Category Archive

Why are memoirs so compelling? They’re authentic—and they’re stories! Also, the best memoir writers use fiction-writing techniques to “show” readers their experiences, filling scenes with sensory detail—the faded reds of an heirloom quilt, for instance, or the bloom of gray lichen on a gravestone—thus, creating immediacy and reader sympathy. As non-narrative nonfiction writers—business writers, thought leaders, journalists, scientists, scholars—seeking to …

You’ve been there. You’ve met that demon. And its name is “Productive Procrastination.” As I work with coaching clients, I realize that there comes a point in every engagement when my coaching clients try to explain why they didn’t do what they said they would do. And often, these reasons seem highly plausible if not downright rational. My question, though, …

Finding the right editor for your manuscript helps you feeling confident you’ve got a good match and comfortable that your editor understands what you want to accomplish. How do you start this match-making process? By first seeking a reputable editor who understands the type of book you have written. If your book is business or self-help, for example, choose an …

There will be times in your writing where you’ll be a little stuck. Maybe your outline is perfectly fine, but there’s a little catch in it somewhere where you just can’t express the idea correctly. You’re sitting there, mouth half-open, and you’re staring at the screen, waiting for your fingers to move, and they’re not moving. This is Writer’s Block, …

Guest Blogger Donna Goodin regularly works with dissertation candidates, helping them get their dissertations finished, and she’s shared her comments here which are equally applicable for book authors. For those with responsibilities beyond the dissertation, some amount of juggling is inevitable. The key to success is developing habits and attitudes that allow you to manage your juggling act so that …