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2021 Writing Classes

Registration is open! Develop a writing habit and learn to edit your own work with The Writing Habit and Edit Yourself, both online via the Writers Grotto:

The Writing Habit *ONLINE*

Tuesdays, Jan 26-Feb 3 | * ONLINE* | Are you feeling stuck or unmotivated to finish your novel, memoir, or short story collection? Are […]

Spring Classes at the Grotto

I’ll be teaching two weekend workshops this session at the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto:

Edit Yourself (this Sunday, May 20) Social Media Bootcamp (June 10)

These are both really fun, hands-on workshops with tea and snacks included. You can bring your own lunch or buy lunch nearby.

Please spread the word to your writer friends!

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2018 Writerland Update

It’s been a ridiculously long time since I blogged here, so I’m starting with an update. Last year I spent a lot of time blogging privately—doing research for a project I’ve been working on when not cooking, cleaning, shopping; organizing child care, birthday parties, vacations, camping trips, backpacking trips, after-school activities, doctor’s appointments, haircuts, field […]

Edit Yourself, Advanced Blogging, Bay Area Book Festival, and Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

A few announcements: This week I have two classes open for registration—a six-week Advanced Blogging Workshop and a one-day Edit Yourself workshop. Also, in early June I’ll be teaching a one-day Successful Blogging class at Book Passage in Corte Madera (see below) and participating in a panel about writing communities at the Bay Area Book […]

Butt in chair stick-to-it-iveness

This week I’m reposting one of my favorite posts—because I think we all need to be reminded now and then of the importance of keeping our butts in the chair.

I’m writing again for the first time in weeks and finding it difficult to sit still in my chair. Today I thought about what works […]

How to Write Kick-Ass Character Descriptions

I’m guilty of it, too: The description of a new character who has just entered your story as having “big brown eyes and frizzy black hair” or “ginger hair that cascaded down her shoulders and eyes the color of jade.” No matter how creative you get, describing a person according to his or her hair […]

Author Interview: Melanie Gideon

Today, I am honored to share with you an interview with the bestselling author of The Slippery Year, Melanie Gideon. Gideon’s debut novel, Wife 22, is out TODAY, and the best way I can describe it is Bridget Jones for the Facebook generation. Gideon will be reading tonight at A Great Good Place for […]

8 Secrets to a Successful Writers’ Group

Writers’ groups, also called critique groups, can be invaluable resources for writers. They provide the structure and support of an MFA workshop without the high cost of tuition. But not all writer’s groups are equal. Get in the wrong group, and you may do more harm to your writing than good. How do you know […]

5 Tips For Hiring The Right Freelance Editor

As a freelance editor and someone who has hired several freelance editors, I wanted to give my two cents about if/when/how you need to hire an editor. Anne Allen wrote a wonderful post about this topic Sunday as well. Be sure to check it out when you’re done reading this:

1. Do I need a […]

2011 Books in Review

Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s almost 2012? I feel like I’m living in the future.

Sierra Godfrey’s post last week reminded me that I used to wrap up the year with a list of the books I’d read that year. My goal is always to read two books a month, and with two […]