Write fast and carelessly every day. Forget all the rules. Forget your fears. Forget what your English teacher told you about the right way to write. Get down your observations, feelings, and ideas. Don’t write about anything boring to you—that’s a sign that you are telling lies, writing to please others and...Read More

I have two dogs. Muffin, our first dog, is an old guy who stops to mark just about every fire hydrant and tree he passes. When we got Sophie, I thought that she might speed up our walks a little. After all, girls don’t stop every six seconds to mark their territory, right? Right. But...Read More

When I was a kid, I used to wish for a crystal ball to tell me what the future held. In those days, I settled for my Magic 8-Ball. Remember those? I’d ask the ball a question, shake it, and then look for it’s answer: “Reply hazy, try again.” or “Yes – definitely.” These days,...Read More

We live in a college neighborhood. On the plus side, we have 18 restaurants and several independent bookstores within walking distance. On the negative side, we are often kept up late into the night by the noise from our neighbor’s wild parties. I have to admit, these parties do have their benefit: they provide the...Read More

Our new dog Sophie joined the family a couple of weeks ago, just in time for my daughter’s 10th birthday. Sophie liked doing two things that Muffin rarely did: jump up on the sofa and go upstairs. Last week, we left our two dogs home alone for the first time ever. When we got home, Sophie...Read More

The act of putting pen to paper encourages pause for thought, this in turn makes us think more deeply about life, which helps us regain our equilibrium. —Norbet Platt Journaling can offer us the space we need to reflect on our lives and our writing. I have frequently used dialogue to explore challenging feelings or...Read More

Welcome, writers! Don’t forget to join us today at 12:00 PM CDT for the Write Now! Mastermind class with author Kelly Stone on learning how to integrate writing into our daily lives. On the call, I will be giving away a copy of her newest book, Living Write: The Secret to Inviting Your Craft Into...Read More

I want to be writing—revising last year’s NaNo project—but I am inundated by tasks and of course, I still have to work! My son has grown an inch in every direction, and I need to buy him clothes. My 9-year-old daughter has lost weight (again), so we are back to figuring out creative ways to...Read More

Several times a year, this post goes around Facebook: It’s National Book Week. The rules are: Grab the closest book to you. Go to page 56. Copy the 5th sentence as your status. Post these rules as part of your status. Over the years, I have interviewed many writers who use the words of other...Read More

In my neighborhood, folks put their unwanted stuff out by the curb. Because this is a college neighborhood, with students moving in and out, this happens pretty regularly in the summer. Last week, I came across this little Santa while walking the dog. Living in Wisconsin, I am not used to seeing Santa perched on...Read More