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...
28 days 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...
about 1 month 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...
3 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...
3 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...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Using your words to strengthen connections Happy December, Reader. As 2024 draws to a close. I’m already planning what do to more and less of in 2025. On the more list: Time in nature Time with my grandchild Coaching nonfiction authors creating meaningful books Essays, articles, and other non-book writing I'd like to spend more time with these neighbors Most of all, I want to spend more time and effort cultivating and maintaining meaningful connections, in person and through writing. Because,...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Lessons from a nonfiction reading survey Happy mid-November, Reader In today’s Writing Practices: Results from a nonfiction reading survey Advice about writing for different formats November's book give-away: Says Who First, the survey data. What 158 people told me about their reading habits If you’ve heard me speak to authors or read Get the Word Out, you may have heard me discuss servant authorship—how our responsibility, as writers, includes serving the reader. But to serve them, we must...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Writing Yoga for November, 2024 Hello Reader, If you're processing the U.S. election results, maybe you should take a break and write. I've got another writing exercise for you that may help you sharpen your skills. But first... A thought for the day If you live in a place that ended Daylight Savings Time this past weekend, how did having that "extra hour" of time feel? I used it with intention: I spent time reading in bed Sunday morning (which always feels like a luxury) and checked out the...
5 months ago • 1 min read
