We’ve all thought at one point that we would like to write a book. So let’s take some advice from the professionals. Here are six tips for success as a writer from the author of Stuck in Downward Dog and Love Struck, Chantel Simmons.

What advice would you give to someone who is hoping to become an author?

1.Write, write, write. It sounds too simple to be true, but it is true. The theory is that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to be good at any given task, so the best way to become a better writer is to get in that practice time!

2.Make an outline. It’s so much easier to write the next chapter if you already know what’s going to happen! A lot of times I hear writers say, “But I don’t know what’s going to happen next.” If you don’t know before you start writing, how are you ever going to know? Writing the outline is hard work, but once it’s done, it allows you to write any chapter in the book, because you know that you’ve already decided you need it.

3.Writer’s block is just an excuse. If a scene isn’t working, get rid of the scene – there’s a good chance you don’t actually need it in the novel. And if you write the whole book and realize you do actually need the scene, well, you can always  go back and add it in later.

4.Write the whole novel. It’s rare that an agent would sign you without reading your whole book. They have to know that you can write the whole thing, and how the story ends so they can sell it.

5.Send in your very best work. You only get one chance to make a good first impression on an agent.

6.Being an author is a job, and you have to treat it like one. You don’t get a book written by getting pedicures or drinks with your friends. That’s what you do as a reward once you finish putting in your day’s work.

Inspired? Me too! Well, lucky for you Chantel also teaches workshops on How to Write Your First Book and How to Get Published.

An easy way to reduce your caffeine intake is to mix your full-strength coffee (tea or cola beverage) half and half with a decaffeinated version for a couple of days. Then mix one part full caf with two parts decaf for a couple of days. Then mix one part caf with three parts decaf for a couple of days. Then mix one part caf with four parts decaf. By the end of the week, you’ll be off caffeine.

Another option is to drink espresso, which contrary to its high-octane reputation has only about half the caffeine per single serving as drip, perked, or pressed coffee. Going from drip to espresso or café Americano (hot water plus espresso) instantly cuts your caffeine load in half. From there you can move to half-caf espresso and then to decaf espresso. If you’re a coffee lover, you’ll be delighted with the full-bodied taste of decaf espresso versus the drip stuff. If you’re unfamiliar with café Americano, visit any Starbucks or your favorite coffee bar, where you’ll find it on the menu. Or visit our website at
www.proteinpower.com to find a YouTube video in the Dr. Michael Eades’s blog archives, demonstrating how to make your own Americano at home.

Excerpted from The 6-Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle Copyright © 2009 by Michael R. Eades and Mary Dan Eades, M.D. Excerpted by permission of Crown, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.

Ingredients:

½ cup butter or firm margarine

2 cups white sugar

½ cup milk

½ cup (approx. one 100g bar) of your favourite Nestle Noir chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups shredded/flaked, unsweetened coconut

2 cups rolled oats

5 tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. salt

Directions:

Mix butter, white sugar, and milk in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the mixture is at a full boil, boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately add chocolate, stirring to help it melt.

Add coconut, rolled oats, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. Stir until well mixed.

The mixture you end up with should be fairly thick, and able to hold its shape when spooned onto a cookie sheet. If it’s too thin, you can add more oats until the consistency is right.

Drop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.

Refrigerate until set, about one hour. Once set, macaroons can be stored in an airtight container in fridge for about one week.

Makes approximately 48

Prep time: 30 minutes

Don’t let the microwave deter you from trying this! It makes an easy meal for when you’re entertaining and short on time or if you just feel like something cozy for dinner and want to have leftovers for the week.

Ingredients Quantity

Boneless turkey breast about    2 ½ lb

Butter, softened                         ½ cup

Shallot, finely minced                1 ea

Garlic clove, minced                  1 ea

Lemon zest                                1 Tbsp

Lemon juice                               1 tsp

Orange zest                               1 Tbsp

Orange juice                              1 Tbsp

Tarragon, fresh, chopped          1 Tbsp

Parsley, chopped                       1 Tbsp

Basil, fresh, chopped                 1 Tbsp

Cilantro, fresh, chopped             1 Tbsp

Salt                                             ½ tsp

Black pepper                              ½ tsp

Cranberry Chutney

Cranberries, fresh or frozen       2 cups

Granny Smith apples                 1 cup

Sugar                                         1 cup

Cider vinegar                             ½ cup

Orange zest                               1 Tbsp

Orange juice                              ¼ cup

Cinnamon, ground                     1 tsp

Ginger, minced                          1 tsp

Method

1. Rinse the turkey breast in cold water and pat dry. Carefully, using your fingers, make a pocket between the skin and the breast.

