by Rochelle Melander “For all of us, the miracle isn’t that we finished, the miracle is that we have the courage to start.” —John Bingham John Bingham wrote that about running, but he could have been talking about writing. People who procrastinate writing may have difficulty starting. They sharpen their pencil. Get that second cup...Read More

by Rochelle Melander I’m from Milwaukee, so of course I’m cheering for the Brewers in the World Series. My husband and I spend a lot of time talking about their manager’s philosophy. In the middle of the inning, with two outs, most teams think—it’s all but over. Just one more out and we’re done for....Read More

by Rochelle Melander “It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward.” ―Louis Sachar  On Sunday, at the Basecamp to Brilliance Summit, I talked about how small steps make big goals doable. (You can still sign up—but you have only ten...Read More

by Rochelle Melander “One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now.” –Annie Dillard Over...Read More

by Rochelle Melander In April 1815, Mount Tambora in India erupted, causing catastrophic weather shifts. The ash directed sunlight away from earth and temperatures dropped. The summer of 1816 brought snow, frost, and ice. During that time, eighteen-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (later Mary Shelly) traveled to Lake Geneva with Percy Shelly, who would become her...Read More

by Rochelle Melander What’s a lady to do when the floor falls out from under her? Easy answer: She closes her eyes. Imagines a floor where there isn’t one. Pretends that the twitch in her eye is from lack of sleep. Worry. Women Worry. Up all night worrying, I suppose! —Claire Burke, Yesteryear Are you...Read More

by Rochelle Melander Most of us know what we’re never up for. Here’s part of my list: roller coasters, cruises, and cats (I’m sadly allergic). But despite having a clear idea of what we don’t want to do, many of us don’t make time for the activities we’re passionate about—like writing. We do what we...Read More

(and Preserve Your Writing Time) by Rochelle Melander “If something is not a “hell, YEAH!,” then it’s a “no!” – James Altucher At the beginning of fall, the days feel open and full of possibility. I feel like I can do it all—all the classes and clients and projects—and still write. Of course I can’t....Read More

by Rochelle Melander When I was a kid, my reading habit got me into trouble—a lot. My teachers yelled at me for reading under the desk. (Okay, not the smartest move). They warned me of the dangers of reading books that were too old for me. (There’s stuff in there you shouldn’t know about!) My...Read More

by Rochelle Melander “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail. There’s only make.” —Corita Kent My clients have talked a lot about failure lately. They plan, choose a path, and it doesn’t work out. They insist they’ve failed. I encourage them to think of the situation as feedback. Making art has much...Read More