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 “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 best teacher is your last...Read 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 on now or next. I...Read More

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 think about that a lot,...Read More

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 things. A week goes by....Read More

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 just think about how nice...Read More

November 7, 2023 Note From Rochelle Dear writers, As a writing coach, one of my gifts is helping people figure out why they are stuck. Often, writer’s come to me saying they’re blocked. But if you read my post last week, you know that writer’s block is almost always a symptom of something deeper. In...Read More

October 31, 2023 Note From Rochelle Dear writers, Happy Halloween and Happy fifth Tuesday! Thank you to everyone who responded to my plea for help on my writer’s block class. Your comments have helped me a lot. If anyone else wants to let me know what causes writer’s block for you, please respond to this...Read More

by Rochelle Melander You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. – John C. Maxwell At a conference, I heard a speaker instruct the audience to list their habitual tasks on their to-do lists so that they could experience...Read More

August 29, 2023 Note From Rochelle Dear writers, Today’s tip talks about how accountability can help you get more writing done—and introduces this fall’s writing accountability group. Happy writing, Rochelle, the Write Now! Coach Connect and Write More by Rochelle Melander The only good teachers for you are those friends who love you, who think...Read More