by Rochelle Melander Don’t be satisfied with stories, how things have gone with others. Unfold your own myth. -Rumi When I wrote Level Up, I hoped that writers would use the book to create their own playbook, a unique how-to guide for writing and life. So often, we want to copy the habits of our...Read More

by Rochelle Melander When I meet a new client, I ask them to tell me about their project and why it matters to them. When I know why they want to write a book or workshop, I know what motivates them to move forward. This helps us work together to figure out how they can...Read More

by Rochelle Melander I wrote a dozen poems and submitted them to my editor for possible inclusion in an anthology. I knew that turning them in on time would increase my chances of getting one included in the collection. I create a lesson plan every week, because I need to show up and teach real...Read More

by Rochelle Melander Last week, we went to see Piano Men 2 at the Milwaukee Rep. Two men play and sing songs on pianos, based on audience requests. The performers played songs as diverse as “Ring of Fire,” “Green Acres,” and “Hey Jude.” They encouraged the audience to sing along—loud and proud—whether we were good...Read More

By Elizabeth Cole A couple of months ago, I tried out the dictation feature on my phone’s Notes app, mostly because I was sick of using the keyboard and having my fingers get cold after hours of typing. I had tried dictation years before, and got totally frustrated by how slow and clunky it was....Read More

What My Heroes Taught Me about Writing: Wang Zhenyi by Rochelle Melander It’s made to believe, Women are the same as Men; Are you not convinced, Daughters can also be heroic? — Wang Zhenyi Wang Zhenyi (1768-1797), a Chinese astronomer, mathematician, textbook writer, and poet, lived at a time when women had no legal rights...Read More

by Rochelle Melander I’m teaching art and writing at a local school. When I present an assignment, one of my second-grade students always says, “I can’t.” It doesn’t matter what we’re doing. Draw a circle. “I can’t.” Give that circle a face. “I can’t.” How about drawing hair on that head? “I can’t.” To encourage...Read More

by Rochelle Melander It’s important to stand still sometimes. Think of it as a little rest in the long journey of your life. This is your harbor. And your boat is just dropping anchor here for a little while. And after you’re well rested, you can set sail again. –Satoshi Yagisawa, Days at the Morisaki...Read More

by Rochelle Melander “I never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning, however small, for it is wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself.” ~ Florence Nightingale Happy Women’s History Month! To celebrate, I’ll be writing about some of my favorite heroes and how they can teach you about...Read More

by Rochelle Melander Creativity is just connecting things. -Steve Jobs I’m taking a Poetry class this winter with Pomelo books. Our task: to take a subject we know a lot about and write a funny poem using a skill like alliteration, idioms, or synonyms. The challenge has been great fun. It also provided me with...Read More