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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
January 24, 2023
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The Writing Process
Most popular posts
There’s no rhythm without some repeated notes. Certain literary and rhetorical devices are so ingrained in how we speak and...
The “dark night of the soul” is that moment in a story where all seems lost. It is the biggest...
Some stories drop you straight into the middle of chaos in the first scene, giving little to no explanation. This...
All stories have some magic in them. On one end of the spectrum, you have stories spanning across galaxies with...
Misdirection — the art of strategically concealing and revealing information — is one of the most potent literary tools that...
Tragic heroes are like a falling star, burning, hurtling to their doom, but are a sight to behold all the...
“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...
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...
As human beings we tend to seek positive experiences, but as writers and storytellers we understand that the purpose of...
Blog
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
January 14, 2023
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Blog
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
December 2, 2022
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Blog
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”
November 18, 2022
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Blog
But That’s What Really Happened
“I’ve given my memoirs far more thought than any of my marriages. You can’t divorce a book.“—Gloria Swanson Sticking to “What Really
October 1, 2022
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Novel / Fiction
Trusting the Process
Be open to possibilities When I wrote my first novel Diamond Dogs, I had the idea that my hero, a high school senior,
September 2, 2022
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Blog
Playing on the Page
When there is a story problem you can’t solve, or there appears to be no way out for your characters, remember one
May 1, 2022
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Blog
Surrender to Your Story
Our story asks everything of us. If it didn’t, we would never surrender. How often do we live our lives as though
February 11, 2022
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Blog
Writing Without Distraction
You’ve begun working in earnest. The story is alive, your cylinders are firing. You’re getting up every morning and putting in the
January 28, 2022
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Blog
Creativity is Your Birthright
Creativity is your birthright. We live in a culture that is invested in our believing otherwise. I frequently hear folks talk of
January 1, 2022
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Blog
Why Do We Write?
Why do we write? There is nothing logical about wanting to be a writer. The lives of artists can be awful, despairing,
October 22, 2021
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Blog
What is Genius?
What is genius? I don’t like it when people use the term genius, primarily because I think they misuse the word. I
September 24, 2021
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Blog
Begin Your Story
There are as many ways to begin your story as there are ways to procrastinate. Beginning to write your book or screenplay
August 27, 2021
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Blog
Everything You Need to Know is Within
“If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.” – Billy Wilder The purpose
July 2, 2021
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Blog
Writing for Your Ideal Reader
Good storytelling is about having at least a somewhat conscious relationship to your ideal reader. It is about understanding the most effective
May 28, 2021
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Blog
The Real Meaning of “Write What You Know”
Write what you know. We’ve heard this so often. But what does it mean? Does it mean that if I am a
March 12, 2021
2 Comments
Blog
Is It Any Good?
There can be a real desire, especially for the novice writer, to have someone validate our work as soon as possible. Is
September 9, 2020
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Blog
The Desire to Write
Whether it is conscious or not, the desire to write is connected to the desire to evolve, to untangle the lie that
December 23, 2019
8 Comments
Recent posts
Have you ever experienced great loss? Whether it was a parent, spouse, or friend, the experience pulls you sharply into...
There are myths that prevent you from not only completing your story, but keep you from even getting started. Some...
It seems it should go without saying that you are uniquely qualified to write your memoir. And yet, the voices...
Finding Your Way As you write each day, you discover your own process. You begin to see there is no...
“I’ve given my memoirs far more thought than any of my marriages. You can’t divorce a book.“—Gloria Swanson Sticking to...
Be open to possibilities When I wrote my first novel Diamond Dogs, I had the idea that my hero, a...
When there is a story problem you can’t solve, or there appears to be no way out for your characters,...
Our story asks everything of us. If it didn’t, we would never surrender. How often do we live our lives...
You’ve begun working in earnest. The story is alive, your cylinders are firing. You’re getting up every morning and putting...
Creativity is your birthright. We live in a culture that is invested in our believing otherwise. I frequently hear folks...
Why do we write? There is nothing logical about wanting to be a writer. The lives of artists can be...
What is genius? I don’t like it when people use the term genius, primarily because I think they misuse the...
There are as many ways to begin your story as there are ways to procrastinate. Beginning to write your book...
“If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.” – Billy Wilder...
Good storytelling is about having at least a somewhat conscious relationship to your ideal reader. It is about understanding the...
Write what you know. We’ve heard this so often. But what does it mean? Does it mean that if I...
There can be a real desire, especially for the novice writer, to have someone validate our work as soon as...
Whether it is conscious or not, the desire to write is connected to the desire to evolve, to untangle the...
