Why it’s essential we make space for creativity in daily life—and how to do it. You might think adding time to write into your weekly flow would prove easy—after all, you carry out a variety of practical tasks. But if you’ve tried and failed to establish a regular routine, and assumed this meant you weren’t a “real” […]

Can your influences help you around writer’s block? In Do You Have Writer’s Block Because You Are Writing in America?, I explored systemic baggage which impacts any American who sits down to write.  When it comes to writer’s block, writers are afraid, but not only afraid. They are also: Disconnected from a larger purpose for creating.  Disconnected from one another.  Disconnected from […]

3 Essential Tips for Openings  The rise of online submissions systems means your manuscript will first be encountered by agents and editors in digital format. Form affects experience; people’s attention spans are shorter online. Add to this the fact that agents and publications lack the staff to read thousands of unsolicited submissions to completion, and […]

What’s the difference? Most clients who reach out don’t really know what a book coach does versus what services an editor offers.   They may not even know exactly what their manuscript needs.  Often, all authors intuit is: they can’t finish / they want feedback / they need to know if a book is on the […]

10 Motivating Quotes from “BLESSED ARE THE WEIRD: A MANIFESTO FOR CREATIVES.” Are you ready to step into your power as a writer, artist, or thought leader? The Writing Cycle has curated ten life-changing quotes by Jacob Nordby from BLESSED ARE THE WEIRD to help you beat writer’s block and remind you you are entitled […]

The Writing Cycle explores how professional anxiety impacts creativity when the need for market value collides with personal motivations for making art. In this series, I explored ways American Cultural Mythologies Cause Writer’s Block. Next month, I’ll offer exercises to help you Write Accessibly in Everyday Life and Reconnect with Your Artistic Ancestors. Here, you will define your life […]

Q: As far back as I can remember, I felt called to be a creative writer. But what do I do if the calling doesn’t pay the bills? Can I even call myself a real writer?  A: When it comes to writing of any type . . . it’s a dirty secret: nobody wants to talk […]

Q: Do you ever wish that you never started writing?  “I am a new author, with two books self-published to date. I have a good life, a supportive husband and children, but for some reason I’m not happy because all I think about is book sales and trying to make it big. I have never in my life […]

Do you know The Dos & Don’ts of Writing Compelling Dialogue?  In narrative, you can wax poetic about the setting sun. In dialogue, if you go on about the color of the sky, people are apt to find your writing pretentious. Why? Because readers will notice the WRITER in those scenes, not the characters. Good dialogue […]

ARE YOU MISTYPED? Many ENFJs and ESFJs on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are mistyped or struggle to identify the differences between these related personality types outside stereotyped YouTube parodies and online quizzes that don’t take into account tertiary cognitive function. Too often, they assume an ENFJ is deep; an ESFJ paddles in the shallows.  I propose a better way […]