2. Combine the butter, shallots, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, orange zest, orange juice, tarragon, parsley, basil, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

3. Using a pastry bag, pipe an even layer of the soft butter mixture in the pocket between the skin and the breast. By pressing on the skin, spread herb mixture into an even thin layer throughout the pocket.

4. Place turkey breast into a microwave cooking bag, following the instructions for using the microwave bag. Microwave on P7 for 25 minutes, about 8-9 minutes per pound, or internal temperature reached 165ºF. Allow to set 15 minutes before carving.

5. For the chutney, combine all the ingredients in a large microwaveable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, then puncture holes with a small knife, for steam to vent and microwave on P7 for 12 minutes, until slightly thick. Let cool. Keep refrigerated until needed.

Yield: 6 Servings

Recipe courtesy of Panasonic

This is just good math. Chocolate + Grand Marnier + cake (or fruit if you need some vitamins with your booze and sugar) = delicious. Side note: Dear Gym, I promise to visit you more in the new year when I come out of my sugar coma 10 pounds heavier. P.S Don’t judge me, it was worth it.

Ingredients Quantity

Bittersweet chocolate                                   1 cup

Semisweet chocolate                                   1 cup

Heavy cream                                                ½ cup

Orange zest                                                  2 tsp

Honey                                                           2 Tbsp

Grand Marnier                                              ¼ cup

Salt                                                               1 pinch

Assorted fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces       6 cups

Pound cake, cut into bite-sized pieces         2 cups

Marshmallows                                                2 cups

Method

1. Combine the chocolate and microwave in a 2 qt. microwave bowl on P6 for 3 minutes, stirring the chocolate after each minute. Keep warm.

2. Microwave heavy cream, orange zest, salt, honey, and Grand Marnier covered on P10 for 2 minutes. Remove and allow zest to steep for 10 minutes. Strain the warm mixture into the chocolate and whisk together, and mix thoroughly.

3. Serve warm in a fondue pot with a variety of bite-sized pieces of foods to dip. (Strawberries with stems, pitted cherries, apricots, pineapples, orange segments, sponge cake pieces, ladyfingers, etc.).

Yield: 6 Portions

Recipe courtesy of Panasonic

To simplify your holiday brunch menu, Canadian chef Amy Snider Whitson suggests delicious pepper cups, cooked evenly and quickly using Inverter technology available in Panasonic microwaves. By replacing high-fat pastry with colourful peppers, this quiche-style recipe is as nutritious as it is eye-catching. Serve the peppers with glazed peameal bacon, fresh fruit and warm, whole-grain breads, for an easy, elegant brunch.

4 red peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

3 cups (750 mL) lightly packed baby arugula leaves

1 cup (250 mL) shredded Asiago cheese, divided

6 large eggs

2/3 cup (150 mL) milk

1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup (50 mL) grated Parmesan cheese

2 each green onions and garlic cloves, minced

3/4 tsp (4 mL) each salt and pepper, divided

Pinch ground nutmeg (optional)

2 tbsp (30 mL) toasted pine nuts (optional)

1.      Place the peppers in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add 1/4 cup (50 mL) of water; cover with a heat-proof plate. Microwave, on P10 (High) for 8 to 10 minutes or until fork-tender. Transfer peppers, cut-side-down, to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool slightly. Add the arugula to the same bowl; cover and microwave on P10 for 1 minute or until wilted. Blot dry on paper towel.

2.      Arrange the peppers, cut-side-up in a lightly greased, 9 x 13-inch (3 L) baking dish. Season evenly with 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper. Divide the arugula and half of the Asiago cheese, equally among the peppers. Whisk the eggs with the milk, basil, Parmesan cheese, green onion, garlic, nutmeg (if using) and remaining salt and pepper. Pour an equal amount of the egg mixture into each pepper.

3.      Microwave on P4 (Med-Low) for 15 minutes. Sprinkle each pepper with an equal amount of the remaining Asiago cheese and pine nuts (if using). Microwave on P4 for 3 to 4 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese is melted. Makes 8 servings.

