Published in The Writer Shed·Jun 14A Man Writes About a WomanWhat I’ve learned about gender roles in my writing Men writing about women. Male authors writing woman characters. It’s been dangerous territory for years. Many literary critics say men rarely get it right. Woman authors say few men can truly write a remarkable, realistic woman character. There’s some truth to…Female Characters3 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·Jun 3How Poetry Changes EverythingThe poets we love and why it matters I’m far from an expert on poetry. And certainly not up on every new poet who is out to change the world, a world that so needs changing. …Poetry4 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·May 20When Memoir Becomes Navel GazingKeeping your writing about something bigger than you “My life is just not that interesting,” one student said to me during a recent memoir writing workshop I was conducting. “That’s false,” I said. “Everyone has a story.” This doesn’t mean that everyone knows how to tell it. Memoir and personal…Memoir3 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·Apr 28Embracing Imposter SyndromeIt’s time to own the feeling that you’re a complete creative fraud Search the web. Go ahead. Search: imposter syndrome. You will get a long list of websites addressing the issue. Not just for writers and creatives of all types, but for marketing managers, sales executives, athletes. It’s a real…Creativity3 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·Apr 12Travel is the Fuel for CreativityRemembering what the journey can do for your writing On a recent road trip from Chicago to Colorado my travel heart opened once again. Travel has always been a part of my essentials. …Traveling2 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·Mar 18The School of Joyful WritingCommitting to the creative lessons of “being” instead of “doing” Read the beautiful thoughts of writer Camilla Sanderson on Brevity this morning and it refocused my creative spirit. The words are not necessarily new or, honestly, that unique. But they came at the right time and the right place. The…Writing3 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·Mar 5My Manual TypewriterThe things we keep It was at a yard sale somewhere. That’s where I bought it. Or maybe it was an antique shop someplace. I don’t remember. The portable Royal manual came in its own hard-leather carrying case, the outside stained from someone’s black coffee or spilled wine. When I…Typewriter5 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·Feb 27Boomer PowerThe creative life as we age I’m sitting in the dark in the early morning. Only a small reading light nearby. Rain touches the window. In my hand is a new copy of Siddhartha, Herman Hesse’s classic. It’s a collector’s edition — a stunning artistic cover with folded flaps for…Aging4 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·Feb 11Serialized Fiction OnlineIs this experiment going to work or die on the vine? A colleague, another writer, asked me the other day, “How’s that Substack thing going?” I didn’t have a really good answer then. But now I do. Sort of. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” I know, a cliche. But…Serialized Fiction3 min read
Published in The Writer Shed·Jan 23The Best Literary MoviesSix of the greatest films about writers, authors, and poets. Many times, writers are portrayed by Hollywood as one dimensional—troubled souls. Even when the film is a bit of a biopic, the screenplay relies, to my estimation, too heavily on the emotional and mental wreck of a writer. I guess…Writers Life3 min read
