Last week's dip into blog posts of the past convinced me to do more of it. While I've published two posts already this year about my experience ghostwriting The Legacy of Luna--one about writing my first national bestseller and the other about climbing the redwood...
I started this blog just over 15 years ago. Last week, I decided to drop into the way-back machine and check out my very first post in 2009 about sharing your story. I thought the post might be dated. It's not. Not even slightly. So, I decided to run it again,...
Without ever saying a word, my dad taught me to celebrate every writing-related win. You finished your rough draft? Celebrate! You finished the second draft? Celebrate! Your book sold? Celebrate! Your book just got published? Celebrate! So, yes, I celebrated when Open...
Heads up! You've probably never thought of the concept of defensive writing. Neither had I, until I was on a dog walk--where I do some of my best thinking, especially about blog posts--and realized that I engage in defensive dogging as way to keep us all safe,...
The other day, I couldn't stop thinking about making ice cream. Cream cheese ice cream to be specific, with Kahlua and caramel liqueur mixed in. "You could try using Greek yogurt instead," I told myself. "That would be better for you." Having jumped aboard the healthy...
My writing coach career started a good 25 years ago without my even realizing it. I'd helped a literary agent with her book proposal and then her book. She mentioned me to a colleague who had a client with monster talent but not enough drive or direction. That person...
The tomato plant looked like it was dying, with unstaked branches that sprawled across the hot ground. Despite the wilted and soft leaves starting to turn brown, it still sported plenty of shiny red cherry tomatoes. But they wouldn't last long at this rate, and...
When I self-published my book Busting the Brass Ceiling in 2020, I didn't expect huge sales. Even though I called in lots of favors and got a lot of discounted editing and design rates, I didn't even expect to make my money back. That didn't matter. Or at least it...
If writing a book tops your list of regrets, you could be missing out on more than you know. These days, more and more people are finding a sense of fulfillment through penning their memoirs. Whether for public or family consumption, the process can be just as...
Like an ambush predator, I’ve been sneaking up on that novel I’ve wanted to write for so long in the hopes of finally creating a story that works. I’m starting to talk about it with friends I met decades ago in the High Sierra town that will be the novel’s setting,...
