blogger's Block: How to Get Rid of It Now! by Mick Michaels

I really enjoy blogging. In fact, I've been known to spend too much time on it when I should have been working on other projects. Last November, though, something unusual began to happen when I sat down to work on my blog. My flow of ideas slowed to a trickle.... Continue reading

Posted Apr 17, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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10 Leisure Activities That Make Me a Better Freelance Writer

Do you remember the scene in The Shining where hapless wife Wendy Torrance sneaks into her husband, Jack's, writing room to try to get a glimpse into his troubled mind? Jack, who is supposed to be working on the Great American Novel has typed over and over, "All work and... Continue reading

Posted Apr 14, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Do You Have Writer's Burnout?

I'll never forget that Friday years ago when I hauled myself out of bed after only a few hours of sleep and stumbled to my computer for another full day of work. I sat there and stared at the monitor until my vision became blurry. My hands remained clenched in... Continue reading

Posted Apr 10, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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50 Things for the Freelance Writer to Tweet About

Yes, I know. Writers and other professionals are supposed to be active on social media sites. But do you ever just run out of anything to say? Lately, I've been going through "Twitter Block," so I put together this list of topics to Tweet about. It's helped me, and I... Continue reading

Posted Apr 8, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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Beat the Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Women With These 21 Tips

My first blog post with LifeScript went live yesterday. Now that I'm caught up with that, I can go back to writing my own blogs. :-) Beat the Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Women With These 21 Tips. Continue reading

Posted Mar 27, 2013 at Freelance Writer and Social Worker

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