When I wasn’t traveling this summer, I was tossing. I’ve had this urge to get rid of old stuff—files, books, clothes, furniture, and even a few pairs of shoes. As I toss (yeah, I’m still at it) I know I’m making room for something new. Only, I am not sure what it is yet. I...Read More
Nearly every Friday this summer the Write Now! Coach blog will feature brief book reviews by readers of this blog. To get us started, I found a wonderful chart on the Teach web site that you can use to choose your first book to read this summer. Enjoy! Via Teach.com and USC Rossier Online Read More
Ideas are cheap and abundant; what is of value is the effective placement of those ideas into situations that develop into action. –Peter F. Drucker Author and management consultant Peter F. Drucker reminds us that ideas are cheap. As writers, our ideas mean little until we put them in writing. But here’s the big question:...Read More
Last week, I happened upon artist Jane Mount’s Ideal Bookshelf series of paintings and fell in love! I lusted after this print of middle grade books that had already sold out and purchased another bookshelf of childhood favorites for now. I might just commission a painting of my own idea bookshelf. But what would I...Read More
Need some more ideas for books to give the writers in your life? Here are three great options. And here’s the best part: I’m giving away a copy of each book! Read on to learn how you can win. For the writer who wants to make more money. A few years ago, a new friend...Read More
So it’s Wednesday, otherwise known as writing prompt day over here at Write Now! Coach. Instead of offering a prompt today, I’m providing a list of great books to inspire the writers on your list to keep writing! You may also decide to buy these for yourself, and I think that’s a splendid idea! Give THESE...Read More
Earlier in November, I wrote about my five must-haves for writing a novel. Today, I return to that theme with my list of five must-haves—borrowed from the literary greats—for anyone who is trying to write a novel this month: 1. A valet. It is said that Victor Hugo forced himself to work regularly by confining...Read More
The unread story is not a story; it is little black marks on wood pulp. The reader, reading it, makes it live: a live thing, a story. —Ursula K. LeGuin Since 2000, I have edited a devotional periodical called The Word in Season. Ten years ago, when I was pregnant with my younger child, I...Read More
Your dreams can be a rich source of stories, images, metaphors, and sensory details for your writing. Jacquelyn Mitchard’s novel The Deep End of the Ocean and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight both began with the authors’ dreams. You, too, can use your dreams to spark a new story or give an existing story new life. Dream...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
