The alchemy of imagery: using theme-specific language to capture raw emotion
A few years ago, I received a wonderful surprise: my poem “Butterfly House” was awarded an Honorable Mention in the 86th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition. The poem, which appears in my...
View ArticleBreaking the barrier: how to eliminate filtering verbs and master deep point...
We’ve all heard the classic writing advice: Show, don’t tell. It’s a golden rule for a reason, but when you’re transitioning from an intermediate writer to an advanced storyteller, there are subtle,...
View ArticleUnearthing the right idea: brainstorming techniques for writers
We’ve all stared at a blank page, wondering where the next scene, poem, or essay is going to come from. Recently, my writing partner and I were talking about how we tackle this exact problem, and it...
View ArticleBuilding an author brand that doesn’t feel like a costume: part two
In my last post, I talked about the mindset shift of moving away from a “professional costume” and toward a brand that feels like home. I shared how my history in energy medicine and my love for the...
View ArticleBuilding an author brand that doesn’t feel like a costume: part one
Most of us became writers because we wanted to hide. We wanted to stay safely tucked behind the keyboard, letting our prose speak for us while we remained comfortably invisible. But then we finish a...
View ArticleWhen the muse meets the gurney: staying a writer when life refuses to cooperate
We’ve all been there. You have the vision, the character arcs, and that one perfect line of dialogue etched into your soul—and then life decides to rewrite your entire schedule. As writers, we often...
View ArticleWant to be a better literary citizen? Six things I learned by sending my...
Happy National Poetry Month! After a long hiatus, I recently started sending my poems out into the world again and in doing so, I learned several things that are helping my literary career that I...
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How to write riveting sex scenes that leave your reader wanting more:...
How To Create Chemistry Between Your Characters In most cases, your characters aren’t going to meet and then just fall into bed together. If they do, then you’re probably writing hard-core erotica or...
View ArticleSymbolism in literature: Is a rose just a rose?
In her poem, “Sacred Emily,” Gertrude Stein wrote, “Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” This line is often interpreted as meaning things are what they are. In Stein’s view, the sentence expresses the...
View ArticleElevate your prose with poetry techniques
No matter what you write—emails, short stories, novels, or nonfiction—your prose can be more persuasive and impact your reader more effectively by using poetic devices. Below are three blog posts to...
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Reveal your characters through their circle of friends
Experts say we are most like our five closest friends. I think that’s true. Our friends usually have similar interests and values as we do. Looking at someone’s friend circle can tell you a lot about...
View ArticleCreativity begets creativity: How to build your creative muscles
In my 20s I was busy working and raising a family. I had no time for anything else, much less any creative endeavors. But one day I realized that part of me was missing—my creative self. I knew I...
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How to use the six basic human needs to make your characters come to life,...
The key to writing strong, believable characters is to really know and understand your characters as if they’re living, breathing human beings. You want to know your character’s background, what makes...
View ArticleFind your flow with writing prompts — part 2
As mentioned in part one of this post, writing prompts can help get us into the flow of our writing. Poetry prompts are easy. Pretty much anything can be a poetry prompt. But what if you’re working on...
View ArticleFind your flow with writing prompts—part 1
I love to write and I especially love to write poetry, but I also go through long periods where I don’t write. I get busy with work and life. Or roadblocks appear that zap my time and energy and leave...
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Using your grief and other emotions to deepen your characters
It’s difficult to write about deep painful emotions, even in our characters, unless we’ve experienced them. And, even then, it’s not an easy task. Strong emotions can be overwhelming. Sometimes we numb...
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Eight exercises to develop curiosity and become a better writer (and person)
Developing our curiosity can serve to make us not only more interesting people but also better writers and more creative artists. Being curious has helped me dig deeper in my writing, develop an...
View ArticleAdd a new dimension to your writing with humor
Let’s face it. This world can be difficult and confusing at times. Writing or doing any art or creative endeavor (even cooking or taking photographs while out walking) can help us figure out the...
View ArticleHow to write from an animal’s point of view
To kick off National Poetry Month, I’m sharing a poem from my poetry book, “The Dragon & The Dragonfly.” The idea for the poem came from a prompt to write from an animal’s point of view. I’d just...
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Write active, sensory description to make your story believable
In a post I read a few years ago by Marg McAlister, “Verisimilitude: Description that Puts the Reader in the Scene,” I copied and saved one of the excerpts she used because I thought it was a good...
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