Tips:

·         Prepare the peppers, arugula and the egg mixture a day ahead. Simply fill the peppers and start cooking once the guests arrive.

·         If your Panasonic Microwave has a Sensor Cook function, it can be used to steam the peppers and arugula by selecting “Fresh Vegetables”.

·         For a smaller crowd or a smaller microwave, half the recipe and use an 8-inch (2 L) square, baking dish.

Recipe courtesy of Panasonic

Ingredients                                 Quantity

Short-grain rice (Arborio rice)        1 cup

Water                                             3 cups

Sweetened condensed milk          1 can (396g)

Vanilla extract                               ½ tsp

Cinnamon, ground                        ¼ tsp

Raisins                                          ½ cup

Salt                                               1 pinch

Method

1. Combine rice and water in a large microwave safe bowl. Cover bowl and

microwave on P10 for 15 minutes. Remove.

2. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl with cooked rice and mix thoroughly.

3. Cook uncovered at P6 for 6 minutes, stirring 3 times.

Yield: 10 Portions

Recipe courtesy of Panasonic

Your first and most reliable guide to happiness is your body.

The body is designed to support the mind, and working together they create the state known as happiness. When you’re deciding whether or not to act, ask your body, “How do you feel about this?” If your body sends back a signal of physical or emotional distress, reconsider the action. If your body sends a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed. Together, mind and body form a single field. It is artificial to separate them as we usually do. Every experience has a physical component. If you’re hungry, the mind and stomach are hungry together. If you have an incredible spiritual experience, your heart and liver cells share in it. You cannot have a single thought, sensation, or feeling without your body responding.

The first key to happiness tells us that by being aware of your body, you are connecting to the underlying field of infinite possibilities. Why do mind, body, and spirit feel separate when they are not? Because of lack of awareness. Awareness has tremendous power. It tunes into every cell. It regulates the body’s countless interactions. Awareness is the invisible, silent agent that lets your body know what your mind is thinking, and at the same time it sends feedback from the body so that the mind feels supported and understood. Ideally, when you experience being loved, your mind will grasp that you are loved, your cells will be nourished by that love, and your soul will rejoice that you have reached deep enough to find the source of love. Every good thing in life saturates your whole being.

When mind, body, and spirit are in harmony, happiness is the natural result. Signs of the absence of harmony, on the other hand, are discomfort, pain, depression, anxiety, and illness in general. Unhappiness is a form of feedback. It signals that disharmony has entered the field somewhere–either in mind, body, or spirit. Awareness has become disconnected. Only when we look at the situation in this holistic way can we link health, wholeness, and holiness, for all three share the same root word, and all three share the same state of harmony or disharmony. You may have heard the saying “The issues are in the tissues.” This refers to the fact that psychological issues such as anger, depression, neurosis, hostility, and free-floating anxiety are not simply psychological. They have a correlate in the brain, and through the central nervous system the brain makes every cell and tissue in your body aware that you have an issue.

The entire field quivers at the slightest twinge of pain or pleasure. In other words, the field is aware. When you consciously pay attention to what your body is telling you, this awareness is tremendously increased. Awareness isn’t the same as having a thought. A mother is aware of how her child feels without having to think “A is bothering him” or “B has gone wrong.” Awareness is intuitive. All you have to do is pay attention, and awareness grants you access to every corner of the infinite field. This is like being plugged into the cosmic computer, because when the field organizes the smallest thing in creation, it organizes the whole.

The opposite is also true. When you withdraw awareness, disruptions occur on many levels at the same time. Feedback loops no longer operate as they should between mind and body. The flow of energy and nourishment needed by every cell begins to diminish. By not paying attention to your body, you are putting it in the same predicament as a neglected child. How can a child be expected to develop normally if the parents pay no attention, if they ignore its cries for help, and remain indifferent to whether their child is happy or unhappy? The same question applies to the body, and it leads to the same answer. The body doesn’t stop developing around age twenty, an arbitrary time we call maturity. Constant change is always taking place, all the way down to the level of genes. Change is never neutral. Either it leads to growth, development, and evolution or it leads in the opposite direction, toward decline, decay, and disorder. The difference depends on how you pay attention, because attention is your connection to the field of infinite possibilities.

The field has certain qualities or attributes that support mind, body, and spirit. There are three qualities that contribute to happiness most significantly. Intelligence is the first. When you listen to your body, you eavesdrop on the mind of the universe. This involves many tasks at once. A human body can think thoughts, play a piano, secrete hormones, regulate skin temperature, kill germs, remove toxins, and make a baby all at the same time. That is a miraculous display of intelligence. This intelligence also allows you to make choices that lead to fulfillment.

Fulfillment seems mysterious to many people, but we can break it down into its simplest parts. Fulfillment is the result of right thought, right feelings, and right action. Each area involves the body. We don’t have to create artificial boundaries between a liver cell that makes a right choice and the mind making a right choice. Intelligence embraces both. If it makes a mistake at the chemical or genetic level, the cell dies or becomes malignant. The mind discriminates right from wrong at a different level, the level of ethics and morals. The emotions have their own level, discriminating between nourishing and toxic feelings, or between loving and harmful relationships. When you are consciously aware of your body and what it is telling you, the quality of intelligence is amplified. Its reach is infinite. While the human body performs countless physical processes, it tracks the movement of stars and planets, because your biological rhythms are actually the symphony of the whole universe. That’s why we call it the universe–”one verse,” “one song.”

The second attribute of the field [of happiness] is creativity.

Creativity keeps the flow of life fresh and new. It prevents inertia; it dispels habit. Much of the time the body seems stuck in routine. One breath is the same as another, one heartbeat repeats the action that came before. Simply to process food and air, your cells must endlessly repeat the same chemical processes with tremendous accuracy; no improvisation is allowed. But miraculously, the body also has complete flexibility to adapt to new situations. When you decide to do something new–have a baby, run a marathon, or climb a mountain–billions of cells adapt to your intention. This flexibility isn’t mechanical. It’s not like your car accelerating because you push down on the gas pedal. Rather, your body adapts creatively.

You can observe this in how creatively you can think and speak. No two thoughts are required to be exactly alike; no two sentences demand exactly the same words. The brain displays a pattern of neural activity to match any thought or sentence, even if that thought or sentence has never before appeared in the history of the universe. The ancient Vedic wisdom tradition in India identified creativity with Ananda, or bliss. Bliss is usually described as intense joy, but cells have their own bliss in the form of vitality, flow, and infinite dynamism.

To be most alive is to be in bliss. When you are in that state, everything feels possible. Your body is no longer a burden; you feel light as air. Nothing is old or stale. Instead, your creative potential is ignited. Creativity depends on the constant ability of life to refresh itself, and that ability is founded on bliss. You don’t have to force yourself to be blissful–you couldn’t if you tried–but only to be aware. Bliss is innate in awareness, which by its nature is lively, alert, effervescent, and joyful. The absence of those things can be corrected simply by accessing deeper awareness.

The third attribute of the field [of happiness] is power.

Although cells operate on a microscopic level, they contain the power to survive, thrive, and evolve in an environment that erodes entire mountain ranges and dries up vast ancient seas. Power doesn’t mean aggression. The power you don’t see or feel is the greatest power of all. It organizes a thousand billion cells into one smoothly operating organism. It defends against every virus and germ that could harm the body, and monitors outbreaks of cancer inside the body itself.

Once again, it is entirely artificial to put boundaries around this quality of the field. Mind, body, and spirit express power in their own ways. The mind expresses power as attention and intention, turning wisps of thought into outward achievement. The body expresses power through physical strength and endurance, but also by organizing infinite processes into a coherent whole. Spirit expresses power by turning pure potential into reality. In the Indian tradition, spiritual power, called Shakti, is the most fundamental. When you possess Shakti, you can turn the invisible into the visible. Whatever you imagine manifests as reality. There are no obstacles between your desire and its fulfillment.

Excerpted from The Ultimate Happiness Prescription by Deepak Chopra Copyright © 2009 by Deepak Chopra. Excerpted by permission of Harmony. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

After publishing Simone’s anonymous ex-boyfriend letter, I received a lot of interest from people wanting to write their own ex-boyfriend or girlfriend letters. So, I would like to encourage anyone who’s interested in writing one to send it in to dayna.boyer@20-something.ca and I will publish it here. Think of it as free therapy with a sprinkling of closure.

