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Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a dedicated space for educators & mothers who want to write a novel. The doors are always open to all who love language and learning!

Grab your beverage of choice (Pumpkin Spice Latte for me: it’s fall y’all!) and join me as I share a little bit of truth nestled in the upmarket novel I’m querying.

Word of the Month

PERSPECTIVE

noun

a particular point of view; one way of viewing a situation

Example: We often pick up a novel to learn another perspective.

If you read and write fiction, you know fiction is rooted in truths; it’s what brings us to story. Fiction entertains, of course, but we also learn from the protagonists. Their struggles and how they work through them provide lessons we can learn from. These truths are overtly revealed through the protagonist’s emotional arc.

What I want to consider today are the “hidden” nuggets of truth authors embed in their stories. It’s akin to “Easter eggs” in the gaming world: when a video designer embeds hidden jokes, messages, or features for gamers to find. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is a great read if you want to see this concept in fiction form.

I’ve placed Easter eggs in my own novel. Many of these will be undetectable by most readers, but for those they’re meant for, I hope they bring a smile to their faces.

This gets me wondering…what Easter eggs are hiding in my favorite books? Even though I may never know, it’s fun to wonder and to guess.

As a treat, I’ll let you all in on one of my novel’s Easter eggs. At the very beginning of the novel, the main character shows up to the first day of school wearing mismatched shoes. This actually happened to me! While the circumstances as to why it happened are completely different, the plot element is rooted in a real event. I even have photographic evidence.

Adding little nuggets of true moments from my life has been an unexpected source of joy in the writing process. It adds to the layers that make this novel completely mine: no one else could have written it.

Take that, AI. You’re not needed here.

Writing Activity

Add an Easter egg to your current writing project! The more nuanced and peculiar, the better. These are the details that make our novels human-centric, organic, and authentic. Plus, it’s a lot of fun. Shouldn’t the writing process be joyful?

Fall registration is open: join me!

This fall, I’m teaching four craft classes over four months, September through December.

I’m kicking off the fall semester with the class, “Point of View: Choosing the Best Lens for Your Story.” We’ll explore the many point of view options available to novelists and learn how each one shapes the way readers experience a story. We’ll look at examples and practice techniques for choosing and writing the point of view that best serves your story.

Whether you’re revising or still formulating ideas, you’ll learn valuable techniques to help you on your novel-writing journey.

I hope to see you in class!

Tuesday, September 22nd, 6:30-8 pm EST.

$25, or purchase all four classes for $90. All classes are recorded and shared with students.

Register here.

Love this Line

“A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight.”

~ Robertson Davies

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Looking for more writing camaraderie and accountability?

I host weekly co-writing sessions on Mondays and Fridays, and I’d love for you to join us! Whether you’re writing prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, all writers are welcome! Stay the entire time, or even fifteen minutes: any time spent writing is forward momentum.

Mondays, from 8-9:30 am EST: Register here.

Fridays, from 10-11:30 am EST: Register here.

Summer’s the perfect time to kickstart a writing habit!

Want help with your writing?

Happy to help! I’m an Author Accelerator-certified fiction book coach. My book coaching services include:

• Novel Development Coaching

• Manuscript Reviews

• Agent-Ready Pitch Coaching (including Live Pitch Coaching)

• Group coaching (I teach a variety of online classes)

You can learn all about my book coaching services at keskesink.com.

Yes, you can write a novel, and I can help!

Subscribe now

It’s a special edition of The Teachers’ Lounge! Come on in, grab a cup of coffee, and pull up a chair: it’s story time!

It’s August, fellow teachers. We all know what that means.

Back-to-school nightmares.

To get us all properly in the spirit, I’ve taken the liberty of combining all of my most hellish sleeping moments into one terrifying nightmare. 

Warning: the following story contains frightening depictions of classroom settings and occasional foul language which may be inappropriate for first-year teachers and educators lacking a sense of humor. 

You spring out of bed with a panicked realization that it’s the first day of school, and you’re completely unprepared. You glance at your phone. The alarm wasn’t set, and school’s going to start in less than 30 minutes.

Forgoing a shower, you frantically search your closet for something to wear only to realize nothing fits. You appear to have gained 20 pounds overnight and are forced to settle with yoga pants and a ratty t-shirt from a 5K Run Pizza Challenge that you couldn’t bring yourself to toss because the irony was just too great. 

You try to grab your car keys and run out the door, but your legs no longer work. As you try to move through what feels like invisible quicksand, you wrack your brain trying to remember what it is you’re even teaching this year. Your mind remains blank. 

You close your eyes to concentrate and when you re-open them, you find yourself in your classroom. You’re at your computer. There are at least 50 students in your cramped room, and they’re all staring at you. 

You smile meekly. “Just a second, class.” You go to start your computer and realize you don’t remember your log-in. After 15 attempts, the computer locks you out. Your students continue to stare at you, now with some contempt.

Getting more anxious now, you pick up the phone and call tech support. You explain your situation. 

“Um, did you fill out an electronic help form?”

“No,” you answer. “I told you, I can’t get on the computer! How could I fill out the form?”

“I’m sorry, but until you fill out a form, I just can’t help you. Sorry.” Dial tone. 

You look out at your students, all eyes still glued on you.  You step away from your desk and walk tentatively to the front of the room, prepared to improvise. Some of your students gasp while most start uproariously laughing. 

You look down to realize you are completely naked. What the hell?  

You look up. In walks your principal for a surprise formative assessment of your ability to teach common core standards coupled with “I Can” statements and learning objectives.  

He seems to be oblivious to your nakedness.

Thank God, you mutter under your breath. Then he asks to read your report over the summer book he assigned.

Shit...

The phone rings. You rush over to pick it up, hopeful that tech support has had a change of heart.

It’s daycare. Both of your kids have inexplicably come down with pink eye. You feel your own eyes start to itch. 

There you are, naked, in front of your classroom, your boss flipping through your empty lesson plan book, your students still hysterically laughing, and a giant gorilla suddenly saunters in.

Dafuq? 

It starts tearing down your posters and throwing school supplies with reckless abandon. The students decide to join in, jumping on desks, throwing chairs, and devouring the stash of candy you had purchased as award incentives.  

Your principal hands you your still-bare lesson plan book. “We’re down a few staff members this year. I see you had one science class in college fifteen years ago. I need you to start teaching Biochemical Engineering. You start fourth period.” 

He leaves the room as an unruly parent from last year enters and begins screaming at you, citing all of your inadequacies as a teacher and basic human being. The parent is followed by the secretary who informs you all of your grades from last year were erased, so you now have to go back and re-enter them. The secretary is followed by the athletic director to tell you that you have to start coaching interpretive dance and try-outs are after school. The athletic director is followed by a custodian to inform you that a large family of rats has chosen your desk for a home, and he’s here to remove them. 

As you are overcome with this barrage of people in your room, students and a random gorilla still running amok in the background, you start screaming at the top of your lungs. 

But nothing comes out. You try to scream, but you have an inexplicable case of laryngitis. You start waving frantically for everyone to stop, but everyone seems completely oblivious.

The fire alarm sounds. Everyone else starts screaming as the sprinklers go off. You stare in awe at the soaked catastrophe that has become your classroom. 

Then a fellow teacher pops his head in to let you know the Keurig is broken.

You start weeping uncontrollably.  

Thankfully, you awaken from this hellish nightmare, sweat dripping. It was just a dream, you tell yourself.

Then you look over at your phone and see the date. Only a couple more precious weeks of summer before the nightmare may or may not become reality.

You weigh your options at this moment: dust off the lesson plan book or continue binge-watching all three seasons of Ted Lasso along with the newest season four (finally!). This one decision could very well determine your destiny for the entire upcoming school year.

Which will you choose?

This article originally appeared in Sammiches and Psych Meds (created by another former classroom teacher).

Best of luck to all of my teaching colleagues in the coming weeks! May your first days be terror-free.

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Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a dedicated space for teachers, former teachers, and educators who want to write a novel. The doors are always open to all who love language and learning!

Grab your beverage of choice, take a seat, and join me as I explain why now is the perfect time to start your novel.

Word of the Month

ACT

verb

To move forward with purpose and do something now.

Example: Now is the time to act on your dream of writing a novel.

I can already hear some of your excuses. Start my novel now? Are you nuts? It’s August. I’m too busy. I’ve got back-to-school shopping and lesson planning and professional development to attend, and on and on the list goes.

Yep. I know. I’m right there with you. I have two teenagers in the house with hectic sports schedules (and, silly me, I volunteered to be on the communications team for one and the team manager for the other). I’m also running my own business, which includes developing lessons for a new online course I’m teaching this fall.

Guess what I’m still going to do this August?

Start my second novel.

You heard me. I’m uber busy, and I’m going to prioritize my writing life anyway. Why? Because I have to. What I’ve learned over the past few years is that I’m a better mom, a better teacher, and a better human when I prioritize my own dreams. It’s not selfish. It’s essential.

Eleven years ago, I dreamed of being a published, paid writer. I became one. I wrote blog posts, articles, and creative nonfiction in the nooks and crannies of my insanely busy days as a mother raising toddlers and teaching full-time.

Five years ago, I told myself, “Yes, you can write a novel.” It took years of perseverance and self-love (and a heck of a lot of craft books and workshops), but I did it. I’m now querying that novel, and I’m proud of myself and the work. My dream of being a published novelist is close. I can feel it.

Now that I know how to write a novel, I’m anxious to do it again, this time with years of knowledge and understanding to guide my journey. I’m excited to see how much quicker I’ll be this go-around. It feels like a game, a creative challenge that’s just for me.

Now, It’s Your Turn

I want you to experience the euphoria of writing a novel, too. I know you can do it, and I’m here to help. For me, the first step was the hardest. I had no idea where to begin.

I’ve solved that problem for you.

I’m running a four-day workshop this month. This workshop will provide you with the structure, support, and confidence you need to stop wondering whether you can write a novel and start writing it. Then, when the school year starts, you can start writing in the nooks and crannies of your day.

Imagine you write one page a day, every day. The average typed manuscript page is 250 words. That’s 1,750 words in a week. That’s 7,000 words a month. That’s 84,000 words in a year. That’s the length of a novel.

You can do that. But first, let’s help you develop the mindset, tools, and accountability needed to make that happen.

Here’s what we’ll cover in the workshop, using the Blueprint for a Book by as our seminal text.

Step 1: Determine why you want to write this book.
Step 2: Define the story’s point.
Step 3: Write a super simple version of your story.
Step 4: Brainstorm book titles.
Step 5: Define your genre.
Step 6: Identify your ideal reader.
Step 7: Write jacket copy.
Step 8: Develop your protagonist.
Step 9: Select a narrator and point of view.
Step 10: Determine your story’s timeline.
Step 11: Decide where the story starts and where it ends.
Step 12: Develop a “Because of that” story summary
Step 13: Create an Inside Outline.
Step 14: Evaluate your Blueprint.

Every class, I teach part of the Blueprint live, show you how to apply it to your own novel idea, and give you focused homework to complete each night. During class, you will have the chance to ask questions, share your ideas for feedback, write alongside your peers, and build community.

This is a no-judgment learning environment. Pajamas are welcome. No makeup required. Poolside is encouraged. This program is built for busy women who are ready to make space for their novel-writing dreams.

I’ve got a morning time and an evening time, so you can pick the one that works best for your schedule. Have a conflict with one of the days? No worries! All sessions are recorded. You also have the option to hop on the day you missed at the other workshop time. See? I’m making it easy for you to say yes to your novel!

