Writing
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What Anne Lamott Said to Me (Sort of)
One of the advantages of living near Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the opportunity to be part of the thriving literary community that revolves around the University of Michigan’s prestigious Zell Writers’ Program. When I moved here twelve years ago, I declared that I had landed in Writer Heaven. One of Ann Arbor’s gems (in the… Continue reading
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Writing Prompts, Revisited
In my previous post, “Wondering What to Write About? Try These Prompts,” I listed ten writing prompts that I have offered my creative nonfiction writing students to help them overcome their anxiety as they approach a blank page. Sometimes writers need a nudge from outside of their own minds to get them started. A prompt… Continue reading
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Wondering What to Write About? Try These Prompts
We are writers. We are committed to writing regularly. Some of us face a blank page every day. Writing is generally a solitary exercise. The topics about which we write arise from the deluge of our thoughts, from the minutiae of our impulses and emotions. Sometimes, though, our minds may feel blank. What will we… Continue reading
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Three Ways to Energize Your Writing
In my creative nonfiction writing classes, I conduct workshops in which students read and provide feedback on their classmates’ first drafts of writing assignments. The writers then use the feedback they receive to plan and write revisions of their work. In these workshops, I prompt my students to look for the “hot spot” in a… Continue reading
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25.000 Words of Winter: Update
On February 17, after reading Jami Attenberg’s book 1000 Words, I committed to writing 1000 words, four to five days a week, to reach a total of 25,000 words by April 1. This is my first update on the project. I’m happy to say that I almost reached my goal. I know, almost doesn’t count.… Continue reading
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The Six-Figure Promise: A Look at Three Sellers of Cyber-Success
As a follower of a few Facebook groups for writers, I’ve been surprised by the comments of some members who lament that they have written a book, edited it and formatted it themselves, and uploaded it on Amazon. Why does it have no buyers? Why aren’t they making any money? What would give these writers… Continue reading
Do you write about yourself and your experiences? Do you write about traumatic events in your life? Or, do you struggle to find time and motivation to write?
If so, this blog is for you.