
Choose Love
In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the question may
“The way of paradoxes is the way of truth. To test reality we must see it on the tight-rope.”– Oscar...
Creative writing invites writers to move beyond facts and formulas, using imagination and craft to shape ideas into compelling stories....
Structurally, a dramatic opening functions as a hook. Emotionally, it needs to do more than just attract attention. When an...
“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...
As human beings we tend to seek positive experiences, but as writers and storytellers we understand that the purpose of...

In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the question may

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein What do you feel passionate about? What is your

“Don’t worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs

Have you ever seen a dog waiting for their master at a window — their wet nose pressed against the glass, eyes

“Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.” – Eleanor

For any writer, here’s a question to ask yourself: “Why do I want to write this?” A student told me recently that

There is a particular comfort that comes from being certain. We can shut out the world, with all of its noise and

“It is a parable of art that, to be universal, you must be specific. Otherwise, you are just talking about an abstraction.

Have you ever experienced great loss? Whether it was a parent, spouse, or friend, the experience pulls you sharply into the present

There are myths that prevent you from not only completing your story, but keep you from even getting started. Some of these

It seems it should go without saying that you are uniquely qualified to write your memoir. And yet, the voices lurk at

Finding Your Way As you write each day, you discover your own process. You begin to see there is no “right way”

“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

Be open to possibilities When I wrote my first novel Diamond Dogs, I had the idea that my hero, a high school senior,

When there is a story problem you can’t solve, or there appears to be no way out for your characters, remember one

Our story asks everything of us. If it didn’t, we would never surrender. How often do we live our lives as though

You’ve begun working in earnest. The story is alive, your cylinders are firing. You’re getting up every morning and putting in the

Creativity is your birthright. We live in a culture that is invested in our believing otherwise. I frequently hear folks talk of
In every story, love is the mystery that is always on the table. In the beginning of your story, the...
“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein What do you feel passionate about? What...
“Don’t worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the...
Have you ever seen a dog waiting for their master at a window — their wet nose pressed against the...
“Remember always that you not only have the right to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one.”...
For any writer, here’s a question to ask yourself: “Why do I want to write this?” A student told me...
There is a particular comfort that comes from being certain. We can shut out the world, with all of its...
“It is a parable of art that, to be universal, you must be specific. Otherwise, you are just talking about...
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...