December's Writing Voice exercise It's the last month of the year, Reader. What's in store for you? In this issue, you'll find: The December book give-away (about writing jokes) A writing voice exercise (about emotion, complete with holiday music) Advice on employing editors Let's get started. Written any good jokes lately? How about a fun book for the last month of the year? I'm giving away a copy of Elliott Kalan's brand-new book Joke Farming. And we're doing the drawing now (rather than...
24 days ago • 2 min read
What happens in the very beginning Hello Reader, Working on anything interesting? I'm cracking open The Writer's Process with the thought of revising it for its tenth anniversary next year. And once I opened it, of course I realized how much I want to add and refine. So, I'm at that daunting point of possibility. Want to come along for the ride? If that book has had an impact on you, I'd love to hear about it! I'll be assembling a few stories. December's book give-away If you're searching for...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
November's Writing Voice exercise Happy November, Reader! Thanksgiving may not show up until late this month (in the States), but the season of gratitude knows no calendar boundaries. And when times seem dark, connection and gratitude are balms. Lately, I find myself grateful for books that challenge or expand my thinking, that connect me with other perspectives. I'm also grateful for the chance to work with authors writing books like that. And, I'm thankful for connecting with writers like...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
On reading your older writing Hello Reader, I started carefully re-reading The Writer's Process, in advance of its 10-year anniversary next year. (I'm trying to figure out if I want/need to update it.) While I'm completely familiar with the ideas in the book (I've been talking about them for a decade), my voice of ten years ago is less familiar. Occasionally, a sentence I don't remember writing delights me: "What can we offer as writers, if not our unique slant on the world?" In other places,...
2 months ago • 2 min read
October's Writing Voice exercise Hi Reader, It's October already. Cue the pumpkin spice, sweaters, and in my neighborhood, insanely escalating Halloween decorations. (Seriously. One of our neighbors carves so many pumpkins that USA Today wrote about them! No pressure...) Instead of pumpkins, I'm offering a grab bag of resources for writers: a challenge, a conference, a book, and of course a writing exercise. Let's dive in. Novel November is almost here! Do you dream of writing a quick first...
3 months ago • 1 min read
Mid-September writing practices Need a little help getting going (or keeping going) on your writing, Reader? I've got you covered. I'd already drafted this week's post about "a day's work" when I read Amie McNee's Substack post about how an appearance on a giant podcast didn't generate book sales. (You may have seen it.) Of course, then I had to buy her book, We Need Your Art. And, I loved it. It's a perfect companion to this week's Writing Practices post! And, reading it definitely energized...
3 months ago • 1 min read
September's writing voice exercise Happy September, Reader! It doesn't matter how long I've been away from school calendars (a long time), or that the schools near me open their doors in early August—September always feels like a restart, a refresh, a return. Do you feel it, too? What will this new season bring to your writing life? Maybe this month's voice exercise will inspire you to explore. September's exercise: Playing with presence We cannot talk about writing voice without accounting...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Mid-August Writing Practices August greetings, Reader, I can practically feel the push-pull of September in these middle days of August. School has started, coaching clients are lining up, yet no one wants to give up on summer yet. I sure don't. This writing practice was inspired by hiking. Hope you find it fun and useful. The August give-away books My friend, I have done a terrible job of soliciting reviews for my last two books. The Writer's Voice is shy of the 50-review goal so many...
4 months ago • 1 min read
August's Writing Voice exercise Happy August, Reader! Because August should still be fun, this month's Writing Voice exercise should feel like play. At least, I hope it does! Try on a new voice (or three) How do we discover the depth and breadth of our own writing voice? Often, by trying on the voices of others. This month's exercise asks you to pick a few extreme characters and see how they might comment on your life. Click here to read the post online If you'd rather watch than read, watch...
5 months ago • 1 min read