Try tiny experiments instead How's your writing going, Reader? Are you where you want to be with it? Many people feel a sense of inadequacy or guilt when they fail to meet aggressive writing goals. In the past couple weeks, several people have reported problems doing their writing due to real life challenges: illness, caring for family members, work crises, etc. And they usually feel badly about missing their writing planned goals. So, in this email, we're going to talk about another way to...
10 days ago • 2 min read
It's time for another writing voice exercise Dear Reader, In working with nonfiction authors, I often recommend they break up a few long sentences to aid comprehension or change the rhythm of the work. If you live firmly in the "long sentences best serve my work" camp, beware. Too many long sentences can get in the way of comprehension, and then your relationship with the reader suffers. (No one wants to read a sentence twice to understand it.) This month, I invite you to attention to your...
24 days ago • 1 min read
2 posts, 1 book, and more good news Hi, Reader! We have a lot to cover this time, including: The March give-away Two writing posts! Good (writing) news Let's dive in! How to Submit: The March book drawing This month's book is a gem for anyone trying to figure out where and how to submit their poems, stories, essays, creative nonfiction, or books. How to Submit: Getting Your Writing Published by Literary Magazines and Small Presses by Dennis James Sweeney This book changed the way I think...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
The March Writing Voice exercise is here! Hello Reader, How are you holding up so far this year, as we enter the mad days of March? Are you writing? Is it helping you deal with uncertainty or connect with others? You may have heard me talk about servant authorship — a cornerstone of my nonfiction book coaching practice. But our writing also serves ourselves. If uncertainty is getting you down, try writing through it. Come up with different scenarios and play them out. Most writers I know are...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Writing Practice: Easy Mode Dear Reader, The Celestial Librarian has been sending me a message lately, so I'll pass it on to you: What if we stop making things harder than they need to be? What if writing feels easy? The message first popped up when I read Greg McKeown’s Effortless — a long-standing library hold that arrived over the holidays. The book contains wonderful gems about writing—including the advice not to put upper limits on your writing each day. Then I read Meditations for...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Writing always starts small How's your year shaping up so far, Reader? For many people, the best-laid plans for the year are crashing headlong into reality, in big ways and small. If you're affected by the fires in Los Angeles, my heart goes out to you. If you have an unexpected illness, or a family member to care for, or any other unexpected situation, you're not alone. Life is messy. In mid-January, the bulk of the year lies before us, unwritten. It may well be filled with surprises. But we...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Starting a year-long Voice project Happy new year, Reader! In this first Writing Practices of the year: What you're saying "yes" to in 2025 Ready to play with your writing voice? My 2025 project with you. The Writing Voice Exercise for January Confetti 🎊 Let's dive in. Your Year of Yes Last time (last year?), I asked people to share with me what they're saying "yes" to in 2025. Here are a few of your plans for the year ahead. Writing a memoir Finishing a memoir! (I detect a theme) Finishing...
4 months ago • 2 min read
The last Writing Practices email of 2024 Dear Reader, Here we are, at the last Writing Practices email of the 2024! For you today: The book drawing: The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes A gift for you: the audiobook of Get the Word Out: Write a Book That Makes a Difference Finishing up writing projects: where to put your time and attention I hope something here gives you joy and support. The book drawing: The Year of Yes Several people recommended this book in my Nonfiction Reading Survey, and...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hi friend, Here's a fun year-end project: share three of your favorite books you've read this year. You can submit your list to a book recommendation site called Shepherd, and then share the resulting page with others. (Once you're done, explore the different recommendations and authors on Shepherd—it's a gem!) Here's what the favorite books page looks like: For my own recommendations, I restricted myself to books relevant to writing. You can share anything: fiction, nonfiction, whatever...
5 months ago • 1 min read