Recent Articles
Why Reading Voraciously Will Make You a Better Writer
Believe it or not, I meet a lot of people who want to write well but say they don’t read. How do you know what good writing is, then? I don’t think we can, outside of reading widely and voraciously, and here’s why: If you read often, you are picking up things that you...
How Studying Writing Craft Will Make You a Better Writer
On the surface, this seems like a really obvious improvement tactic: Study the writing craft, and you’ll become a better writer. But you would be surprised how many writers I hear from who say they don’t really like to read writing craft books. They don’t really learn...
The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Write a Book
Last week I talked about the six reasons you shouldn’t write a book, but if you’re still with me this week and you still really want to write that book, there is one thing you can do that will ensure you actually accomplish your goal, and it’s this: Make writing a...
6 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Write a Book
I meet a lot of people who respond to discovering that I’m an author with, “I really want to write a book.” I take these comments in stride, because writing a book isn’t for everyone. But some people are more persistent than others, asking questions and digging a...
The Risky Power of a Writer’s Pen: On Bravery
In the wake of any big news item of interest or an issue of note or, say, a political election, the Internet is always filled with blogs and essays and informational articles that feature opinions, facts, opinions matched with facts and, in some cases, just plain...
On Why Writers Need to Celebrate Every Small Victory
My days are pretty crazy. I’m a mom of six boys, and I juggle a writing business. My time is very parceled out, and my goals tend to be carefully detailed and intricately wrought, because I have to use whatever time I have to do what needs to be done. That means there...
How to Set and Smash a Ridiculously Impossible Goal
This year I made it my goal to write 2 million words. I made this goal back in January, when I was struggling to find time at all to write, because of all the responsibilities that it takes to run a house of eight, manage healthy relationships and balance a fledgling...
Write a GREAT Book Even When Your Time is Limited