Enrollment is limited to 15 participants to ensure everyone receives consistent support and feedback.

This is the sign you’ve been waiting for. Yes, you can write a novel, and I can help.

Register now.

Writing Activity

A letter from your future author self

Imagine yourself one year from today. You’ve completed the first draft of your novel. There’s still revision ahead, but you’ve done something many people only dream about. You wrote a novel.

Write a letter from that future version of yourself to the woman you are today.

• What would she thank you for?

• What almost stopped her?

• What surprised her?

• Why was writing the novel worth it?

• What would she encourage you to do next?

When you’re finished, save the letter. Read it again one year from now, and celebrate the courage it took to pursue a dream that was entirely your own.

Love this Line

“The blank space can be humbling.”

~ Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Looking for more writing camaraderie and accountability?

I host weekly co-writing sessions on Mondays and Fridays, and I’d love for you to join us! Whether you’re writing prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, all writers are welcome! Stay the entire time, or even fifteen minutes: any time spent writing is forward momentum.

Mondays, from 8-9:30 am EST: Register here.

Fridays, from 10-11:30 am EST: Register here.

Summer’s the perfect time to kickstart a writing habit!

Want help with your writing?

Happy to help! I’m an Author Accelerator-certified fiction book coach. My book coaching services include:

• Novel Development Coaching

• Manuscript Reviews

• Agent-Ready Pitch Coaching (including Live Pitch Coaching)

• Group coaching (I teach a variety of online classes)

You can learn all about my book coaching services at keskesink.com.

Yes, you can write a novel, and I can help!

Subscribe now

Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for fellow educators and moms who are ready to fulfill their dream of writing a novel. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning.

Please grab an iced coffee (it’s hot out there), take a seat, and join me as I share how the trajectory of your life can change in wonderful ways when you lean into curiosity and make space for your own dreams.

Word of the Month

HOPE

noun

Hope is wanting something deeply and believing it is achievable.

Hope underpins every decison I make in life.

I’m starting this article with a picture of me and my golden retriever. This is a picture that never would have existed six years ago. Why? Because I was scared of dogs. Maybe nervous is a better word, but regardless, I didn’t feel any affinity towards them. I avoided them. But then, I turned 40 during COVID, my two young boys fell in love with our neighbor’s two retrievers, and my husband and I decided to get our own. I was curious. Would I enjoy dog ownership?

It’s not an exaggeration to say life changed in a wonderful way when I decided to push out of my comfort zone and try something new. Now, I’m near-obsessed with this giant furball, and I actually want to pet other people’s dogs.

This is a small example, but it illustrates my belief in a growth mindset. We never stop learning and evolving if we’re open to change and challenging old beliefs.

The evolution of The Teachers’ Lounge

When I started this newsletter three years ago, it was to share my experience writing my first novel, aptly titled The Teachers’ Lounge. I’m now querying that novel and preparing to write a second one. During this time, I became a certified fiction book coach through Author Accelerator and am now coaching others on how to write their own novels. Teaching, writing, reading, and helping others achieve their writing goals: this is my dream job.

If I hadn’t taken a leap seven years ago and left the physical classroom, I wouldn’t have the job I have today. It took courage to step away from a profession I was really good at, but I wanted to expand beyond the parameters I’d placed around myself. I thought I’d be a career teacher, spending 30+ years in a classroom, but I began to wonder what else I could do. I gave in to that curiosity and now, I’m running my own business, and I’ve written a novel I’m proud of, all alongside my furry best friend.

Your Turn

What are you curious about? What’s a dream you have? How can you start making space for it? Even if it’s only fifteen minutes a day, carving out some time to explore this curiosity is worth it.

Much of my novel was written in fifteen-minute spurts. What can you do in fifteen minutes?

Strategies for writing a novel

I was recently interviewed by Sara Genry, a fellow fabulous book coach, as part of her KidLit Summer Camp. I talked a lot about why I think teachers who want to write a novel already have many of the skills they need. I also provide advice on where to find time in your busy day to write. The interview is below and is about twenty minutes. I encourage you to give it a watch or a listen.

How to Write a Novel: the First Step

Please join me on July 22nd for a free, 60-minute Zoom workshop where I will guide you through the first step in writing a novel. All you need to bring is a burning desire to write and a willingness to learn. I’ll bring the rest.

Be prepared to write, to share (optional), and to leave feeling hopeful because you’ll be one step closer to fulfilling your dream of writing a novel.

Register now for this free workshop.

Already started your novel? This workshop can get you reignited and realigned with your vision.

The session will be recorded and shared with registrants.

Writing Activity

This month’s writing activity is part of a guest article I wrote over on Jane Friedman’s site. Below is the activity, but I encourage you to read the full article first: Start with the End: A Simple Bookend Structure for Novelists

Grab five novels you’ve already read (unless spoilers don’t bother you). Read the first scene and the last scene. Then, answer the following questions for each book:

1. Who is the protagonist at the beginning of the novel?

2. Who is the protagonist at the end of the novel?

3. What has changed in their thinking?

4. What has changed in their world or circumstances?

Love this Line

We have a soccer goalkeeper in our house, so the FIFA World Cup has been on constantly. In that spirit, this line from Ted Lasso feels appropriate.

“Be curious, not judgmental.”

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Looking for more writing camaraderie and accountability?

I host weekly co-writing sessions on Mondays and Fridays, and I’d love for you to join us! Whether you’re writing prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, all writers are welcome! Stay the entire time, or even fifteen minutes: any time spent writing is forward momentum.

Mondays, from 8-9:30 am EST: Register here.

Fridays, from 10-11:30 am EST: Register here.

*NEW* Select evenings: Register to get on the list to be notified about these pop-up evening writing sprints. Our first one is July 29th from 7-8 pm EST.

Summer’s the perfect time to kickstart a writing habit!

Want help with your writing?

Happy to help! I’m a certified Author Accelerator fiction book coach. My book coaching services include:

• One-session book coaching

• Ongoing monthly book coaching

• Manuscript reviews

• Agent-Pitch packages

• Group coaching

You can learn all about my book coaching services at keskesink.com.

Subscribe now

Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning! Grab a coffee, take a seat, and listen in as I share an opportunity for you to start writing a novel this summer.

Word of the Month

TEACHER

noun

Dictionary definition: A teacher is a professional educator who instructs, guides, and facilitates learning.

But we know a teacher is so much more. How would you define teacher?

When I started my novel five years ago, way back in the winter of 2021, I had no idea what I was doing. I am an avid reader, and I taught high school English for fifteen years. However, there’s a big difference between appreciating good writing and knowing how to create it yourself.

I was determined to write a novel, though, so I spent years figuring it out on my own. I read a lot of craft books, took a ton of classes, webinars, and workshops, joined writing and critique groups, studied the market, and through sheer will and determination, finished a novel I’m proud of. Now, I’m querying agents, and it’s been off to a positive start, with a full manuscript request and a request for the first few chapters.

I don’t regret the journey I took to write this novel, but I know that if I had guidance sooner, I could have finished my novel a whole lot sooner. And as you know all too well, time is a precious commodity.

That’s why I created this summer mentorship program for teachers who want to write novels. This mentorship program is something I wish I had when I was starting my novel. As a teacher, I know you already have the skills necessary to sustain a long-term project. You know how to manage your time, think creatively, and believe in a growth mindset. What you’re missing is the curriculum: the lessons, steps, and processes needed to get to the end goal of a finished novel.

Over seven weeks, I’ll share years of wisdom, industry insight, and a concrete curriculum to get you on the path to accomplishing your dream of writing a novel.

This Program is Designed for You and Your Lifestyle

This course is designed for teachers at every stage, whether you are currently in the classroom, on leave, stepping away by choice, or retired and ready to return to a long-held writing dream. As a teacher, you understand how to follow a process, apply guidance, and build something step by step.

Teachers Write Novels is a seven-week program that teaches you how to plan your novel step by step using ’s Blueprint for a Novel, a proven framework for understanding how a story is built from the ground up. I use it in my own writing.

Each week, I teach part of the Blueprint live, show you how to apply it to your own novel idea, and give you focused homework to complete on your own time. Throughout each week, you have space to ask questions, share your work with me for feedback, write alongside your peers, and build community inside our private online community.

What’s Included

• An electronic copy of Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Novel

• Five live classes

• Five Q&A sessions

• Five co-writing sessions

• Written feedback on weekly writing assignments

• A 45-minute 1-1 coaching call to discuss feedback and next steps

• An end-of-summer celebration

• Recordings of every session, so missing a class isn’t a big deal (we all need vacations!)

• Access to a private online community for questions, feedback, and support

This is a no-judgment learning environment. Pajamas are welcome. No makeup required. Poolside is encouraged. This program is built for real people with real lives who are ready to make space for their novel-writing dreams.

What You’ll Walk Away With

By the end of seven weeks, you will have:

• A completed Novel Blueprint that will guide you as you write the first draft of your novel

• Some scenes drafted

• Instructor feedback and guidance you can implement beyond the summer

• A writing community you can lean on for support

• A clear plan for continued drafting in the fall

• The opportunity to continue drafting alongside your peers by joining Teachers Write Novels: Autumn Drafting

Start the school year knowing that you can write a novel.

Program Details

Teachers Write Novels: A Summer Mentorship Program

June 15th – July 31st
Live on Zoom with asynchronous collaboration on Discord
All sessions are recorded, so it’s not a problem if you miss a class.

Enrollment is limited to 15 participants to ensure everyone receives consistent support and feedback.

Every week includes:

• Mondays, live Zoom class from 10:00 am-11:30 am EST

• Wednesdays, live Zoom Q&A session from 9:00 am-10 am EST

• Thursdays, live Zoom co-writing session from 8:00 am-9:30 am EST (not recorded)

*Week 4, July 6-10, is a catch-up week with no live sessions. All work is asynchronous.

*Week 7, July 27-31, will include individual coaching sessions instead of classes, and a celebration call

From one teacher to another, let me guide you. You owe it to yourself to write the novel that’s been holding up space in your brain for far too long.

Investment: $625

Spots are limited. Join today.

Writing Activity

Inspired by this month’s word of the month, spend some time freewriting about what being a teacher means to you. Then, please share in the comments. I’d love to hear your definition of a teacher!

Love this Line

“Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.”

~ John Steinbeck, America and Americans (1966)

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

Many famous authors were also teachers: Alice Walker, Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, George Orwell, Robert Frost, and Maya Angelou, to name a few.

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Looking for more writing camaraderie and accountability?

I host weekly co-writing sessions on Mondays and Fridays, and I’d love for you to join us! Whether you’re writing prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, all writers are welcome! Stay the entire time, or even fifteen minutes: any time spent writing is forward momentum.

Mondays, from 8-9:30 am EST: Register here.

Fridays, from 10-11:30 am EST: Register here.

Summer’s the perfect time to kickstart a writing habit!

Want help with your writing?

Happy to help! I’m a certified Author Accelerator fiction book coach. My book coaching services include:

• One-session book coaching

• Ongoing monthly book coaching

• Manuscript reviews

• Agent-Pitch packages

• Group coaching

You can learn all about my book coaching services at keskesink.com.

Subscribe now

Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning! Grab a coffee, take a seat, and join us as we discuss the importance of learning basic writing skills, rather than letting AI do it for you.

Let’s also give a shout-out to teachers! Teacher Appreciation Week is from May 4th to 8th. To celebrate, I’m offering a 20% discount on my book coaching services to all teachers this week. Teachers, book a package now, and use it this summer!

Word of the Month

SYNTAX

noun

the arrangement of words, phrases, and punctuation in a sentence to convey meaning

How do you play with syntax to convey your message?

It’s hard to avoid the topic of AI, as it’s infiltrating so much of our day-to-day life. While I don’t love the idea of giving it more space in my life as the topic of my Substack, I’d be remiss not to address it. So, here we are.

One of the myriad dangers of AI that keeps me up at night (aside from Skynet becoming reality) is that, if we all use it as a generative writing tool, we will all sound the same. A bunch of lemmings jumping off a cliff.

No thanks! The joy of art is in the originality.

And not only will we sound the same, but over time, we also won’t have the critical thinking skills to create original text. This is less of a concern for us Gen Xers (or geriatric millennials as I technically am), but a huge concern for our school-age population. They’re still learning basic grammar and punctuation skills, but if AI starts doing it for them, how and when will they learn it for themselves? Are we cultivating a future generation that can’t formulate thoughts through writing?

Before I start falling into the depths of despair, I will take a firm grasp of what I do have control over, and that’s continuing to write for myself and encouraging others to do the same.

To my fellow novelists: It’s not enough to want to write a novel. You also need the skills to execute the task. As an educator, I believe these skills are not innate. These skills can be taught and learned.

I also believe anyone can be a novelist if they are willing to put in the work. Can we all be New York Times bestsellers? Of course not. But can everyone become a self-published author? Yes.

Now let’s make sure you’re a good one.

If you want to be a writer, you must understand the rules of the written word. Only then can you “break” them with intention. Diction, syntax, and punctuation are your creative tools; have fun learning more about them!

Here are a couple of resources I highly recommend if you want to start brushing up on your skills.

• ’s Substack, Stunning Sentences: Nina helps us take a deep dive into the artistic beauty of language. So good!

• Benjamin Dreyer’s book, Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style: He is the copy chief of Random House, so he knows his stuff! And while grammar might seem dry, Dreyer managed to make me laugh several times.

What resources do you recommend for improving your sentence-level writing skills? Please share them in the comments!

I leave you with this genuine hope: I believe a literary renaissance is coming. People are going to crave a departure from AI slop.

Let’s band together and be part of that literary rebirth.

In case you missed it…

My latest post for my book coaching blog, “Yes, You Can Write a Novel,” is all about getting to know your Ideal Reader.” Give it a read if you’re intrigued!

I also created a short video series that will teach you how to format your manuscript using Google Docs.

Writing Activity

Get to know your natural syntactical inclinations! Pull out a piece of writing you’re working on, no more than 750 words, and create a tally of the types of sentences it contains:

1. Simple

2. Compound

3. Complex

4. Compound-complex

Next, ponder these questions: Which do you use most often? Are you aware of why you’re doing this? What happens if you combine sentences or decombine them? How does the tone of the piece change? How does purpose and audience affect your decisions on sentence structure?

Need a brush-up on the four sentence structures? Here you go.

College Essay Coaching

Did you know, in addition to fiction book coaching, I’m also a college essay coach? I’ve worked with high school students for over twenty years, with seven years devoted specifically to college essay coaching.

Have a rising senior who would thrive with some 1-1 guidance while navigating the college application process? Check out my coaching services here. My first cohort starts this month!

Love this Line

“A good sentence, I find myself saying frequently, is one that the reader can follow from beginning to end, no matter how long it is, without having to double back in confusion because the writer misused or omitted a key piece of punctuation, chose a vague or misleading pronoun, or in some other way engaged in inadvertent misdirection. (If you want to puzzle your reader, that’s your own business).”

~ Benjamin Dreyer, Dreyer’s English

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

The origin of the exclamation point is unclear, but there is a theory that it comes from the Latin word io, an interjection that means joy or triumph. What’s interesting is that the I was written above the O, making it look like our present-day exclamation point.

So when you add an exclamation point to your sentence, you’re adding an extra “huzzah!” to your already excited tone.

Want to know more? Read the Smithsonian magazine article here.

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Looking for more writing camaraderie and accountability?

I host weekly co-writing sessions on Mondays and Fridays, and I’d love for you to join us! Whether you’re writing prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, all writers are welcome! Stay the entire time, or even fifteen minutes: any time spent writing is forward momentum.

Mondays, from 8-9:30 am EST: Register here.

Fridays, from 10-11:30 am EST: Register here.

Wanna join, but need a night or weekend? Email with some ideal days and times. If there’s enough interest, I’ll start a third session!

Want help with your writing?

Happy to help! I’m a certified Author Accelerator fiction book coach. My book coaching services include:

• One-session book coaching

• Ongoing monthly book coaching

• Manuscript evaluations

• Pitch packages

• Group coaching

You can learn all about my book coaching services at keskesink.com.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, from now until May 8th, I’m offering all teachers, current, former, and retired, a 20% discount on ALL of my packages.

Purchase now, and use it this summer!

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Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning! Grab a coffee, take a seat, and join us as we discuss the importance of defining your writing project’s purpose when revising.

Word of the Month

POINT

noun

1. the sharp end of a tool, weapon, or other object, such as a pencil

2. the purpose, or meaning, behind your piece of writing

What is the point of the writing project you’re working on?

This past week, I taught a class for teenagers about how to write 50-word stories. It was a lot of fun. In addition to learning how to write microfiction, students also learned how to revise microfiction. The revision techniques I taught apply, not only to microfiction but to all forms of writing, be it short story, poetry, or scenes in a novel.

One of the most exciting aspects of teaching is discovering something new while teaching. This class was no exception. While teaching students about the importance of word choice, I asked students to remove “unnecessary” details, including adjectives and adverbs. However, determining what details were “unnecessary” proved tricky when the student didn’t know what the point, or purpose, of their story was. How can we know if the adjective “dented” needs to be removed from “dented car” if we don’t know the story’s purpose? Maybe this adjective is necessary if we want to get the point across that this has been a horrible road trip, and the rented car being “dented” is the icing on the cake? If the car being dented is inconsequential to the characters, then it can be removed.

When revising, it all comes back to these two questions:

What is the point of my story?

Will this detail help accentuate the point of my story, or will it detract from it?

Keep in mind that readers can only hold so much detail at once, so it’s important we only give them the details they actually need, the details that help propel the point of the story forward. This includes descriptions of character and setting. The point of a story is always tethered to the protagonist’s emotional arc. To help readers feel an emotional connection to the protagonist, we need some details to tether the characters and their world to our minds.

How much detail one chooses to include is entirely subjective and up to the writer. Just make sure that the details you do choose to include are earning their place by adding to your story’s point.

In case you missed it…

In the throes of revising? Trying to get unstuck or restarted? Here’s another writing insight to consider: Do You Hear or See Your Story? A Drafting Insight for Novelists.

Writing Activity

Take out a writing project you’re actively working on and answer this question: What is the point? You can think of the point as the purpose or theme. Write your response. You might be surprised that you draw a blank at first! We get so caught up in the plot that we sometimes forget what the point of the story even is.

Once you’ve captured the point of your story in writing, keep it somewhere where you can reference (and refine) it often. It can be a helpful anchor when you’re drafting and revising. If a scene doesn’t serve the point of the story, it’s gotta go!

Recent Publication

My article, “The Health Benefits of Writing Fiction,” was published in March in the Michigan Bar Journal’s Practicing Wellness Column. I encourage you to give it a read!

College Essay Coaching

Did you know, in addition to fiction book coaching, I’m also a college essay coach? I’ve worked with high school students for over twenty years, with seven years devoted specifically to college essay coaching.

Have a rising senior who would thrive with some 1-1 guidance while navigating the college application process? Check out my coaching services here. My first cohort starts in May!

Love this Line

“Inside each of us is a natural-born storyteller, waiting to be released.”

~ Robin Moore, author

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

“Stories can change our brain chemistry, releasing neurochemicals such as oxytocin, which enhances our sense of empathy for others.”

From the article, “The Brain Science of Storytelling: Finding the Connection Between Storytelling and Academics” by Ava Hawkins.

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Looking for more writing camaraderie and accountability?

I host weekly co-writing sessions on Mondays and Fridays, and I’d love for you to join us! Whether you’re writing prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, all writers are welcome! Stay the entire time, or even fifteen minutes: any time spent writing is forward momentum.

Mondays, from 8-9:30 am EST: Register here.

Fridays, from 10-11:30 am EST: Register here.

Wanna join, but need a night or weekend? Email with some ideal days and times. If there’s enough interest, I’ll start a third session!

Want help with your writing?

Happy to help! I’m a certified Author Accelerator fiction book coach. My book coaching services include:

• One-session book coaching

• Monthly book coaching

• Manuscript evaluations

• Pitch packages

• Group coaching

You can learn all about my book coaching services at keskesink.com.

Subscribe now

Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning! Grab a coffee, take a seat, and join us as we discuss the art of revision.

Word of the Month

RECLAIM

verb

to retrieve or recover something

What aspects of your writing life will you reclain this month?

William Faulkner is attributed to saying, “In writing, you must kill all your darlings.” I’m sure you’ve heard it before. In revision, there comes a point where you must remove scenes or snippets that you love because they no longer serve the story.

Some darlings are easier to kill than others.

I’ve been revising my novel, and it’s admittedly a much longer process than I realized (but such a great revelation to experience firsthand!). As I’ve been revising, I’ve discovered some interesting tics in my writing style. With the help of the handy dandy Ctrl F hack (read all about that in a previous post here), I discovered the following:

77: the number of times characters shake their heads
48: the number of times characters raise their eyebrows
27: the number of times characters wink

Seeing a wink in the wild is fun because it’s surprising: they’re rare. 27 times though? The wink becomes weary.

I feel no pain deleting these types of redundancies in my text. Instead, the pain sets in when I realize I need my characters to do something else. If Griffin doesn’t wink at her husband, what does she do instead? What makes sense for her character? And how can I distinguish her movements from others?

Very quickly, you realize you have to write these things down and track them. Tracking is a vital part of the revision process. If your character has red hair, he can’t have straight blonde hair a few chapters later with no explanation.

This seems so obvious and easy, but it gets complicated quickly when you have dozens of characters. I know my brain can’t hold that much information, so tracking the types of details I’m inserting into my draft is essential. And, yes, time-consuming. But ultimately, this process is totally worth it, especially when you’re writing a series (which I am).

Most of all, this process of revising is helping me reclaim my love of these characters in what has been a years-long novel project.

Still, here’s hoping that next newsletter, I’m done revising (for now) and telling you all about my first forays into agent pitching. 😉

Looking for more writing camaraderie and accountability?

I host weekly co-writing sessions on Mondays and Fridays, and I’d love for you to join us! Whether you’re writing prose or poetry, fiction or non-fiction, all writers are welcome! Stay the entire time, or even fifteen minutes: any time spent writing is forward momentum.

Mondays, from 8-9:30 am EST: Register here.

Fridays, from 10-11:30 am EST: Register here.

In case you missed it…

In the throes of revising? Trying to get unstuck or restarted? Here’s another writing strategy to try: When You Don’t Know What Happens Next, Ask Your Characters.

Writing Activity

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a writing prompt, but they’re one of my favorite ways to get out of a writing slump. If you’re someone who needs that as you reclaim your writing life, this activity is for you!

Try your hand at writing a 50-word story using the following guidelines:

Word: panini
Action: waving
Genre: romance or horror

It’s harder than it sounds, but the challenge can be so fun! There’s something about constraints that unlock creativity when you write.

Happy writing! And do share if you’re comfortable!

Love this Line

“The object isn’t to make art; it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.”

~ Robert Henri, American painter and teacher

I can think of no better quote about the power of process over product than this. I was reminded of it listening to this episode of Mel Robbins’ podcast.

