Three years ago, this essay poured out of me during a morning writing exercise. It was sudden and certain. But it didn't sell.
The Blog
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What Writers Should Know about Self-Editing
Words on a page, waiting, not ready. But they could be with a little work. Self-editing will help you get there.
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Outside My Window
Gaze outside. What do you see? Here's what I see outside my window. This is a short essay based on a writing prompt. Writing prompts are great for spurring inspiration.
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The Pandemic Got in the Way of My Writing. Here’s What I Did About It.
In the early days it was early, but as the pandemic has worn on, more and more writers are facing writer's block. Here's how I changed it for myself.
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Rejected Essays: Why I Am Not Making Dinner Tonight
In the interest of better understanding which of my essays get picked up by editors for publication, I started sharing the ones that didn’t sell. After all, there must be a reason they didn’t resonate, right? This essay, Why I Am Not Making Dinner Tonight, is one of those essays…
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12 Fall-Inspired Writing Prompts
Sometimes the hardest part of writing is putting the first word on the page. But fall-inspired writing prompts like these can help.
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Want to Be a Writer? Make Sure You Do These Things
If you want to be a writer, this advice will help. It comes from a 20 year veteran of the writing industry.
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Setting Limits When You Work at Home
Whether you always work at home or are doing so during the pandemic, setting limits is important to maintain a healthy work-life balance. On a busy, deadline-filled afternoon years ago, a friend reached out with a request: could I watch her girls while she went to an important appointment. I…
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Exploring Vulnerability in Writing
Hold it up to the light — the experience, I mean. Turn it around, mentally, and see it from all the angles. Take it in, process it, learn its nuances and curves. Then pour it all onto the blank page. That’s what creative nonfiction writers do in essays. They examine…
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How I Break Out of a Writing Rut
Have you ever found yourself in a writing rut? That can feel like the words just won’t come. Perhaps there’s no more to write? Here’s how to break out of it. Foggy. Uncertain. Indecisive. Ever feel like that? As a writer, these feelings can be detrimental to productivity and happiness…