For much of my life, I have struggled with the tyranny of perfectionism. Thankfully, when I was just starting my writing career, I happened upon Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life and this advice: Perfection is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you...Read More

Part memoir, part writing craft, Stephen King’s book On Writing will stir every writer’s heart and erase any doubt you had about King being a serious writer (he is). My favorite tip from King’s book is this gem: If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a...Read More

In yesterday’s blog post, I wrote about one of my favorite writing books, If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. Every Tuesday, all summer long, I’ll be blogging about the lessons I’ve learned from reading about writing. (If you want to get these lessons in your inbox, you can subscribe to the blog or sign...Read More

I spent nearly the whole weekend reading. I stacked up books next to the sofa and ploughed through several mysteries and a memoir. I cannot think of a better way to spend a holiday weekend. All summer, I will be reviewing these books on my blog. If you’re interested in learning about great new books...Read More

I can’t be trusted with a page-turning novel at bedtime. It does not matter that I’m an adult with a job to do and children to care for. Give me a good book with a bit of suspense, and I’ll stay up long past midnight to finish it. So I’ve given up reading page-turners at...Read More

I started reading memoir years ago, thinking it might help me write my own. It did. As I revise my memoir, I continue to be fascinated by how other writers structure the narrative of their lives. Here are some of the memoirs I’ve read in the past year and a few that sit on my...Read More