Blog
Write your way to a happy, healthy holiday
I love the holiday season. I always have, although the way I show up for them is WAY different in this chapter of my life than in past chapters. This time of year, it’s really easy to get sucked into the “shoulds” and “have tos.” We can make ourselves crazy with obligation and put everyone else’s...
How to write even when you don’t have time
I hear this question all the time: “How do I write if have no time?” I get it. Time is THAT THING that we’re always pursuing more of, always in a race against, that’s always in our face, mocking us for all the things we didn’t get to yet. I’ve been working full time and writing two books a year...
Why the most successful writers don’t always write alone
This past weekend was the New England Crime Bake. It’s a writer’s conference that’s local to the Boston area. It’s also a special conference for me, because it was the one I found when I first Googled “mystery writer conferences” more than 20 years ago when I decided that I was going to write...
It’s NaNoWriMo, and no, you don’t have to write 50K
Happy NaNoWriMo! It’s a writer’s favorite time of the year. November is National Novel Writing Month, the (somewhat insane) month where writers across the world decide to write a 50K word novel in 30 days. Yes, it sounds insane. But it’s also effective. Setting a goal like that is powerful....
The truth about creative blocks
How do you know if you have a creative block? It sounds like a simple concept. A variation of writer’s block, even. But where writer’s block is usually defined as unable to make progress on a writing project, I think of creative blocks a little differently. When the simple thought of putting a pen...
How to know if you’re actually successful
Have you ever really stopped and thought about what success means? Like, to you. Not to your mom, or your dad, or your spouse, or Instagram. For instance: Is it a fancy title? A lot of money? (Also, what's a lot? Have you thought about it? Hint: there’s no right or wrong answer.) Is it getting...
How to make the curse a blessing – even when it seems nuts
I’m coming in with some mindset talk today. We've all lived through some stuff, right? Stuff that was less than optimal. Or, flat out bad. The traumatic (big "T" or little “t”) experiences we’ve had. The treatment we’ve endured, the relationships that have threatened to break us, the life events...
How to do the work AND give yourself grace
I’ve got a reputation for being pretty hard on myself. I know where it came from, of course. A lot of self-reflection, journaling and excavating moments of my childhood reminded me that my parents expected a lot from me. I was “the smart one,” a title that, while flattering, was also intimidating...
Get started living the creative life you've always dreamed of...
Writing strategies from the pros
