You know those moments when an idea comes fully formed? It's like it drops out of the sky, and once you begin writing, the momentum carries you forward. They can feel few and far between, can't they? But the truth is, you can increase the...

I remember my first writing workshop. We met in a refurbished warehouse in Minneapolis. Something about the exposed brick walls and the high ceilings made me feel like I was in a creative place. That perhaps, by association, I could be creative...

I sent a short story to my writing partner this week. When I started writing, I felt certain that doing so was the right decision. The pieces of the story fell into place in an “aha” sort of way — so clear and vivid that ignoring...

One day, a novel writer in my Writer’s Voice Mastermind group came to me with a challenge. She’d been going along just fine, the story seeming to pour out of her. All of a sudden, things got fuzzy.  “It’s like...

It's possible to make changes that transform your writing life. I just led an 8 part series - 8 Simple Shifts to Transform Your Writing - to help you do just that. If you weren't following along, you can start at the beginning...

When I decided to stop working on a novel and set it aside, possibly forever, it didn't come easily. I had invested a lot of myself and my time into that book. But the writing had become more than a struggle—I was forcing it. My choice...

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to speak to an audience about article pitching. One of the first things I said? Don't get ahead of yourself. Take the time to make your writing as good as it can be before you try to publish.  It...

I have a confession. You know those writers who have a novel in a drawer, collecting dust and going no where? I am one. Only my dusty novel is in a bag in the storage space above the master closet, and I left it there on purpose.  I...

I was sitting on a panel at a writing conference when an audience member asked a great question: should he write his book to be more publishable (in his mind, that meant rosy and optimistic) or stay true to his own perspective (a little more...

Have you ever noticed how a lot of writing sounds like rules? Write every day. Write first thing in the morning. Write 1,000 words per day. It's tempting to think they're the secret to writing more.  I often hear my clients...

My better half is a builder, and he is not a whap it, tap it, slap it kind of worker. He is a craftsman, who built our home with reclaimed oak floors, spacious windows to let in the light, and an eye for detail. He could see our house before it...

I am more than a writer (you probably are too). I'm also a partner, a dog mom, a friend and writing coach. I mountain bike, rock climb, camp, hike and spend time with the people I love. I like a clean house too (though my standards pale compared...

There's this image of "The Writer" that permeates our culture: a solitary creature, so devoted to his or her craft that she writes EVERY DAY. Perhaps that means writing all day, from 9 to 5, and treating it like a job. Perhaps that...

Someone asked me the other day what I would change about me if I had a magic wand. I wanted to say something sarcastic, but in the end I just said: I would want to be more brave to do bigger things in life. The second I said it out loud, I...

A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit. ~Richard Bach If you wait for inspiration to write you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter. ~ Dan Poynter Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet...