“If you don’t choose a word for guidance, you end up with chaos.” That may not have been my mentor’s exact words, but that’s what I remember hearing several years …
Tap Into Your Bottomless Well of Creativity
Why choose a writing retreat? It’s all about what it feels like to unplug from daily routines, the demands and expectations, and letting your creative self be the focus of …
What if Writing could be Easy?
I often choose poems by Mary Oliver to use as writing prompts in my classes. Last week I chose Hallelujah, from her book, Evidence. In this poem there’s a phrase: …
How to Make More Impact with Less Words
One of my writing mentors taught a technique she called “Pruning the Deadwood” as an editing tool. “What is “deadwood?” you might be asking. It’s anything that distracts from your …
Why it’s so Important to Write about Your Experiences
Have you been feeling a desire to start writing your memoir, to share adventures and misadventures you’ve had along the way? You may be wondering, “How do I begin?” Start …
How to Break Through Writer’s Block
If you’re anything like me, September is a month for beginning new projects, that writing project I put off all summer long because there were picnics to go to and …
How to Move Beyond Your Inner Critic
I suspect I’m not alone when I confess that I have a critical voice that loves to tell me everything I’m doing wrong, how my ideas suck, ways I’m a …
It Takes A Village to Love Your Writing
You’ve probably all heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I’d like to suggest that it takes a village to learn to love your words. Within …
How to Break Through Impostor Syndrome
“When are people going to figure out that I really don’t know what I’m doing?” This question runs through my mind at least a few times a week. When will …
Hello, Fear. What do you have to teach me?
Lately I’ve been meeting my fears. Face-to-face. The triggers are many and seem to be everywhere. Like what I experienced just a few days ago. I wondered, “Will I have …