Okay, so you probably have to live in Portland and be old for that title to resonate with you. But for many years, Tom Peterson, a local retailer who sold appliances, furniture and home electronics, used that slogan for his TV ads. It made him into a famous local personality. (And I have kindly provided […]
I realized that, if you’re like me (and since you are a writer, you probably are, in some small way at least), it takes you forever awhile to make up your mind about things. Because, as writers, we must ponder the overall story of every thing that crosses our paths. Am I right? Also, there […]
Black Friday is still a few days away and I don’t know about you, but I’m already being inundated with special offers from the big box and mall stores. The idea is that you’ll get out early on the day after Thanksgiving and buy, buy, buy! But I have a better suggestion: stay home and […]
I’ve been working hard getting clients set for my absence while I’m in France, and I’ve found myself with a bit of time this week. And so I’ve been planning. If there’s one thing I love to do in this life, it is to plan. Give me a calendar or a planner or a workbook […]
The recent news that my novel has been accepted for publication has inspired me. As I mentioned in a post last week, it was the getting of clarity that I consider a key factor in this acceptance. Last fall, I got crystal clear in my thinking about my goals and realized that I wanted to […]
NOTE: The sale is over, but you can still access all these classes and services on their individual pages. Give the gift of creativity this Christmas, either to yourself or someone else. In the United States, Thursday is Thanksgiving, when we eat turkey and count our blessings. I'm grateful for you–my loyal readers. In honor […]
Of all the things that I do, ghostwriting seems to garner the most interest. Recently, Twitter and blogging buddy Patrick Ross mentioned in a comment that he'd like to hear more about it. (He also passed along the Stylish Blogger award. Thanks, Patrick!) So here you go. In this post, I'm going to look at […]
When something isn't working, there's a reason. I know. Duh. But how many times have you sat at your computer, beating your head against your desk, trying to make something work that isn't working? Trying to force a character to do something she doesn't want to do, or writing a scene in a location that […]
"Make work" is my all-purpose notation to myself that I use for both notes and on manuscripts. It is shorthand for "Make it work," and a very handy two words. If I'm writing notes, and they are a bit sketchy, I add, "make work," because I know in my brain what I mean, I just […]
Yesterday I had jury duty. I resisted, mightily. Perhaps it is because I'm called to serve on jury duty more than anybody else on this planet. This was my third time, and I've gotten excused from service several times before, when my children were little. I know people who have never gotten a summons, ever. […]
