Writing through the Fog is Here!
In Writing through the Fog, a first-of its-kind guide, I present unique and sometimes surprising tips to keep a foggy brain focused and writing. I began struggling with MS-related brain fog more than a decade ago, and relearning to write became my obsession. …
Imperfectionism: A Guide to Slaying Your Writing Goblin
Perfectionism is fueled by the goblin that sits in our brain diligently thwarting our writing dreams. It whispers that we’re no good, that our writing is no good, that no one will want to read our words, and if they…
Just Sit: How to Begin and End Your Writing Session
Just sit. And stay sitting. This is harder than it sounds.
Weekly Writing Exercise: First Lines
Visit a library or bookstore and choose a book by an author you’ve never read, a book about which you know nothing. Crack it open and copy down the first sentence, then close it and put it back on the…
Bathtubs, Desks and Coffee Shops: Shaping Your Writing Space
"What does the ideal room look like? Is there music? Is there silence? Is there chaos outside or is there serenity outside? What do I need in order to release my imagination?" ~ Toni Morrison
Weekly Writing Exercise: Write What You See
Wherever you are, look around and spend five or ten minutes writing down everything you notice. Is there a cracked bowl on the kitchen counter waiting to be mended? A stack of firewood beside the stove? Is the dog sleeping…
Swoopers and Bashers: Editing While You Write
Are you a swooper, or a basher? "Swoopers write a story quickly, higgledy-piggledy, crinkum-crankum, any which way. Then they go over it again painstakingly, fixing everything that is just plain awful or doesn’t work. Bashers go one sentence at a…
Weekly Writing Exercise: Random Words
For many people who tend toward confessional writing, drawing from their own experiences and emotions, there’s a pressure to make everything just right, to perfectly translate their life so that readers can experience the same sensations, the same feelings they…
A Heap of Loafing: Why Writers Need Time
So, you’ve gone out into the world with your eyes open and your notebook in hand. You’ve noticed your breath hanging in the brisk, raw air, watched the chickadees flitting around the feeder you’re always forgetting to fill, listened to…
Weekly Writing Exercise: Creating Characters
Give them a beloved turtle. Give them a spouse with bone cancer. Give them a profound fear of the ocean. Give them a lucky sock. Make them interesting. You might find yourself creating characters that you’ll use later in your…