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

This sentence is what’s called a pangram. It contains every letter of the alphabet. If you’re like me, you’ll have to recite your ABCs to confirm it’s true!

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Want help with your writing?

Happy to help! I’m a certified Author Accelerator fiction book coach. My book coaching services include:

• One-session book coaching

• Monthly book coaching

• Manuscript evaluations

• Pitch packages

• Group coaching

You can learn all about my book coaching services at keskesink.com.

Subscribe now

Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning! Grab a coffee, take a seat, and join us as we discuss giving our writing projects a front seat in 2026.

Word of the Month

MILESTONES

noun

small, measurable achievements on your way to a larger goal

What writing milestones will you set for yourself this month?

January has come and gone, and with it, many New Year’s resolutions. If one of your resolutions involves writing in some way, whether it's writing a certain amount of time per week, starting a new writing project, or picking up an old one, I'd like to be your accountability partner. Don’t throw in the towel! In fact, make February the month you double down on your writing goals.

How? Here are a few suggestions to get your brains churning.

• Block out time on your calendar to write. You can do this by yourself, but it’s also helpful when you join a writing group (I’ve discovered I need these to prioritize my own writing). There are many out there, and I happen to run one on Monday mornings and, soon, Friday mornings. If there’s interest, I’d start a weeknight or weekend session too. Let me know in the comments if you’re interested.

• Set small goals. Like, as small as you can get. Write for 15 minutes today. Revise a paragraph. Freewrite about a plot issue you’re trying to untangle. Write for 30 minutes with no preconceived plan. Don’t set a goal like finish my novel or get an agent. The former goal is fine if you view it as a larger goal with many small ones to get you there. However, the latter goal isn’t helpful because you only have so much control over it. Instead, you might set the goal of pitching to five agents in the next month. That’s achievable. That’s measurable. That’s a SMART goal (teachers, I know you are familiar with this acronym)!

• Track your progress. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can use a program (a book coaching client of mine is finding great success with Pacemaker), a Google doc, or a notebook. Use a system you know you can commit to. I regularly tracked and posted about the number of words I was writing as I worked on my novel manuscript, and it was so rewarding to look back and see how far I’d come. You start to get tunnel vision in the moment, so looking back can be really impactful. Tracking the number of short pieces you’re writing and submitting to journals is helpful, too. I use Duotrope to track my flash fiction submissions, which will help me with one of my writing goals this year: submit to at least five literary journals.

• Celebrate your wins. No matter how small, celebrate progress. Finished products are great, but they’re few and far between, especially if you’re working on a longer project, like a novel. Instead, celebrate every milestone. This should be easy to do if you’re tracking your progress. You’ll be able to see immediately how far you’ve come. How you celebrate is up to you. Nancy Stohlman, flash fiction goddess, celebrates with ice cream sundaes. Maybe you’ll post about it on social media, or celebrate quietly with a new book you purchase for yourself. It’s your win; you get to decide how you celebrate.

• Connect with fellow writers. If you’re reading this newsletter, you’re already doing this. Keep it up! It’s motivating when you can chat (and commiserate) with fellow writers who get it.

How are you prioritizing your writing this year? I’d love to hear about it in the comments so we can all learn from each other.

As a note, I post here on Substack monthly about writing more generally. If you’re writing a novel and want more targeted advice with actionable next steps to keep you motivated, I encourage you to subscribe to my weekly newsletter, “Yes, You Can Write a Novel.”

Writing Activity

Make a plan for how you’ll commit to your writing goals this month. Map out the following:

1. Your goal (remember, keep it small and attainable).

2. Three concrete actions you can take to ensure it happens.

3. Bonus: Share your goal and concrete actions in the comments so we can be your gentle accountability partner!

Love this Line

“First, forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.”

~ Octavia Butler, science fiction writer

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

Even though it came out in 2025, one of the most popular novels right now is The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. I’m intrigued and want to read. Why? It’s an epistolary novel (written in the form of letters), and the protagonist is in her seventies. That’s rare for a protagonist. I’m all-in!

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Want to write a novel? I’m here to jump-start your goal!

If you want to write a novel but have no idea how to start, I have just the class for you!

Plan Your Novel: A Guided Course for Teacher Moms

February 22 – March 22
Sundays, 10–11am EST
Live on Zoom
All sessions recorded

Investment: $250

Enrollment is limited to 15 participants so everyone receives real support and feedback.

Click here to learn more and register.

“Through methodically introducing each stage of the Novel Blueprint, facilitating discussions about participants’ novel ideas, asking key questions, and leading practical activities during the course, Miranda helped me to recognize the additional work that I needed to do to dive deeper…bringing my story and my intentions more into alignment. I knew I needed this, and every day during this course was affirming and helped me to move forward!”

~ Christina, educator and mom writing romantasy

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Happy 2026, everyone! Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning! Grab a coffee, take a seat, and join us as we reflect on the books we read last year and what was going on in our lives while we read them.

Word of the Month

BIBLIOMANIA

noun

strong preoccupation with collecting books

Example: If your pile of “To be read” book shelves are overtaking your “Read” shelves, you may have bibliomania.

One of the rituals I enjoy at the end of a year is looking through all the books that I read. Whatever your thoughts on GoodReads, I do love how they compile a beautiful collage of all the book covers I held in my hands throughout the year. When I look at them, I’m reminded of where I was when I read them, both physically and mentally.

These are my top five favorite novels I read in 2025, with a brief description of why. As you read about my favorites, I hope you are reminded of your own book-reading journey and find a few books to add to your TBR shelf. Enjoy!

#5 By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

This wasn’t my favorite Jodi Picoult novel (Nineteen Minutes still holds that spot), but I loved that I couldn’t stop thinking about it long after I read it. As an English teacher who taught Shakespeare, I know a little bit about the conspiracy surrounding Shakespeare, but I’d never read the theory that Emily Bassano may have penned some of his plays. It was a treat reading Jodi Picoult’s theory in fiction form. I also read this early in the year with my mom and sister as part of our own mini book club. That gives the book a bit of sentimental value for me as well.

#4 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

I don’t read a lot of speculative fiction, so when I do, it feels like such a treat! This novel had The Time Traveler’s Wife vibes, and it was bookish, making for a fun book to curl up with in the winter, which is when I read it.

#3 My Friends by Fredrik Backman

I became a superfan of Fredrik Backman when I read My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry a few years ago. Something about his unique writing style always evokes a strong emotional response in me, which is exactly what we hope for as writers! I read this in August in the midst of back-to-school season, so I read it in pockets of stolen time.

#2 Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty

I loved this book! The premise is fascinating, and I enjoyed the clever way Liane Moriarty weaved so many narrative threads together. I read this book in early summer for pleasure, but it also served as a model for how to weave multiple points of view in my own novel.

#1 The Wedding People by Alison Espach

This was such a unique book; I loved it! It’s one of the first books I read in 2025, and I read it with my book club, Read Between the Wines. Alison Espach does an expert job of weaving humor with heavy topics. I look forward to when her next book comes out!

Writing Activity

Now, it’s your turn! Make a list of your favorite books read in 2025 and what was happening in your life as you were reading them. I hope you find it to be a fun, unique way to journal and reflect!

Love this Line

“Reading fiction is important. It is a vital means of imagining a life other than our own, which in turn makes us more empathetic beings.”

— Ann Patchett

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

The most popular book in 2025 to be added to Goodreads members’ shelves was Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) by Rebecca Yarros. Did you read it?

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave the lounge. Thanks, friends!

Join The Teachers’ Lounge Accountability Group: Starts THIS Sunday!

This accountability group transforms the lesson format of this newsletter into a live, interactive session where busy creatives (I’m looking at you, teachers and mamas) put their novel-writing dreams first for an hour each week to learn, get coached, and write.

Sunday mornings, from 10-11 am EST with the following format:

• 10 minutes: Ask Me Anything. Come with your questions about writing a novel, from “How do I even begin?” to “How do I get published?”

• 20 minutes: Hot Seat Coaching. Volunteer to get coached “on the spot” over one aspect of your novel. This could be coaching on your initial idea or even feedback on your first pages.

• 30 minutes: Quiet time to write. This all-important part of the process is where many of us get stalled out. Joining this group will ensure you’re writing at least 30 minutes a week. It’s a start!

Show up as you are! In your pjs, in the car before your kid’s basketball game, at a coffee shop…whatever! Messy hair, no makeup, and hot coffee are encouraged.

After this winter session, you will have writing and industry insight from three hours of group book coaching and several hundred (if not thousands) of words from three hours of devoted writing time.

This session runs from January 4th to February 8th and is limited to 15 participants. Come write and learn with me in 2026!

Book your spot now.

Subscribe now

Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning!

Word of the Month

Rejuvenation

noun

the act of giving new energy to something

Example: Sometimes, mundane actions simply need rejuvenation with the use of new methods.

This past fall, I taught an online class for school-age students about how to write super-short spooky stories. It was a ton of fun, and the writing the students created was imaginative, evoking fear, surprise, and apprehension in the reader.

During one of the classes, I wanted to teach specific revision skills in a low-stakes way. Rather than start with a high-stakes situation (revising a student’s writing in front of their peers), I opted for a low-stakes way to introduce revision: revising the work of ChatGPT.

I gave ChatGPT the following prompt: Write me an approximately 100-word spooky story about several kids in a graveyard who see a ghost. Add extraneous details, unnecessary adjectives and adverbs, and unnecessary characters.

Here’s what it produced:

On a breezy, moonlit October evening, five extraordinarily curious kids—Lily, Tommy, Ben, Sarah, and the perpetually nervous Harold—tiptoed through the old, crumbling Maplewood Graveyard, clutching flickering flashlights and half-eaten candy bars. The rustling leaves whispered ominously, though Sarah insisted it was probably “just raccoons.” Suddenly, by the crooked tomb of one Bartholomew J. Cumberbatch (born 1821, died mysteriously), a translucent, shimmering figure floated upward with an exaggerated sigh. Harold screamed, dropped his granola bar, and tripped over a mossy headstone. The ghost, wearing a rather outdated waistcoat, pointed dramatically toward the churchyard—and vanished. Then, every flashlight flickered out at once.

Beautiful! This is the type of wretched writing I was looking for. Back in the “old days” (a mere few years ago), I would have been the one creating a model of “bad” writing. And while that can also be really fun, it was a big timesuck for me when I had a million other teacher tasks to deal with. What would take me a solid 10-15 minutes, ChatGPT did in literal seconds.

That’s 10-15 minutes I can give a student my full attention instead.

When I shared this piece of writing, I asked students to spend some time on their own doing the following:

1. Trim any plot details that aren’t essential to the story.

2. Trim any characters that aren’t essential to the story.

3. Remove any unnecessary adjectives and adverbs.

4. Adjust the plotline as you like.

5. Give it a title.

It’s always fascinating to me to see how wildly different each student’s piece of writing becomes when they’re given parameters to play in. They had fun, and they improved their revision skills in the process.

The next step, of course, is to transfer these skills to their own writing, and that’s exactly what they did. But this was a great scaffolding step to get there.

Hate it or love it, AI is here to stay, and I’m of the mind to make use of it where I can without compromising my own integrity and creativity. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Writing Activity

Use the power of ChatGPT’s ability to create truly horrible writing so you can improve your own!

1. Pick 3-5 writing skills you’d like to improve. For example, maybe you want to work on using fewer adverbs, more action verbs, and varied sentence structure.

