Editor, Proofreader, Writing Coach, Ghostwriter
Picture a Thanksgiving table—a beautiful blend of colorful dishes, familiar recipes, appetizing aromas. Each dish adds to the beauty of the table and offers a variety of ways to enjoy the meal.
Writing a book creates a similar experience. As the writer, you bring a variety of stories, examples, dialogue, explanations, and memories to your book. That richness creates a wonderful feast for your reader to enjoy.
Continue reading “Gathering Stories Like a Thanksgiving Table”You may have had this experience. You’re making steady progress on your writing project. Something happens, whether it’s family, work, tiredness, illness, or something else that causes you to skip a day. That’s okay. It happens.
You’re eager to get back to writing after the missed day. But then something else happens, and before you know it, two weeks have gone by. You have time again, but now it’s hard to start back. You feel like you’ve lost momentum. How do you get it back?
Continue reading “Writing on Busy or Low-Energy Days”One of the challenges when writing a family history or life story is the missing photos. We write about a big moment and realize we don’t have the photos to show our readers. Maybe when the event happened, we didn’t get pictures because we were fully present in the moment. Or maybe we had photos that disappeared over the years. The good news is your story will still shine even without the original photos.
Continue reading “Telling Family Stories without the Perfect Photos”An awesome way to keep your readers engaged is to write with all five senses. Autumn is a wonderful time of year to practice. The colorful, crunchy leaves and spicy aromas of fall are sure to prompt you to write with all your senses.
Continue reading “Write with All Five Senses”Autumn is a wonderful time to focus on your writing project. Carve out some time for creative brainstorming or writing—a little time goes a long way, especially if you stay consistent. Think of it like a series of mini autumn retreats for working on your project—even if your retreat takes place over several 15-minute sessions throughout the coming weeks.
Continue reading “Cozy, Creative Autumn Writing Time”Writers often struggle when facing a blank screen. How should they begin writing? What are the right opening words? How should they tell a story?
The blank screen seems like a roadblock. How do you get around it or move through it?
There is one simple way that works every time: Write messy.
Continue reading “Messy Beats the Blank Screen”Whether you’ve started writing a book or are preparing to start soon, you might find writing prompts a helpful exercise. You can do journal prompts, where you write in response to a phrase. You can do memory prompts, where you describe a particular memory. You can also write in response to a photo prompt, which is what we will try this week.
Continue reading “Try a Photo Writing Prompt”With the fall school season underway, this seems like a good time to learn or practice a writing and self-editing skill. You may have heard the phrase, Show, don’t tell. It’s a helpful technique for strengthening your writing and engaging your reader. Let’s take a look.
Continue reading “Show, Don’t Tell: A Writing Technique that Immerses Your Reader in the Story”The fall season has an interesting rhythm for writing. On one hand, we writers often feel energetic and ambitious as we take on new challenges. On the other hand, as days get shorter and temperatures cool, our bodies often feel like we’re slowing into pre-winter hibernation mode. How can we navigate the writing rhythm of fall?
Continue reading “Shorter Days, Smaller Steps: Regaining Joy in Writing”The fall season is slowly settling in. This is a great season to reflect and reset. It’s also a great time to renew your commitment to your writing project and look forward to cozy fall writing days. Pumpkin latte, fuzzy socks, comfy blanket to go with your writing time?
Continue reading “Embrace the Season: Fall Writing Moments Await”
Janet Eriksson 