Plot versus Theme
Any writer can experience that moment where you suddenly realize that your “idea” of the story isn’t going to get you to […]
Stay Out of the Result
For any writer, here’s a question to ask yourself: “Why do I want to write this?” A student told me recently that […]
The Necessity of an Outline
“The outline is 95% of the book. Then I sit down to write, and that’s the easy part.” – Jefferey Deaver Many […]
On Certainty in Writing
There is a particular comfort that comes from being certain. We can shut out the world, with all of its noise and […]
Humor Is Not About Writing Funny
Humor connects us. It makes us care. I don’t mean one-liners. Humor is not about jokes, but it is about human behavior. […]
Why We Go on Retreat
For years, my students had been asking me when I was going to take them on a retreat. Frankly, I’d been […]
Tell Your Truth
“A book must start somewhere. One brave letter must volunteer to go first, laying itself on the line in an act of faith, […]
Taking Off the Mask
“Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.” – Amelia Earhart In Jerry Stahl’s memoir, Permanent Midnight, he shares […]
How to Master Storytelling: Ask the Right Questions
“It is a parable of art that, to be universal, you must be specific. Otherwise, you are just talking about an abstraction. […]
Who is My Protagonist?
Some of you may be writing ensemble screenplays with multiple storylines and scratching your head wondering who your protagonist is. The key […]
“Write What You Know” Can Be Misunderstood
Every writer hears the old song: “Write what you know.” This can be misunderstood. The fact is, we don’t write what we […]
Writing When You Have Nothing to Lose
Have you ever experienced great loss? Whether it was a parent, spouse, or friend, the experience pulls you sharply into the present […]
Myths that Prevent You from Writing
There are myths that prevent you from not only completing your story, but keep you from even getting started. Some of these […]
Writing Memoir
“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have […]
You Are Uniquely Qualified
It seems it should go without saying that you are uniquely qualified to write your memoir. And yet, the voices lurk at […]
Discovering Your Process
Finding Your Way As you write each day, you discover your own process. You begin to see there is no “right way” […]
Permission to Write Your Truth
What is the Truth of your story? OK, you’ve outlined your story and you’re getting ready to write your first draft. But […]
Banishing Redundancies
Redundancy is not only a sign of lazy writing; it can also pull us out of the story by interrupting the narrative […]
