Imagine standing in a forest. This photo is from our family trip to see the California redwoods. Magnificent doesn't even describe th...

I'm opening my book-writing weekly workshops to new writers, so consider joining me for the next six-week session, starting February 1. ...

A writing friend, Jean Sands, author of the newly released book of poems, Gandy Dancing, sent round a lovely collection of quotes from write...

Traditionally, at this time of year, I like to set some goals for my writing. Winter, when things are stripped bare, makes it easier to see...

Still life--it doesn't make for good stories. Bad decisions? They do. A friend from Florida just emailed me a list of random thoughts,...

A reader recently posted this excellent question: "I have many stories in which the characters are not easily appreciated. I am sure ma...

How does a book writer create writing that pulls a reader in, that engages us so well, we can't stop reading? A favorite nonfiction wri...

I really dislike storyboards. They tell me what I don't want to know--where I have too much or too little, where I've written on tr...

I'll be at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis next weekend, December 4-5, teaching my two-day book-structuring workshop. Please jo...

Today I had plenty of creative energy, so I decided to tackle a big project: storyboarding my new novel. It's the sequel to Qualities ...