2. Then, think of a topic you’d enjoy tinkering with as you practice your revision skills. Maybe it’s the horrors of holiday shopping, or the joy of baking with your kids.

3. Ask ChatGPT to write you a 300-word story (feel free to vary the length, but I find shorter pieces most useful for quick revision activities such as this) about the horrors of the holiday shopping using lots of adverbs, no action verbs, and all simple sentences (so all the opposite of the skills you want to work on).

4. Read the horrendous piece and laugh, then get to work turning it into a piece of writing you actually enjoy!

Love this Line

“O brave new world / That has such people in’t!”

— Miranda, from The Tempest (Shakespeare’s final play)

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

The internet became available to the public in 1993 with the release of the public domain, the World Wide Web (WWW). I distinctly remember this moment as a 12-year-old in middle school. My own kids can’t imagine a world without it!

Exit Ticket

Don’t forget to fill out your Exit Ticket before you leave. It’s the last one for 2025. See you all in 2026! 👋🏼

Don’t want to wait that long? Subscribe to Yes, You Can Write a Novel to join our Monday Morning Virtual Writing Sessions!

Let’s Stay Connected!

Let’s keep the conversation and creativity going over on Instagram and Facebook!

I’ve got a Writing Advent Calendar happening on Instagram. There are goodies every day. You don’t want to miss it!

Subscribe now

Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning!

Word of the Month

Community

noun

a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.

Example: Having a solid, supportive writing community is essential when writing a novel.

One of the first steps in writing a novel is building a consistent writing routine. I developed one and stuck to it, more or less, for years. Now that I’m waiting for my beta readers to give me their honest feedback (not scary at all), I’m craving a consistent routine again. Like exercise, once you fall out of the habit, it can be hard to start up again. But, also like exercise, once you do start the writing habit again, you feel great.

I’m a huge advocate for writing in the morning. Why? Early mornings are your chance to close lock the door to your classroom before your first student demands your attention (I also recommend turning off the lights so you will truly be left alone).

Then, take just 15 minutes to slip into your story while your mind is still uncluttered and imaginative, and before the day drains all your energy away.

Writing a novel takes time, and every minute adds up. Imagine you write one page a day, every day. The average typed manuscript page is 250 words. That’s 1,750 words in a week. That’s 7,000 words a month. That’s 84,000 words in a year. That’s the length of a novel.

15 minutes a day makes a difference. It gets you one step closer to your dream of writing a novel.

Writing Mantra

Grab a sticky note (I know you have some), and write a word or phrase to keep you motivated. Put the sticky note somewhere you’ll see it every morning. My mantra? Writing is self-love. It’s the first post I published on this Substack over two years ago, and I still have the sticky note as a reminder.

Speaking of Writing & Community…An Invitation to Join Me

While I’ll continue to post The Teachers’ Lounge monthly, I am also beginning a new endeavor: Yes, You Can Write a Novel, a blog and newsletter for novelists. By subscribing, you’ll get an invite link to join my free virtual writing sessions on Monday mornings. I’ve been wanting to start a live, writing community space for a while, and now, it’s finally happening!

Please support this newest writing endeavor and join me! Yes, You Can Write a Novel…and I can help! Plus, I’d love to meet you!

Writing Activity (Your Morning Writing Routine)

Build your novel’s word count, one morning at a time.

Bonus Benefit

There’s a good chance you won’t want to stop writing, which means you’ll find more “stolen” time during lunch, between classes, in the car at your kids’ sports practice…(you get the idea). The more you write, the more you’ll want to write!

Love this Line

“If you wait for inspiration to write, you’re not a writer, you’re a waiter.”

— Dan Poynter

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

Ernest Hemingway wrote every morning standing up at his typewriter, aiming for about 500 words before breakfast.

Exit Ticket

What is your favorite part of The Teachers’ Lounge newsletter? Please feel free to elaborate in the comments as well. I’d love to hear from you!

Let’s Stay Connected!

Let’s keep the conversation and creativity going over on Instagram and Facebook!

Subscribe now

Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a dedicated space for educators & mothers writing novels. The doors are always open to all who love language and learning!

So glad you’re here! My name’s Miranda (but you can call me Mandy), and I’m a high school English and theater teacher turned author and Author Accelerator-certified fiction book coach. I’m also a Midwest mom and golden retriever lover.

The Teachers’ Lounge is a dedicated space for educators & mothers writing novels. The goal of this newsletter is to inspire you to take your dream of writing a novel seriously and take proactive steps to turn that dream into reality.

Too often, we fall into the trap of putting other people first at the cost of our own dreams, happiness, and well-being. As teachers, we are even more susceptible to putting our dreams on hold so we can hold space for our children and our students.

I’m here to tell you that it’s possible to support the dreams of your children and your students while also supporting your own. In fact, I’d argue it’s not just possible, but essential.

The lounge is a space to ignite your writing life. The time to write your novel is now!

What’s in the newsletter?

I post one newsletter a month. Every newsletter is written in the form of a lesson plan and includes the following:

• Word of the Month: this word serves as a theme for the newsletter

• A short, personal essay about my own writing experiences

• A writing activity you can do yourself and with your students

• Love this line: an inspiring line of poetry or prose

• Exit Ticket: a quick poll to see how you connected with the month’s lesson

Newsletters may also contain:

• Shout-outs to my book coaching clients

• Upcoming class and coaching opportunities with me

• Recent publications of my own

Some of my most popular posts include:

• How to Microfiction Your Way Back into Your Manuscript

• Ctrl F: A Redundancy Writing Hack

• 5 Discoveries I Made While Writing My Novel’s First Draft

• Catch and Release: A Writing Technique

• Even Little Stories Have Long Journeys

What do I get for being a free subscriber?

As a free subscriber, you’ll get The Teachers’ Lounge delivered to your inbox monthly and an invitation to my weekly co-writing sessions. You’ll also receive occasional invites to book coaching opportunities. I specialize in helping writers develop the mindset, tools, and accountability needed to both start and finish a novel.

What if I want to get your help with my writing?

Happy to help! I’m an Author Accelerator-certified fiction book coach. My book coaching services include:

• Novel development coaching

• Manuscript evaluations

• Pitch packages

• Group coaching

You can learn all about my book coaching services at keskesink.com.

Thank you for stopping by! The doors are always open!

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Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are always open to anyone who loves language and learning!

Word of the Month

Microfiction

noun

A tiny story that can stand alone, generally recognized as 300 words or fewer. Microfiction is a subgenre of flash fiction, which is 1,000 words or fewer.

I have some exciting news! The final round results of the NYC Midnight 100-word Microfiction contest were announced last week, and I earned an honorable mention! Out of a pool of 4,300 writers, this feels like a tremendous feat.

I’ve been writing flash fiction and microfiction for a few years now, and it remains one of my favorite forms to write in. While a literary form in its own right, it’s also a productive reprieve from longer writing, such as a novel (I wrote about this in a previous post, How to Microfiction Your Way Back into Your Manuscript).

I love microfiction so much that I’ve decided it’s time to teach a class about how I approach the literary form. Here are the details: I hope you’ll join me and spread the word!

One-Day Class: How to Write a 100-Word Story in 24 Hours

Sunday, September 28th, from 2-3:30 pm EST on Zoom.

Who is this class for?

• Adults who are brand-new to microfiction and those with some experience who are looking to improve their craft.

• Novelists looking for a unique way to explore their story and their characters.

What you’ll learn

• What microfiction is: I’ll show examples of the form from seasoned veterans to up-and-coming flash fiction writers.

• How to write it: I’ll walk you through my process for writing a 100-word story in a condensed timeframe (24 hours), which includes crafting a piece with clear beats, strong imagery, and a title that does heavy lifting.

• Where to publish: After sharing important revision tips (which include letting a piece breathe), I’ll explain how and where to get your microfiction published.

• This is an interactive class: Throughout the 90-minute session, there will be mini writing sessions and opportunities to ask questions.

Cost (three tiers)

• $50: this includes the live class and a recording of the class (emailed to registrants within 48 hours after the class).

  Register for Class

• $75: this includes the live class, a recording, and individualized written feedback from the instructor on a microfiction piece of your choosing (must be submitted to the instructor within two weeks of the live class).

  Register for Class with Feedback

• $125: this includes the live class, a recording, individualized written feedback, and a 30-minute Zoom coaching call with the instructor to discuss your feedback (one-on-one call scheduled two days after written feedback is received).

  Register for Class and Coaching Call

Upcoming Classes for Teens

In addition to teaching classes and book coaching independently, I’m also an online creative writing instructor for Raising Writers. These courses are free through the generosity of the Traverse City National Writers Series and its sponsors. These will fill up quickly, so I encourage you to sign up your teens today (and please pass along this information to any teens you know).

This course is designed to help students develop the skills and confidence needed to write a powerful college application essay. Because many colleges now place less emphasis on standardized test scores, the admissions essay has become an even more important part of the college application process. The Common Application Essay, often called a personal statement, is an opportunity for students to set themselves apart from other applicants by sharing something that admissions readers can’t tell simply from their grades, extracurriculars, or letters of recommendation. The college essay is the ideal place for students to showcase their unique voice and style.

By the end of the course, students will have written an essay that personalizes their college application, captivates readers, and shows colleges why they should accept them. Register today!

Enjoy the thrill of being scared? Love the satisfaction of writing a complete story? Then this class is for you! During this class, you will learn the creative art of writing microfiction while exploring the mysterious, paranormal, and downright spooky.

Students will write several micro-stories and submit up to three for instructor feedback. During the final class, students will participate in a story circle and read their work aloud (spooky ambience encouraged!). Please note that extreme gore and violence will not be permitted.

All students will have the opportunity to publish their work in the 2026 NWS Literary Journal. Register today!

Writing Activity

This is the prompt I responded to for NYC Midnight that earned me an honorable mention.

Write a story of no more than 100 words that incorporates the following elements:

• Genre: open (any genre you want)

• Action: prioritizing

• Word: stun

Happy writing!

Love this Line

“Flash fiction, I believe, is its own unique literary form, not merely a short story in miniature. Given its limited word count, flash lends itself well to innovation and experimentation.”

~ , writer & teacher, quote from Bridport Prize

I’ve had the pleasure of taking some of Kathy Fish’s courses. She’s both a fabulous writer and teacher! Here’s a piece I wrote in Brilliant Flash Fiction that was born in one of her workshops!

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

A drabble is a story that is exactly 100 words.

Exit Ticket

As always, please complete your exit ticket before you leave the lounge! Thanks, friends!

Big-time pumpkin spice fan here! 🙋🏼‍♀️

Thank you for stopping by! If you enjoyed your visit, consider making a small donation. And, if you haven’t yet, please subscribe. It’s free!

Buy Me a Coffee

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Let’s Stay Connected!

Let’s keep the conversation and creativity going over on Instagram and Facebook!

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Welcome to The Teachers’ Lounge: a collaborative, creative space for educators who write. The doors are alway open to anyone who loves language and learning!

Pull up a chair, and join me in welcoming fellow educator and writer, Maggie! She’ll be sharing her creative process and why she writes.

Word of the Month

GALVANIZE

verb

To excite someone into taking action.

Example: Deadlines and community with fellow writers have a galvanizing effect on my creative life. I write more and procrastinate less.

An Interview with Teacher and Writer, Maggie Nerz Iribarne

I first met Maggie in 2021 at a virtual launch for an anthology of short fiction. It was one of the first fiction pieces I’d written and published. We each elected to read our stories aloud, and I was immediately transfixed by Maggie. Her energy and enthusiasm was infectious, and when I looked up her website, I was blown away: she’d written and published dozens of stories! As someone new to writing short fiction, this was a galvanizing moment for me. I wanted to build my fiction collection like Maggie!

