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How to Start a Story: Crafting Openings That Captivate
In the best stories, the reader’s attention keeps in sync with the rhythm of the prose. It’s like a snowball rolling down
February 25, 2026
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The Writing Process
Most popular posts
In the best stories, the reader’s attention keeps in sync with the rhythm of the prose. It’s like a snowball...
In a previous article, I went over formatting requirements for screenplays. These techniques can also help set up a sound...
Metaphors are one of the first additions to our writing toolbox, usually paired with the simile in our high school...
Occasionally, tucked somewhere between an introduction, epigraph, and dedication, a book might have a prologue. This is the story before...
There’s rhythm in prose. The rhythm might be intentionally terse, like a Charles Bukowski novel, or dense and languid like...
Ever since humans have been able to communicate, we share stories, weaving the tapestry of our shared existence. These stories...
“No one is free until we are all free.”– Martin Luther King Jr. It is human nature to search for...
I was a half decent 800-meter runner in high school, not great, but I ran with a lot of heart,...
Write what you know. We’ve heard this so often. But what does it mean? Does it mean that if I...
Doubt exists in each of us much of the time. We are unsure about our futures, our relationships, our new...
Do you feel loyalty pulling at you in your story? Isn’t it interesting how guilt emerges when you speak your...
As human beings we tend to seek positive experiences, but as writers and storytellers we understand that the purpose of...
Blog
Stream-of-Consciousness Writing: Tips for Creative Expression
There’s rhythm in prose. The rhythm might be intentionally terse, like a Charles Bukowski novel, or dense and languid like the work
February 8, 2026
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Blog
Morning Pages: A Daily Habit to Boost Creativity
“Morning pages” is the term coined by Julia Cameron in her work The Artist’s Way used to describe the habit of sitting
February 6, 2026
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Blog
How to Start Writing a Book: The No-Fluff Starter Guide
Welcome! And congratulations! If you’re reading this, you are about to begin a creative journey that can bring satisfaction and a deepening
February 3, 2026
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Blog
Getting Past Writer’s Block: Causes and Proven Cures
Writer’s block can feel like a brick wall in your mind. The words stop flowing and the page seems impossible to fill.
January 25, 2026
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Blog
Personal Narratives: Shaping Real Life into Compelling Scenes
All writing carries something of the writer within it, but few forms are as intimate as the stories we tell about our
January 20, 2026
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Blog
The Writing Process: Learning to Trust the Work
Writing is an act of magic. Out of thin air you’ve conjured something and put it onto the page. People come up
January 18, 2026
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Blog
Exponential Growth
“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.”– Albert Allen Bartlett, physicist Whether it is
May 30, 2025
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We Are All Connected
“No one is free until we are all free.”– Martin Luther King Jr. It is human nature to search for absolutes. Joe is a
September 1, 2024
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Never Give Up
I was a half decent 800-meter runner in high school, not great, but I ran with a lot of heart, and sometimes
August 20, 2024
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The Price of Joy is Grief
As human beings we tend to seek positive experiences, but as writers and storytellers we understand that the purpose of story is
August 2, 2024
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Loyalty
Do you feel loyalty pulling at you in your story? Isn’t it interesting how guilt emerges when you speak your truth? Why
July 1, 2024
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Blog
Why Writers Should Embrace Doubt
Doubt exists in each of us much of the time. We are unsure about our futures, our relationships, our new tile in the bathroom, our car insurance, etc. Doubt is the cradle of conflict, both internal and external. In the heart of every character lives a dilemma. As you become curious about that dilemma, it will lead you to what is universal in your story.
June 29, 2024
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Blog
“Why Do I Get Stuck?”
When writers come to a dead stop there can be a tendency to panic. It’s important to remember that your idea of
June 14, 2024
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Blog
What is Success?
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Years ago, I was on the phone with a prospective student, and he
May 16, 2024
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Blog
One True Moment
“Where did that come from?” I believe there is something we writers are collectively seeking. We are all attempting to convey an
May 1, 2024
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Blog
What Do I Write Next?
Writers frequently come to me and say: “I have three ideas. Which one should I write next?”In the 90-day workshops, one of
April 26, 2024
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Blog
Choose Love
In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the question may
February 1, 2024
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Recent posts
In the best stories, the reader’s attention keeps in sync with the rhythm of the prose. It’s like a snowball...
There’s rhythm in prose. The rhythm might be intentionally terse, like a Charles Bukowski novel, or dense and languid like...
“Morning pages” is the term coined by Julia Cameron in her work The Artist’s Way used to describe the habit...
Welcome! And congratulations! If you’re reading this, you are about to begin a creative journey that can bring satisfaction and...
Writer’s block can feel like a brick wall in your mind. The words stop flowing and the page seems impossible...
All writing carries something of the writer within it, but few forms are as intimate as the stories we tell...
Writing is an act of magic. Out of thin air you’ve conjured something and put it onto the page. People...
“The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function.”– Albert Allen Bartlett, physicist Whether...
“No one is free until we are all free.”– Martin Luther King Jr. It is human nature to search for...
I was a half decent 800-meter runner in high school, not great, but I ran with a lot of heart,...
As human beings we tend to seek positive experiences, but as writers and storytellers we understand that the purpose of...
Do you feel loyalty pulling at you in your story? Isn’t it interesting how guilt emerges when you speak your...
Doubt exists in each of us much of the time. We are unsure about our futures, our relationships, our new...
When writers come to a dead stop there can be a tendency to panic. It’s important to remember that your...
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates Years ago, I was on the phone with a prospective student,...
“Where did that come from?” I believe there is something we writers are collectively seeking. We are all attempting to...
Writers frequently come to me and say: “I have three ideas. Which one should I write next?”In the 90-day workshops,...
In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the...
