Editor, Proofreader, Writing Coach
Has this ever happened to you? You’re working on a writing project, maybe a book or a blog. You know what you want to write next. But you can’t seem to fit it into your schedule. Life keeps happening.
That’s okay. You can still move your project forward: by thinking about what you’re going to write.
Continue reading “When You Know What You Want to Write But Can’t Get to It”Spring is a season of change, the beginning of new things. How often do we go through changes without realizing something new is starting?
Can you look back at a time when you were becoming someone new? But you didn’t realize it then?
Continue reading “Writing Prompt: I Didn’t Know It Was the Beginning”You sit down to write your book. Instead of words flowing, questions pop up. When did that happen? What led to that event? Where was that located? Who might remember the details? Where can I find answers?
Soon, you might feel that your writing progress has stopped, and the need for Q&A has taken over. But questions are part of the writing process. They don’t signal your project is on hold. Questions let you know your writing is moving ahead.
Continue reading “Why Questions Are Part of the Writing Process”Imagine speaking to a room filled with people. Now imagine sitting across the table from one person, enjoying a conversation over coffee. Which one feels easier?
If you said the one-on-one conversation feels easier, you’re not alone. Many people would prefer that. Especially if you have something important to share that you think will help that person.
In a crowded room, you have no idea how, or even if your message is landing with everyone. But when you talk to just one person, you can tailor your message to them.
That’s a helpful analogy to keep in mind as you sit down to write your book, blog, stories. It’s easiest when you focus on just one reader.
Continue reading “The Power of Writing for One Reader”February is a time to celebrate love. With Valentine’s Day and anticipation of spring, it’s easy to carry love in our hearts.
Love appears in a variety of ways: love for a spouse, child, parent, sibling, friend, neighbor, pet, place, hobby, way of life. Love shows up in big and small ways. Sometimes it’s in the smallest moments when you notice and remember love the most.
For this month’s writing prompt, focus on a quiet way someone loved you. Not a big way, but something meaningful yet easily overlooked.
Continue reading “Writing Prompt: A Quiet Love”A coaching client told me she wanted to write but wasn’t sure she had much to draw from. She described her life as vanilla. Her friends were writing about struggles they had overcome. Her life had been pretty smooth. What could she write? Who would want to read it?
Continue reading “Your Stories Are Not Too Ordinary to Write”A writing prompt is a way to practice creative skills while having some fun with writing. If you ever feel stuck, try a writing prompt. It helps you regain momentum. You might even find a new path forward in your writing project.
Continue reading “Writing Prompt: Describe a Winter Scene”When starting a new book, most writers don’t struggle with a lack of ideas. Instead, they feel overwhelmed because they have too many ideas. They care deeply and want to share everything they know about a topic for the benefit of their readers.
That’s a great problem to have, but it feels daunting. For good reason. When a writer puts too much information into one book, it’s too much for readers to follow and too complicated and overwhelming to organize and write. Most often, the initial manuscript pages end up sitting incomplete and abandoned in a computer file.
If this struggle feels familiar, here’s a way to help you focus on what your book actually needs.
Continue reading “One Journey at a Time: How to Know What Belongs in Your Book”After the busyness of the holidays, when most book projects take a back seat to holiday activity, it can be hard to start writing again. One way to ease back in is to rediscover the joy of writing.
Continue reading “Rediscover the Joy of Writing”With the new year on its way, it’s common for writers to say, “This is the year I will finally write my book.” By February, life has intervened, and the dream seems to be slipping away. Pressure, disappointment, and defeat set in. Writing becomes a race against the clock instead of an enjoyable adventure.
Here’s a different way to approach writing in the new year: not as a time-related goal but as an ongoing journey of discovery. Something you explore a little at a time each week.
Continue reading “Writing Isn’t a Goal, It’s a Lifestyle”
Janet Eriksson 