Write Now Coach! Blog by Rochelle Melander

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.... Read More

20 Feb 2024

Writing Mentors

What My Heroes Taught Me about Writing: Sojourner Truth

by Rochelle Melander Ninety years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus, Sojourner Truth refused to get off a streetcar in Washington, D.C. In 1865, a conductor dislocated Truth’s arm when he tried to toss her off. Truth sued the District of Columbia and won.... Read More

13 Feb 2024

Creativity

The 100-Day Project

by Rochelle Melander I’m always looking for something to spark my creativity and help me think differently about writing. When I happened across the 100-day project this past week, I felt that little zing: perhaps this could be it. Perhaps this could be the thing that helps writers get out... Read More

06 Feb 2024

Productivity

Conquer the Fear of Failure

by Rochelle Melander “Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail. There’s only make.” —Corita Kent On NPR’s Morning Edition, A Martínez interviewed members of The Groundlings, a Los Angeles-based improv and sketch comedy troupe. Michael Churven said this about the process, “You bomb so much, and your... Read More

30 Jan 2024

Productivity

Choose Less, Write More

by Rochelle Melander “Choose less and feel better.” -Barry Schwartz Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s the challenge of being a freelancer. Maybe it’s modern life. I have too many choices. From what to wear to what to write, I am overwhelmed by possibilities. I often don’t know what to work... Read More

23 Jan 2024

Productivity

Take Smaller Steps

by Rochelle Melander Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. – Vincent VanGogh I’ve got a house full of stuff. Some I collected, some I inherited, some my children left behind. It overwhelms me. When I think about decluttering, and I... Read More

16 Jan 2024

Productivity

How to Write When You’re Scared

by Rochelle Melander How do you write when you’re scared? You want to write, but you’re scared it won’t be good enough. Maybe examining your own thoughts seems like too much. Or your project is new and big and feels overwhelming. So you avoid writing. You get busy with other... Read More

09 Jan 2024

Productivity

Tools to Write More in 2024

by Rochelle Melander Almost everyone I talk to wants to write more than they did last year. But how? You must do something differently. I’ve been staring at overstocked cupboards for years. Every January, I’m determined to clean them. Sometimes, I dust the cans and put them back. Mostly, I... Read More