And to be fair (because women do some crazy stuff too), here’s an ex-girlfriend letter from one of our male readers:

Dear ex girlfriend,

I wasn’t honest with you then, but with time, space and considerable distance I feel like I can be honest with you now. Our relationship was brief. I don’t think we were initially each other’s ‘type’ in a traditional sense and I think perhaps the ‘foreignness’ of our coupling could have hurt communication. I know personally that I allowed little things to distract me from larger issues; course correcting certain social faux pas for example. Letting you know that referring to me as your “chocolate lover” was probably not advisable is minor in the grand scheme.  Never fear, I never thought it was a racist thing. I just think it’s kind of gross. In any case, there are a few things that we should discuss, beyond non ironic racial identifiers, that might serve you well going forward.

a.Your boobs are ridiculous.

Honestly. To be clear you had them before I got there, but I think my initial feigned enthusiasm gave you a false sense of satisfaction. In my defense there was all that wine and the clever wordplay prior to the big initial unveiling. To have appeared unenthusiastic would have just been rude. In reality they feel like baked potatoes. With the aluminum foil left on. Imagine aliens moving into your house. They look weird. They don’t react the way they should. They just sit there, doing whatever it is they’re suppose to be doing. Eventually you give up trying to understand them and just ignore them completely. The particular analogy should probably clear some things up.

Oh there is one caveat. I have to grudgingly admit, the ‘”girls” do look stunning in formal attire. Strapless dresses truly demonstrated their gravity defying capabilities to best effect. However, I wish you would have used better discretion when you chose to employ them. All this to say thanks for making my cousin’s wedding awkward. I’m pretty sure you jump started the ring bearer’s ascent into puberty.

b.Your tattoo is unfortunate.

Let’s start with the location. I’m sure when you initially got it, the lower back seemed like an ideal location for a tattoo. It’s not your fault that the site became associated with strippers and porn stars. It’s unfortunate but not uncommon. The first dude to ever wrap a barbed wire tat around his arm must also deal with the stigma attached to what was initially a pretty solid piece of human billboard space.

It’s the tattoo itself that’s, problematic. I’m not certain what inspired you to place two poorly drawn cherubs kissing on your body. Let’s put aside the poorly drawn aspects. Such things are likely out of your control pre and post tattoo’ing. Not to be crude but there are very few times when one has a particularly good view of that area of the body. I think I can speak for most men when I say that during those moments, we aren’t often thinking about children, flying or otherwise. I’m going to go ahead and assume your proctologist isn’t impressed either.

So at this point it could be argued that I’m some sort of superficial jerk looking to tear you down post break up with things that have little to do with you as a person. Quite the contrary. I’m no psychologist but seemed like when we were together, you let things characterize you. The tattoo and the boobs were the ways in which you chose to ‘redefine yourself’ when you thought you weren’t good enough. Each was acquired at the end of a previous relationship and each was to service as an enticement you didn’t believe you could offer. You’re better than this and these self-inflicted crutches. I was around long enough to know.  You’re better defined by your love of stray puppies, pancakes and (shudder) smooth jazz than your bra size. I hope time has allowed you to see that.

FYI, my cousin (the ring bearer) says hi.

1. Sex cures mild depression by releasing endorphins into the bloodstream, producing a sense of euphoria and a feeling of well-being.

2. Sex is a natural antihistamine. It can help combat asthma and hay fever. No one ever gets a stuffy nose during lovemaking.

3. Lovemaking can burn up those calories you piled on during that romantic dinner.

4. Sex tones up just about every muscle in the body, and it’s more fun than swimming twenty laps.

5. When women make love, they produce large amounts of estrogen, which makes hair shiny and skin smooth.

6. The more often you have sex, the more sex you will be offered. A sexually active body secretes large quantities of pheromones. These subtle sex perfumes drive the opposite sex crazy.

7. Sex is around ten times more effective as a tranquilizer than Valium.

8. Kissing encourages saliva to wash food from the teeth and lowers the level of the acid that causes decay and plaque buildup.

9. Sex relieves headaches by releasing the tension that restricts blood vessels in the brain.

10. Gentle, relaxed lovemaking reduces your chance of suffering dermatitis, rashes, and blemishes. The sweat produced cleanses the pores and makes the skin glow.

Excerpted from Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love by Barbara and Allan Pease Copyright © 2010 by Barbara Pease. Excerpted by permission of Broadway. All rights reserved.