by Rochelle Melander We imagine that writing and making art is easy. Sometimes it is. An idea hits us and we execute it with ease. But that’s very rare. In fact, making art can be hard. In his book, Several short sentences about writing, Verlyn Klinkenborg writes, “It’s hard work, and it’s been hard work...Read More

An Interview with Poet Michele Wolf by Rochelle Melander Tell our readers about your new book of poems, Peacocks on the Streets. The book’s title and my poem “Peacocks on the Streets” are based on that time during the early months of the pandemic when we were all quarantined at home and the streets were...Read More

An Interview with Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong by Rochelle Melander Where did the idea for My Kooky Compendium of Thimblethoughts and Wonderfuzz come from? JW: I was a guest speaker at a writer’s conference. Someone asked, “What should writers be writing right now?”—and, a little surprisingly, I answered, “funny poems.” This surprised me because...Read More

by Rochelle Melander “Art is my cure to all this madness, sadness, and loss of belonging in the world and through it I’ll walk myself home.”― Nikki Rowe On Saturday, I had a book-making table at the library. I watched as a whole community of children rushed around playing with puppets, dancing to drum lines,...Read More

by Rochelle Melander I’ve been surprised by the growth of book coaching programs in the past months. I’ve downloaded multiple books that promise me they’ll teach me how to use AI to write a book quickly, how to write a tiny book in a weekend, and more quick fix solutions. In one newsletter I read,...Read More

By Elizabeth Cole A couple of months ago, I tried out the dictation feature on my phone’s Notes app, mostly because I was sick of using the keyboard and having my fingers get cold after hours of typing. I had tried dictation years before, and got totally frustrated by how slow and clunky it was....Read More

August 8, 2023 Note From Rochelle Dear writers, I have a brand new class for you. In Write a Book, Change Your Life, we’ll examine how writing a book can change your life. From making you healthier (that’s true!) to helping you build and promote a business, writing a book can support you in many...Read More

August 1, 2023 Note From Rochelle Dear writers, I have a brand new class for you! In Write a Book, Change Your Life, we’ll examine how writing a book can change your life. From making you healthier (that’s true!) to helping you build and promote a business, writing a book can support you in many...Read More

April 7, 2020     Note From Rochelle     Dear Writers,   I’m thinking about offering more writing workshops, but I’m not sure what topics to offer. If you have suggestions, please take a moment to fill out my Write Now! Coach survey. In mid-April, when I’m sure everyone has had a chance to...Read More

January 8, 2019   Note From Rochelle   Dear Writers, So it’s a brand new year with shiny new goals, but it may feel a little bit like nothing has changed. We may have new dreams and new projects to complete, but unless we change our habits, nothing in our life changes. But when we...Read More