When I found out Maggie had a background in teaching as well, our meeting felt serendipitous, and we’ve continued to keep in touch over the years. Now, I want to honor her commitment to writing, in hopes of inspiring you to do the same. She and I sat down together on a Zoom call and talked about school, teaching, parenting, caregiving, and how writing remains a staying force in both our lives. Here are some highlights from our conversation.

Me: What was your path to teaching?

Maggie: I'm one of those people who followed my heart in terms of what I was interested in for college. So when I became an English major undergrad, I was just following my love for reading and writing. For undergrad, I went to Manhattan College in the Bronx, and for graduate school, I went to Villanova.

Me: Where have you taught?

Maggie: I spent a lot of my young life trying to become a teacher. I taught as an adjunct at a small college outside Philadelphia. I taught Sunday school many times over the years. My big sticking point was that I couldn’t afford to get my teaching degree. Then I became an academic advisor at Temple University and received tuition remission for my graduate education courses. Advising was a kind of teaching because it was essentially talking all day to college students about their hopes, dreams, and fears. They were desperate for guidance.

After that I got a job at the Charter High School for Architecture and Design in Philadelphia. I had some really small classes, so I took them to Starbucks for hot chocolate and book discussions and made them waffles during homeroom, which was kind of living the Dead Poets Society teaching dream we all fantasize about! Later, I earned my New York teaching certification and got a job teaching 7th grade in Syracuse, NY so I could live near my parents. I was all set to work at that job until retirement but then I had my son who has special needs, and I had to quit.

Since his birth, I’ve kept finding ways to teach through teaching an evening creative writing course for adults at an independent school, tutoring underrepresented students at Le Moyne College, and teaching more Sunday school. I just trained to become a “Book Buddy” for Syracuse City schools, and I’m excited to read to the kids this fall. There is always a way to fit teaching in!

Me: I feel that once you are a teacher, you are always a teacher. Do you agree?

Maggie: Yes! When my dad was elderly and in the hospital, they would ask him what his career was, and he'd always say, “I’m an engineer!” and I loved that because even at 93, he was still identifying as an engineer. Teaching is like that. You can't take it away. It’s a part of your personality. Even though I’m not currently teaching, I still tell people I'm an English teacher, or sometimes I say I'm an English major because in my heart, I would be in graduate school for the rest of my life.

Me: How do you fold writing into your life?

Maggie: I have written since I was a child. I'm also a morning pages person, based on author Julia Cameron’s belief that everyone should dump their thoughts on three pages of a journal every morning. I've been writing morning pages every day since 1997. I'm a huge Julia Cameron fan. I love and have been greatly inspired by her book, The Artist’s Way.

Me: Why are you drawn to writing flash fiction and short stories?

Maggie: I like finishing things. I like planning something, executing it, and sending it out. However, recently I've thought about writing a novella because it’s short enough for me but maybe not overwhelming. I’m also seriously considering editing some of my speculative short stories and turning them into a collection. It’s funny; if you were to say to me five or six years ago, “You're gonna write a vampire story, or a story about rocks that talk,” I wouldn’t believe it. Now I have enough for a collection!

Me: What is your favorite piece you’ve written?

Maggie: I think today I’ll say that story about talking rocks I just mentioned, "Rock, Fire, Water" published in Edge City last November. It was a beautiful print journal. I’m a sucker for a beautiful print journal.

What writing advice do you have for us?

Maggie: Write every day, if you can. I know that a lot of people say to write when you feel like it, but I agree with David Sedaris who said that he needs to show up every day, without the internet, and write for three hours, even and especially when he has no ideas. He said it is those times when things really happen. I’m not saying write for three hours, but choose some doable amount, and do it every day.

Are you a teacher who writes? Would you like to be interviewed for an upcoming issue of The Teachers’ Lounge? Send a message, and let’s chat!

Book Coaching Services

I’m honored to serve as a book coach for Maggie as she creates her short story collection with an aim at self-publishing. Do you have dreams of publishing as well? I’d love to help!

It’s also not too late to join my Week-long Novel Blueprint Intensive. It starts August 4th, so sign up now. I will help you develop a solid plan for your novel so that you can kick off the school year with an actionable plan to start drafting!

Click to Enroll

FREE College Essay Course

This month, I’m teaching a free college essay course for high school students through the Raising Writers program. It’s a virtual course, so anyone can enroll. If you know of a student who would benefit, I encourage you to sign them up—The College Essay: Tell Your Story.

This course is free through the generosity of the Traverse City National Writers Series and their sponsors.

Writing Activity

As a former classroom teacher, I still associate the beginning of the year with September, not January. Because of this, August is a reflective time: a chance to reinvent myself and set new goals.

For this month’s writing activity, I encourage you to write a letter to yourself, sharing what you hope for this 2025-26 school year. This is freeform, so the letter’s content can take any shape you want.

Save the letter in a place you won’t forget, and read it at the end of the school year. It’s always interesting to see how Future You reacts to Current You.

P.S. This can be a great writing activity for your students as well!

Love this Line

“A Yes is nothing without the No that gives it boundaries and form.”

~ Michael Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

Bibliosmia is a term used to describe loving the smell of a book, particularly an old book.

Exit Ticket

As always, please complete your exit ticket before you leave the lounge! Thanks, friends!

Thank you for stopping by! If you enjoyed your visit, consider making a small donation. And, if you haven’t yet, please subscribe. It’s free!

Buy Me a Coffee

Subscribe now

Share

Let’s Stay Connected!

Let’s keep the conversation and creativity going over on Instagram and Facebook! Here are a few fun items to enjoy over in those spaces.

Literary Trivia: I post one-question quizzes on my Instagram story. Test your literary knowledge!

Manuscript Updates: Watch in-the-moment updates on my novel-writing process and share your own writing experiences. Together, we can keep each other motivated!

Book Recommendations: Looking for a good book to read? Check out my recommendations. I love talking about books!

Do you have a burning idea? The beginnings of a draft? A messy draft you don’t know what to do with?

Do you have a strong desire to learn how to write a novel and are ready to commit to a plan to get it done?

Then save yourself years of starting and stopping, and let me be your guide NOW.

Enroll in The Teachers’ Lounge: Week-long Novel Blueprint Intensive,
August 4th-8th (Mon-Fri), noon-2 pm EST on Zoom

In this week-long intensive, I will help you develop a solid plan (aka a Blueprint) for your novel so that you can kick off the school year with an actionable plan to start drafting your novel!

What you get when you enroll in this course:

• Electronic copy of Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Novel

• 10 hours of live instruction on what the blueprint is, how to create your own, and group coaching (all sessions are recorded, so if you miss any, you can catch up, and if you can’t come to any, you can still participate)

• Homework every night (to ensure you get your Novel Blueprint done)

• Written instructor feedback on your completed Novel Blueprint with actionable next steps so that you know where the holes in your plot are, how to bring your characters to life, and exactly what to work on next. No more guessing on what to write: you will be clear and confident.

• A key to the Teachers’ Lounge (Google Classroom): a safe space to chat, bounce ideas, maintain accountability, and receive writing advice and tidbits shared by the instructor

• Invite to join the first cohort of The Teachers’ Lounge Novel Accountability Group, which starts in September, at a Founder’s Rate of $400 (you can lock in on this monthly group coaching rate forever as a founder). The goal is 100 pages by winter break, and then a completed first draft by the end of the school year. Individualized written feedback, craft classes, camaraderie, and group coaching will be provided every step of the way.

The cost for this week-long intensive course is $500 and will be capped at 30 participants. Because this is a Founder’s Offer, the price will never be this low again.

BONUS: The first 5 to enroll will be part of a random drawing where one person will receive free 1-1 coaching on their novel blueprint (coaching done during August in tandem with the group course). Don’t hesitate; be a part of the first Teachers’ Lounge Novel Writing Cohort and enroll today!

Enroll in the Novel Blueprint Intensive

Questions? Feel free to post general questions in the comments or message me directly with individualized questions.

About the Instructor

Miranda Keskes is a Michigan-based writer and educator with a Master’s in Curriculum and Teaching from Michigan State University. She taught high school English and theater for fifteen years before pivoting to online education, where she has coached hundreds of students across the country and internationally with their college essays, many of whom received acceptances to top schools like the University of Michigan, Harvard, and MIT. Miranda also worked for an edtech startup, designing an online middle school English Language Learner curriculum from inception to implementation. Currently, Miranda is a writing instructor for the Traverse City National Writers Series Raising Writers program, where she teaches flash fiction and college essay courses.

Miranda is also a published author with over 60 online and print publications, ranging from reported articles for the Ann Arbor Family Press to flash fiction nominated for Best Microfiction and Best Small Fictions. She writes a monthly Substack called The Teachers’ Lounge and is nearing the finish line of her novel of the same name.

Testimonials

Book coaches need strong writing, editing, teaching, and project management skills. Here’s a sampling of testimonials that speak to my strengths in these areas.

Book Coaching

“Working with Mandy has provided invaluable accountability and support in finishing my novel and pitching to agents. She’s a knowledgeable guide, teammate, and cheerleader rolled in one! Mandy also has the magical ability to keep a sense of humor while taking her role very seriously—she’s a blast to work with, and I get that sense that she simply won’t let me fail. I highly recommend sharing your writing journey with her!”

~Anne Kilsch, Writer and Educator

Writing skills

“Miranda is an absolute pleasure to work with. Not only is her writing well-crafted and her words well-chosen, but also her subject matter is on point and relatable to a broad audience, making working with her an editor’s dream. She has an eye for conventions and a storytelling technique that grabs readers and takes them on a ride of a lifetime. Her writing and editing talent is admirable, as is her ability to craft versatile material that both makes readers cry and roll on the floor in laughter. Few people have a knack for conveying both their talents as writers and their unique personality through writing, but Miranda nails it every time. LOVE working with her!

~Laura, Founder of Sammiches and PsychMeds and MockMom

Editing skills

“Miranda Keskes edited my third book, Views from the Spectrum: A Window into the Life and Faith of Your Neurodiverse Child. I found Miranda to be highly skilled, organized, and enjoyable to work with. She helped my book come to life with her editing of the mechanics, grammar, literary content, and development of strong transitional sentences. Her advice and recommendations were invaluable to the finished product, always keeping in mind my individual writing style. When I had deadlines to reach, Miranda was prompt to finish the edits in a timely manner. Miranda is creative and has expert attention to detail. I highly recommend her as an editor.”

~Ron Sandison, author and founder of Spectrum Inclusion

Teaching skills

“Mrs Keskes is truly an amazing teacher. She is passionate, caring, patient, honest and so much more. She made her classroom into a place of safety and comfort. In her class I found I could write about some personal things without the fear of judgement, only love and support. Mrs Keskes inspires and teaches lessons that go beyond your average English class. She is the type of person you can trust with anything.”

~Mackenzie D, former Creative Writing student

Project Management skills

“Mandy was my direct supervisor for four years. During this time, she not only led our team to build an incredible product but took on new responsibilities with grace—from saleswoman to HR advocate to project manager—all while cultivating a transparent and positive work environment. Beyond her obvious skills as a leader, writer, and teacher, she is humble, curious, an organizational mastermind, a talented creative, and a brilliant mother. More inspiring still was witnessing how strongly she stands in her integrity and amplifies the voices of those under her wing, mine included. Working with her taught me a great deal about who I am and where I'm headed, for which I'm very grateful. Any team would be fortunate to have her.”

