Write Now Coach! Blog by Rochelle Melander

Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen. —John Steinbeck Last Tuesday at the library, we wrote noisy poetry. An eight-year-old girl whined, “But I don’t know what to write about!” I asked her questions: What interests... Read More

11 Mar 2014

Productivity, Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

When Habit Isn’t Enough: How to Boost Productivity By Rochelle Melander

As you may have read last week, I’ve signed up for the Idle Ironman at my Y. In the next month, I’ll bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles, and—since I don’t swim—run an extra seven miles. The first year I did the Idle Ironman, I started a week late. But... Read More

04 Mar 2014

Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

Beat the Writing Blues: Make a Small Change By Rochelle Melander

All great things have small beginnings. —Peter Senge In yoga, I notice that the small shifts yield big rewards. Tiny movements create aha moments. When I relax my shoulders, shift the angle of my foot, or lift my chin—the correct pose emerges. It feels right. I’ve noticed the same phenomena... Read More

25 Feb 2014

Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

How to Write Through Doubt by Rochelle Melander

Remember these things. Work with all your intelligence and love. Work freely and rollickingly as though they were talking to a friend who loves you. Mentally (at least three or four times a day) thumb your nose at all know-it-alls, jeerers. critics, doubters. —Brenda Ueland Doubt happens. Rejections pile up.... Read More

24 Feb 2014

Author Interviews

Writer Interview: Paul Geenan by Rochelle Melander

I met Paul Geenan several years ago and was immediately intrigued by his intellect and curiosity. When I heard about his new book, Civil Rights Activism in Milwaukee, I wanted to learn more about the book and Geenan’s writing process. Geenan was kind enough to offer an interview, and you can... Read More

18 Feb 2014

Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

Stuck? Write Out of Order By Rochelle Melander

Genius is finding the invisible link between things. —Vladimir Nabokov Vladimir Nabokov, author of Lolita, wrote all of his novels on 3 x 5 index cards. Each day as he began his writing period, he would shuffle the cards until he found a scene that had energy for him and... Read More

11 Feb 2014

Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

Are You Writing at the Wrong Time of Day? By Rochelle Melander

Dear Writers, Last week, Chuck Wendig wrote a great post on the quantity and quality of self-published books, Slushy Gut Slog: Why the Self-Publishing S$*t Volcano is a Problem. He said, “An author on Facebook the other day noted, quite correctly, that writing is a craft and as a craft... Read More

04 Feb 2014

Revising, Write Now! Weekly Writing Tip

Manuscript Makeover: A Checklist for Nonfiction Articles by Rochelle Melander

Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear. —Patricia Fuller Last week, my dogs went for their regular grooming session. I was amazed at what they were able to do for Muffin Man in just a few hours. Take a look.... Read More