Your Writing Career Will Not Survive on “Please”
We stood on a closed-off street at a music festival, near midnight, third or fourth beers in hand, when the musicians on stage stopped in between songs to say, "Thanks…
The Most Important Thing Most Writers Never Do
I'd be driving and think, "Oh damn it, I never followed up with Susan." I'd be shopping and realize it had been six months since that editor offered to read…
Why I’m Learning Grammar: Grammar Foundations Class Review
My coaching student scoffed. "Why are you learning grammar?" A part of me was with her, scoffing at grammar that meant memorizing latinate words. Grammar that was removed by the spectacles…
5 Ways to Write The Cliché Experience Fresh
I’m looking up Narratively’s instructions on how to pitch, and I see this from their editor, Lilly Dancyger: “In case you’re wondering, here are some other done-to-death tropes that I…
Everything a Writer Needs to Thrive: Craft, Business Skills, Personal Finance, & Joy
When I decided to start a blog as a follow-up to my book Welcome to the Writer's Life, I knew I needed to focus. Who is this blog serving, and…
Conferences are Essential (and Expensive)
In 2018, I went to six conferences, which is, according to my bank account, too many conferences. Today I have a new podcast episode out with Clint Proctor, about how…
The Luxuries of Freelance Writing Life
My favorite music genre being Sad Guy With A Guitar And a Story To Tell, my favorite band is naturally Bon Iver. They're coming to play at The Gorge, my…
10 Office Supplies Every Writer Needs at Home
I don't know why it took me so long to realize I could buy things for my home that I'd only used in offices or school. Oh yeah, duh. You…
Why (And How) We Should Talk About Money
Every month, I have a dinner party where we talk about the most forbidden of fruits as far as conversation topics go: money. We eat a homemade, collective meal while…
All the Tools I Use To Run My Freelance Writing Business in 2019
I bartered with another business owner to help her design her systems, and we were deciding which electronic signing service to go with. It took us two hours. We still…
Bria, How Did You Save Up To Write For A Year?
On the latest episode of my podcast, I get to talk with my coaching student, Bria, about how she saved up to take a year off to write. While she…
How To Compost Artistic Envy Into Inspiration
I am feeling feelings about Kristen Arnett's book, Mostly Dead Things, an absolutely fabulous and hilarious novel set in Florida. Psst: This site uses affiliate links. Hey Paulette, weren't you…
Using Affiliate Links, Feeling Kinda Weird About It
As we walked down the beach one day, my mom and I saw two anchored boats cracking against each other in the waves. One had broke loose of its rope.…
Read This to Learn That: Tara Conklin’s “The Last Romantics” and The Family Saga
I just finished Tara Conklin’s book The Last Romantics on a plane, and I wanted to call, “Attention: People in the emergency row. Have you read this book? You must,…
My Favorite Writers’ Favorite Books: John Hodgman
Like Will Ferrell or Amy Sedaris, it seemed like John Hodgman was creating a new kind of humor. We had no idea what he was going to do next, but…
Read This to Learn That: Gaby Dunn’s “Bad with Money” and Starting as a Writer from Nothing
One thing I know about the writing life is that you get better at the thing by doing it. I started out hoping to be invited to do the thing…
Why a Writer Might Want to Care About Frugality
I'm doing Liz Frugalwoods' Uber-frugal challenge this month, and I don't like it. I mean, I like her and her challenge, but I don't like feeling like I can't do…
I Don’t Want to Be Frugal, But I Want to Be a Writer
It's spending season. The sun shines upon Seattlites at University Village as I run to the Amazon book store, because it's the only place to return the clothes I bought…
My Favorite Writers’ Favorite Books: Michelle Obama
Is there anyone classier, smarter, and more of a person I might be tempted to put a photo of on my mantel than Michelle Obama? She's brilliant in her own…
My Favorite Writers’ Favorite Books: Anthony Bourdain
Before my trip to South America, I looked for places he’d been. I had 24 hours in Cali in Colombia, and he’d gone there, had dinner with some local musicians.…
10 Beach Reads
"In my mind, a beach read is something that’s “unputdownable,” whatever that means to you," says Susan Kehoe, managing partner of Browseabout Books. When the New York Times asked booksellers…
My Favorite Writers’ Favorite Books: Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith is kind of everything you ever want to be. I'm in love with this short story I heard her read on the New Yorker fiction podcast, and she…
My Favorite Writers’ Favorite Books: Amy Schumer
As you know, Amy Schumer is ridiculous. I consider her my long-lost third sister. Not only does she have her book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, she of…
Read This to Learn That: Nature Writing
I've only once fallen in love with a piece of land, and I've been trying to write about it for a decade. When I bought a horse in Paraguay, I…