~Marin Fanjoy-Labrenz, Instructional and UX Designer

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Welcome to the lounge! If you’ve been visiting these past few months, you know I’ve been pursuing a goal of becoming a book coach. I said I’d let you know when the moment came for you to participate in this journey with me.

Well, my friends, the moment has come! This August, I’m launching my course, and I’d love for you to enroll!

As always, grab a coffee, pull up a chair, and allow me to share the details.

Word of the Month

COACH

noun

a person who teaches and guides others in order to help them develop their skills and achieve their goals

Example: As a book coach, I provide the support, skills, and accountability you need to see your novel-writing dreams come to fruition.

I’ve learned a lot from writing the first draft of my novel. What started as an idea for one in 2019 didn’t start taking form until 2021, and it wasn’t until the fall of 2022 that I began to write with regularity (which directly correlated with signing up for an ongoing writing group). With a community, I completed the first draft at the end of 2023.

Let’s do the math: it took me four years to go from initial idea to a first draft at 63,000 words (still too short, but the bare bones were there).

My biggest takeaway?

I could have gotten that first draft done a whole lot faster if I had regular guidance, accountability, and a clear plan from the start.

Instead, I taught myself, writing in fits and starts, and filling the gaps in my knowledge by taking countless courses and workshops. I don’t regret the journey (I learned a ton!), but I can’t help but wonder how many more books I may have written if I had ongoing support and clear, actionable steps from the very beginning.

Have you also dreamed of writing a novel, but don’t know where to start?

Do you have a burning idea? The beginnings of a draft? A messy draft you don’t know what to do with?

Do you have a strong desire to learn how to write a novel and are ready to commit to a plan to get it done?

Then save yourself years of starting and stopping, and let me be your guide NOW.

In this week-long intensive, I will help you develop a solid plan (aka a Blueprint) for your novel so that you can kick off the school year with an actionable plan to start drafting your novel!

What you get when you enroll in this course:

• Electronic copy of ’s Blueprint for a Novel

• 10 hours of live instruction on what the blueprint is, how to create your own, and group coaching (all sessions are recorded, so if you miss any, you can catch up, and if you can’t come to any, you can still participate)

• Homework every night (to ensure you get your Novel Blueprint done)

• Written instructor feedback on your completed Novel Blueprint with actionable next steps so that you know where the holes in your plot are, how to bring your characters to life, and exactly what to work on next. No more guessing on what to write: you will be clear and confident.

• A key to the Teachers’ Lounge (Google Classroom): a safe space to chat, bounce ideas, maintain accountability, and receive writing advice and tidbits shared by the instructor

• Invite to join the first cohort of The Teachers’ Lounge Novel Accountability Group, which starts in September, at a Founder’s Rate of $400 (you can lock in on this monthly group coaching rate forever as a founder). The goal is 100 pages by winter break, and then a completed first draft by the end of the school year. Individualized written feedback, craft classes, camaraderie, and group coaching will be provided every step of the way.

The cost for this week-long intensive course is $500 and will be capped at 30 participants. Because this is a Founder’s Offer, the price will never be this low again.

BONUS: The first 5 to enroll will be part of a random drawing where one person will receive free 1-1 coaching on their novel blueprint (coaching done during August in tandem with the group course). Don’t hesitate; be a part of the first Teachers’ Lounge Novel Writing Cohort and enroll today!

Enroll in the Novel Blueprint Intensive

Questions? Feel free to post general questions in the comments or message me directly with individualized questions.

Writing Updates: I’m a Finalist!

I made it to the final round of the NYC 100-word Microfiction Challenge. This was especially sweet because my 12-year-old son helped me revise the second round piece that earned me a spot in the final round. It was a story about an over-the-top soccer mom. It was fun to write. 😊

I submitted my final round story by midnight this past Saturday, and now I wait for the results. I’m one of 168 finalists, and considering it started with a pool of 4300 writers, I feel very honored and proud of myself!

Writing Activity

For this month’s writing activity, here’s the final prompt I was given by NYC Midnight.

Genre: Open

Action: prioritizing

Word: stun (you can use any form of it, such as stunning, stunner, stunned)

Tip: Start by writing (see write, not type!) situations that might involve prioritizing. What’s being prioritized, or who is being prioritized? How might the word “stun” come into play? What’s the context? What genre does this situation lend itself to?

Happy writing!

Love this Line

“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.”

—Shonda Rhimes

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

Many people dream of writing a novel, but it’s estimated that 97% of people who begin writing one never complete it.

Don’t keep languishing with the vast majority. Join me in The Teachers’ Lounge in August for the Novel Blueprint Intensive, and start making a concrete plan for your novel so you will complete it!

Make Your Novel-Writing Dream a Reality!

Exit Ticket

As always, please complete your exit ticket before you leave the lounge! Thanks, friends!

Let’s Stay Connected!

Let’s keep the conversation and creativity going over on Instagram and Facebook! Here are a few fun items to enjoy over in those spaces.

Literary Trivia: I post one-question quizzes on my Instagram story. Test your literary knowledge!

Manuscript Updates: Watch in-the-moment updates on my novel-writing process and share your own writing experiences. Together, we can keep each other motivated!

Book Recommendations: Looking for a good book to read? Check out my recommendations. I love talking about books!

Subscribe now

Summertime is here! Both of my boys are out of school, which means my mudroom is full of Crocs and my yard is strewn with bikes. It’s both chaotic and joyful. Making time for myself with a DIY Writing Retreat a couple of weeks ago was the reset I needed to enjoy the unstructured time that is summer. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join me in the lounge as I tell you all about it!

Word of the Month

PERSEVERANCE

noun

To keep doing something, even though there are challenges, difficulties, and delays.

If you’ve been hanging out with me in the lounge for any length of time, you know I’ve been working hard on my first novel manuscript. It’s been a slow and steady process, and what has kept me going is my perseverance. I haven’t hit every deadline I’ve set for myself, but that doesn’t matter because I just set a new deadline and keep going. I’ve written and published a lot over the years, but nothing compares to this long-term relationship I have with my novel. So much sweeter the joy will be when it’s complete!

To help me reach my next goal (sending the completed manuscript to a small group of beta readers), I decided it’s time to take a solo writer’s retreat to get some (mostly) uninterrupted time with my novel.

Because I think carving out this solo time to write is vital to finishing a novel (I’ve done it a couple of times now), I thought I’d use this month’s lounge chat to share my experience so you can modify it to create your own writing retreat.

DIY Solo Writer’s Retreat

1. Find a friend or family member who has a place they’ll let you stay in for a couple of nights (thank you mom and dad!). Not an option? Staying in a budget hotel can work too. The goal is to get away to a new environment and be alone with your thoughts. Novelty can be a helpful way to ignite the creative spark!

2. Pack some drinks, snacks, and small meals so you can stay in one place focused for long periods of time (and save a few bucks!). Treating yourself by going out to dinner can be a reward for working hard all day (or get takeout if you feel like curling up with a show and lo mein).

3. Bring a book to read for mini breaks or an evening reading session. Reading other’s work often inspires my own creativity!

4. Take frequent movement breaks. I like to set a timer for 25-minute sprints and then do a quick stretch. After a couple of hours, longer breaks for a walk are important and revitalizing. This routine is called the Pomodoro Technique.

5. Set a goal for the solo retreat, such as a word count goal or getting to a certain point in your book. Daily goals are helpful too: I will write for five hours today. However, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t hit every goal. The point is that you’ll make forward progress no matter what. The goals might just help you push a little more.

6. Document your successes and celebrate! When writing a novel, it may feel like you’re toiling away forever, so it’s important to document your progress. Take the time to write down what you accomplished.

The Results

1. I accomplished 12 solid hours of writing time. I know this because I used a time management app called Toggl Track. I want to better understand my own writing patterns and pace, not only for myself, but for my future book coaching clients so I can teach them strategies as well.

2. I pushed past the murky middle of my novel. I was there for awhile (many writers get stuck there forever, never finishing their novels). I’m proud of myself for persevering and pushing onward.

3. Since going on the retreat, my writing sessions have become more targeted and focused. The end is in sight!

Nationals Writers Series Literary Journal Launch Party

While I was on my solo writer’s retreat, I enjoyed a mini road trip to Traverse City so I could attend the Literary Journal Launch Party at The Alluvion to celebrate our young writers who participated in the Raising Writers Program, sponsored by the Traverse City Writers Series. It was inspiring to hear students read their words aloud onstage.

FREE College Essay Course

In August, I’ll be teaching a free college essay course for high school students through the Raising Writers program. If you know of a student who would benefit from this course, I encourage you to sign them up—The College Essay: Tell Your Story.

This course is free through the generosity of the National Writers Series and their sponsors.

Please spread the word to anyone who may be interested. Our goal is to get so many students to sign up, we need to open up another section or two!

What I’ve Been Reading

A skill I taught my high school students was to “read like a writer.” This means to read something with an eye for craft. If you’re enjoying the story, you start to consider why. Is it because of a compelling character? A surprise twist in the plot? The descriptive language? Enjoying a novel while also considering why you enjoy it and then deciphering how the writer elicited that enjoyment is an invaluable writing skill that you can hone while reading.

This past month, I listened to the nonfiction book, Wired For Story by Lisa Cron (a required read for ’s Author Accelerator Book Coaching Certification program). Listening to Cron’s practical advice on how to write a novel both resonated with, and refined, my own process. I highly recommend it!

I also really enjoyed two novels that both used multiple point of view narration in unique ways. Because my own novel has multiple povs, I’m often drawn to other novels with multiple povs so I can study how they do it (my all-time favorite multiple pov writer is Fredrik Backman: you can click here to read an earlier teachers’ lounge lesson about his style).

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult follows dual point of views from different time periods: Emily Bassano, which the novel posits is one of several playwrights writing under Shakespeare’s name, and Melina Green, a contemporary playwright and ancestor of Bassano. Even though these are the two main point of views, Picoult also lets readers occasionally view the story from another point of view: secondary character, Jasper Tolle.

Here One Minute by Liane Moriarty uses both first and third person point of view. The first person point of view is that of the “Death Lady,” named Cherry, and alternates chapter by chapter with third person point of view from several characters all given predictions of their cause and age of death.

Point of view is a complex choice for a writer and one I’ll continue to explore in the teachers’ lounge. For now though, I encourage you to start noticing it in the books you read and determine if there are points of view you enjoy more than others. In other words, practice “reading like a writer.”

Writing Activity

I found out last month that I made it through to the second round of the NYC 100-word Microfiction challenge! It’s such a fun challenge, and I appreciate the feedback I received from all three judges.

I submitted my second-round micro story and will find out mid-July if I am moving on to the final round. Writing for this round was especially fun because my 12-year-old son helped me revise!

For this month’s writing activity, here’s the prompt I was given by NYC Midnight.

Genre: Comedy

Action: squeezing

Word: state

Tip: Start by writing down (see write, not type!) situations that might involve squeezing. What’s being squeezed, or who is being squeezed? What’s the emotion behind the squeezing: joy, anger, fear? How can you fit this idea into a comedic context? How might the word “state” come into play?

Happy writing!

Love this Line

“Art is fire plus algebra.”

—Jorge Luis Borges

What do you think Borges meant by this? Please share in the comments if you like!

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

The term “beach read” was first used in the 1990s as a marketing tool by publishers to promote summer releases. They’re typically light-hearted, fast-paced stories with a romantic element, most often set during the summer. However, the concept of summer reading began in the 19th century with the advent of a new concept: “summer vacation.”

