Making a return to writing after a long time away can feel overwhelming or even bewildering. Depending on the reasons for your break, you may be confronting a wide array of emotions—everything from anticipation and excitement to trepidation and confusion. If you find yourself worried or uncertain about how to proceed, the first step is […]
January 2, 2023 by 90 Comments Writing LifeLooking Back on 2022: 5 Reflections on a Year of Healing
For the past five years or so, I have opened every new year with a post looking back on the lessons I have learned in the previous year. What began as just another idea for a blog post has become one of my most treasured rituals. Every year when I sit down to write this […]
December 12, 2022 by 40 Comments Podcast15 of My Favorite Books in 2022
This year-end round-up of my “top books” is always one of my favorite posts to write. I always look forward to the retrospective of my year, not just because I get to remember everything I read, but also because my memories of my actual life are so intertwined with what I read. (When I’m trying […]
December 5, 2022 by 64 Comments PodcastWhat Are the Best Places to Write? 15 Tips to Create the Perfect Writing Space
I admit it. I drool over Pinterest pictures of dreamy libraries and studies. Sometimes I google “writer’s offices” for inspiration about the best places to write, in search of that perfect writing space that will magnetize me to my desk and make me want to stay curled up with my work-in-progress for endless hours of […]
November 28, 2022 by 39 Comments Writing LifeThe Best Christmas Gifts This Writer Has Ever Received
Buying that perfect Christmas gift is always a challenge, but if someone on your list this year is a writer (or if that writer is you), here are some ideas straight from my top-ten list of personal faves. The following were gifts from thoughtful family and friends who know I’m a writer and chose accordingly. […]
November 7, 2022 by 52 Comments Podcast8 Tips for Dealing With Negative Reviews of Your Book
If one of your goals as a writer is to be read, then sooner or later you will have to deal with negative reviews of your book. This could be as simple as a family member or beta reader telling you (tactfully or not) they didn’t like the book. Or it could be as painful […]
April 25, 2022 by 59 Comments PodcastDo You Have to Write Every Day? 10 Pros and Cons
Should writers make it a habit to write every day? Is that the secret to success? Is that what distinguishes “real” writers? I used to think so. Often, when someone would ask me for my single recommendation for other writers, my go-to response was to reiterate some form of the advice from Peter de Vries […]
April 18, 2022 by 50 Comments PodcastThe 6 Challenges of Writing a Second Novel
Writing your first story is a special experience. It brings many difficulties and challenges, but it also tends to carry itself (and you) along with a sense of passion, fun, and discovery. When we finish it, we may think, Well, it can only get easier from here, right? But as many sophomore writers can attest, writing […]
March 14, 2022 by 55 Comments Writing LifeHow to Know When You’re a Successful Author?
How to know when you’re a successful author? I suppose almost every writer asks this at some point—and very likely at frequent points. There are multiple ways to define and measure the answer. For many of us, the answer seems come down to commercial success. And yet because commercial success is sometimes elusive, this metric […]
March 7, 2022 by 38 Comments How to Become a WriterHow to Write a Book When You Have No Idea What You’re Doing
I want to write a book. You remember when this big idea first hit, right? Maybe you were browsing for books, waiting for an author’s autograph, or sitting in stupefied awe after finishing a great novel. The idea took root and then, bam, you’re rushing to a stationary store to gear up, buying all the […]
