Hello Reader, Recently, I listened to a podcast with “Deep Work” advocate Cal Newport that talked about the impact of social media, email, and, more broadly, distraction has on our creative work. But he also mentioned a philosophical war of sorts between Deep Work denizens and those who adhere to Mihaly Csikszentmihali’s theory of "Flow" or what he calls "optimal experience." In a world obsessed with these sort of ideological cage matches, I often start thinking in the dialectic—what if it’s...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, It's been a busy spring around here! I offered my first-ever free three-hour workshop to the public. I migrated my course materials to a brand-new platform with robust features to support writers. And I even spruced up my look with a months-long rebranding process. Then last week, we onboarded the next cohort of writers to the Wyrd Writers Collective. I'm absolutely energized by all of this, but I've also been woefully neglecting my novel. It can be so hard to prioritize our...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, One of questions that emerged from Story Scaffolding Live! last week was around a question that appears in my course materials and those of other writing coaches as well, as well as on several editor and agent submission forms: Why are you the right person to tell this story? I love asking this question because it gets to the heart of your bigger "Why" for writing the story--what it means to you on a personal and emotional level, moving beyond the events that happen in the story...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Whenever indie folk singer Chris Pureka comes to town, we try to grab tickets. This month, we got to hear Chris in a tiny venue in neighboring Carnation, Washington, and as always, it was an amazing show. One of my favorite songs of theirs is "Back in the Ring." It's about bouncing back after a breakup and the mental health challenges that came along with it, but it's become an anthem to me when the inevitable writing rejections come into the inbox. I'll find myself singing the...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, Mother's Day can be a fraught time for many of us. If you've lost your mother, are not able to be with her for the holiday, or your experience of motherhood doesn't match to the Hallmark Holiday ideal, I see you and I'm sending you a little extra love today. This weekend is particularly poignant for me as well because my youngest child turned 18 on Wednesday and graduates in a few short weeks. I've already mentioned that as part of settling into our new empty-nest life, my...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Each spring, I survive the long, gray Pacific Northwest winters by counting down the minutes until the cherries blossom. This annual occurrence, usually sometime in that March-April window, is when the drab gray skies of Seattle recede into the background at last, outshone by a riot of pink and white blossoms so prolific that they fall like snowflakes all over town. The first spring we lived here, nine years ago(!) now, I waited as the buds swelled on the two flowering plums we...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, I loved hearing all your thoughts about the meaning of the word Wyrd. And as I said last week, there were no wrong answers. While only 37% of the folks who responded chose my intended meaning (Fate/Destiny), the truth is whatever it means to you when it shows up in your inbox each Sunday is just as valid as what I dreamed up when I named this newsletter a few years ago. And my favorite part of this entire wool-gathering thought experiment is that it's a larger metaphor for our...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Because the sun has finally returned to the Pacific Northwest, I'm feeling the need to call an end to hibernation and re-emerge into the real world. If you've been around here for a while, you know the value I place on finding your writing community. It's why I run a free critique partner matching service multiple times a year, why I'm a member of numerous critique groups and writing organizations, and why I go out of my way to hang out with other creatives whenever I can. But...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, Before we dive in...help me answer a question that's been on my mind. Don't stress, I promise, this is an easy one. Just hit Reply and let me know your answer (hint: there are no wrong answers here!). What does wyrd mean? a. Weird b. Word c. Fate/Destiny d. Don't know/don't care, sounds cool tho! e. Too weird for me...Not approachable! Go ahead, I'll wait...And don't worry that you're hurting my feelings. I wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know. We're all truth-tellers here......
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, I love answering writer questions and there are a few I get all the time. The #1 most common is: How do I know if I'm ready to query? If you've asked yourself that question--and don't have a firm answer--don't miss next week's newsletter because I have something very exciting to tell you about...a program designed to finally, once and for all, empower you to answer that all-important question! Another common question I get is about whether or not to include a prologue in your...
4 months ago • 2 min read