Exit Ticket

As always, please complete your exit ticket before you leave the lounge! If you’ve taken a solo retreat before, I’d love to know where you went and if you enjoyed the experience by letting us know in the comments. Thanks, friends!

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Literary Trivia: I post one-question quizzes on my Instagram story. Test your literary knowledge!

Manuscript Updates: Watch in-the-moment updates on my novel-writing process and share your own writing experiences. Together, we can keep each other motivated!

Book Recommendations: Looking for a good book to read? Check out my recommendations. I love talking about books!

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It’s May. The flowers are starting to bud here in the Midwest, and my excitement is blooming as I embark on a new chapter in my life. Please grab a cup, pull up a chair, and join me in the lounge, fellow writers. I want to tell you all about it!

Word of the Month

IDENTITY

“The word identity was originally derived from the Latin words essentitas, which means being, and identidem, which means repeatedly. Your identity is literally your ‘repeated beingness.’”

~ James Clear, Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

“Yes, you are a writer.” I bet some of you needed to hear that right now. Repeat it to yourself now.

I am a writer.

This is a statement that I have come to claim as part of my identity for the past couple of years. I cannot pinpoint the exact moment I felt this statement to be true. It’s been a gradual identity shift. I once saw my identity clearly as teacher, and while I still hold that identity today, I knew there was another identity I craved: “writer.” Looking back, I’ve always been a writer: I have set goals and changed both my habits and systems, but it wasn’t until more recently that I changed my beliefs as well, saying, “I am a writer” versus “I write.” James Clear outlines this process so well in Atomic Habits. I highly recommend reading it if you haven’t already.

I was writing regularly while I was still teaching full-time. It wasn’t easy, especially since I was also raising two toddlers (I identify as mother as well), but I found ways to carve out time, even if only for 15 minutes. I found a small tribe of fellow moms who were also writing (some of them teachers as well), and their friendship fueled me and kept me going.

I believe that desire to identify myself as a writer is partly why I stepped away from full-time classroom teaching. I wanted to see what my life would look like if I gave more space for that writer identity.

It wasn’t a straight trajectory. For the past six years since I left the physical classroom, I’ve tested out all kinds of writing: reported articles, listicles, blogging, flash fiction (which continues to enthrall me), creative nonfiction, and my greatest love—novel writing. In between all that exploration, I took as many classes and workshops on writing as I could afford, freelance tutored and edited, coached students with their college essays, dabbled in small edtech as a sales consultant, instructional designer, product lead, and currently, I’m learning about big edtech as a proposals writer. As Martha Beck, author of Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose, might say, I’ve been gathering items for my “ragbag.” In other words, I’ve been pursuing curiosities to keep myself creative and open to new ideas.

All of this exploration and learning has led me to what I believe is my next great purpose.

A New Identity: Book Coach

This past April, I trusted my intuition and signed up for Author Accelerator’s Fiction Certification program, created by . Book coaching piqued my interest from the first moment I learned about the profession several years ago, but it’s something I figured I’d “do later,” until I woke up one morning and said, “Why wait?”

I’m only a few weeks in, and already, I’m buzzing with energy and excitement. I’m learning a ton and meeting wonderfully creative and inspiring people. As a result, my own manuscript’s progress is skyrocketing forward as I suspected it might: I always write best when I’m surrounded by other creatives.

This is the beginning of my journey with an end goal of launching my own book coaching business. I’ll be sharing this process with you and letting you know how you can be an active part of the journey.

Thank you for being here. Together, we’ll strengthen our writing identities and bring our words out into the world.

What’s next?

Practicum clients. Part of my book coach certification program includes working with practicum clients at different stages of their book-writing journey. I plan to begin this practicum work this summer. I’ll keep you posted on opportunities to participate!

Literary Journal Launch Party. On May 27th, I’ll be in Traverse City at the Literary Journal Launch Party hosted by the National Writers Series. We’ll be celebrating the work of our students at this event. In addition to teaching one of the courses, I also proofread the journal. I’m looking forward to meeting fellow teachers and students in person!

Teaching a college essay course. In August, I’ll be teaching a free college essay course for high school students through the Raising Writers program, a part of the Traverse City National Writers Series. If you know of a student who would benefit from this course, I encourage you to sign them up—The College Essay: Tell Your Story.

Beta reader update. I’m still planning on sharing the latest version of my novel manuscript with a handful of beta readers in early June. While I’ve had trusted friends and colleagues read excerpts of the novel over the past couple of years, this will be the first time I hand over the entire manuscript for feedback. Can’t wait for this much-needed perspective on my work!

What I’ve Been Reading

This year, I’ve started listening to more books on audio. I still prefer to read fiction in physical form, curled up in a cozy chair, feeling the weight of a book in my hands, but I’ve discovered I enjoy listening to nonfiction, particularly when I’m walking. This month, I loved reading the historical fiction novel The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali. Meanwhile, I learned a lot about how to manage my "anxiety creature” by listening to Beyond Anxiety by Martha Beck with a small group of friends. I’ve been diving into the coursework for Author Accelerator as well, which includes reading excerpts from Playing Big by Tara Mohr, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez. It’s been inspiring to take on my student identity again, and I can’t wait to see what I learn next.

Writing Activity

I’ll find out in less than two weeks if I’m moving forward in the next round of NYC Midnight’s 100-word microfiction challenge (eek!). In the spirit of microfiction and this lesson’s identity theme, I present an “Identity Micro Challenge” for this month’s writing activity. Have fun!

Prompt: Write a 100-word story that depicts one of your many identities. You might choose an identity others see you as having, or you might explore an identity you don’t share often with others. Consider exploring an identity you want to claim as well. As you write, explore all the emotions you experience with this identity. Finally, tether this identity and emotion to a concrete moment or image.

Tip: Don’t try to write just 100 words from the onset. Write anything that comes to mind at first, not concerning yourself with length. Then, once you feel a spark with something you put to the page, devote your focus to that section and see if you can distill it to its truest form.

Love this Line

“Playing big doesn’t come from working more, pushing harder, or finding confidence. It comes from listening to the most powerful and secure part of you, not the voice of self-doubt.”
—Tara Mohr, Playing Big: Practical Wisdom for Women Who Want to Speak Up, Create, and Lead

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

I’m reading The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop: How to Decolonize the Creative Classroom by Felicia Rose Chavez, and I’m learning so much about ways to shift how we teach creative writing to invite all voices. There are lots of takeaways, but one key one for me is empowering the student to moderate the workshop of their work, instead of the student being forced to sit silently while everyone else critiques.

If you are an English teacher at any level (primary, secondary, collegiate), I highly recommend you read this book.

Recent Publication

In case you missed it, Cleaver Literary Magazine has been giving me some love this spring. Not only did they publish one of my flash fiction pieces (you can read it here), but they also published my writing tip: Take Your Teenage Son’s Advice. It was a fun one to write!

Exit Ticket

As always, please complete your exit ticket before you leave the lounge! I’d also be curious if, like me, you have a preference for certain types of books in certain formats. Let us know in the comments. Thanks, friends!

Thank you for stopping by! If you enjoyed your visit, consider making a small donation. And, if you haven’t yet, please subscribe. It’s free!

Buy Me a Coffee

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Let’s Stay Connected!

Let’s keep the conversation and creativity going over on Instagram and Facebook! Here are a few fun items to enjoy over in those spaces.

Literary Trivia: I post one-question quizzes on my Instagram story. Test your literary knowledge!

Manuscript Updates: Watch in-the-moment updates on my novel-writing process and share your own writing experiences. Together, we can keep each other motivated!

Book Recommendations: Looking for a good book to read? Check out my recommendations. I love talking about books!

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It’s March in the Midwest, so we’re traipsing through freezing rain and muddy yards. Grab a beverage, warm or cold (you never know what might be most appropriate in March), and pull up a chair: I’m excited to share some news with you!

Word of the Month

FEMME FORTE

French expression, meaning “strong woman.”

Example: It’s time to invoke the femme forte within me.

Who are the femmes fortes in your life? Give them a shout-out!

I’ve been missing teaching. I left the traditional classroom six years ago, craving a less-intense schedule to have more time for my boys (a decision I don’t regret). While I don’t miss the hours or the workload (easily working 50+ hours a week with four preps and 180 students), I do miss the creativity and the intellectual challenge of it. Most of all, I miss the joy of working with students, especially those who also strive for creative lives.

Even though it’s been six years since I taught high school, I’ve never left education. I’ve been circling the perimeter of classroom teaching. Initially, I began working with students individually as a tutor and writing coach, then pivoted to a sales role with an ed tech startup. That position shifted to an instructional designer role, where I was promoted to a curriculum management position (sadly, the company ran out of funds, and my team and I were all laid off last fall). During that time, I renewed my teaching certificate, just in case. Now, I continue to work in education as a proposal writer for a large education company. My various positions have helped me keep a pulse on the educational landscape, but my direct influence on students has lessened. My creative spirit has felt the shift.

Creative Writing Instructors Wanted

This past January, when I saw the National Writers Series of Traverse City was looking for Creative Writing Instructors for their Raising Writers program, I felt a spark of excitement. They were looking for authors with teaching experience. I applied. They were excited to have me join their team of instructors, and I was thrilled to have the promise of a (virtual) classroom again.

This past week, I taught a three-day intensive microfiction class for 7th- to 12th-graders. It was so much fun! I forgot how much I love teaching a concept and seeing students run with it. I was also struck with how much more I now know first-hand about writing after devoting the past six years to writing and publishing more regularly. My confidence as a writer has grown.

Teaching came back to me like riding a bike. It felt natural and invigorating. The students’ creativity ignited my own. Since teaching the class, a creative part of me has cracked open again: ideas are flowing readily. The rush of creative ideas is sending me scrambling to my keyboard and notepad.

What’s next?

I’ve had some ideas percolating for some time, but these ideas are starting to solidify into a plan. Writing and teaching are my passions, and I want to live daily with passion. I’m determined that I will, on my own terms.

To my readers, I’m thankful for all of you. Please keep reading and cheering me on as I continue on my journey. Our community is part of the fuel that keeps my creative spirit going.

Writing Activity

Last weekend, I participated in NYC Midnight’s 100-word microfiction contest, and it was the creative kick in the pants I needed! I feel great about the piece I wrote (I have to keep it a secret for now), and I’ll find out in mid-May if I’m moving on to the next round.

For this month’s writing activity, I thought I’d share the prompts I was given for the NYC Midnight challenge. Do you feel up to the challenge? Go for it!

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Action: advertising

Word: tint

Keep it to 100 words or less. The title doesn’t count. Happy writing!

Love this Line

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
—Nora Ephron

Recent Publication

Exciting news! A piece I wrote over a year ago was published in the latest issue of Cleaver, one of the coolest literary magazines around. My piece, “On the Eve of Their Twenty-fourth Wedding Anniversary,” is an example of a breathless flash: a story told in one sentence. It was fun to experiment with the form, and I love how it turned out. I wrote it while thinking about the mother of one of the characters in my novel manuscript. You can read it here!

Literary Trivia

Did you know…

Currently, the longest published sentence in the English language is 13,955 words long! You can find it in The Rotter’s Club by Jonathan Roe.

Talk about a breathless sentence! 😮‍💨

Exit Ticket

As always, please complete your exit ticket before you leave the lounge! Thanks, friends!

If you’re already a published novelist, please share with all of us in the comments what you’ve written and how we can get our hands on it!

Thank you for stopping by! If you enjoyed your visit, consider making a small donation. And, if you haven’t yet, please subscribe. It’s free!

Buy Me a Coffee

Subscribe now

Share

Let’s Stay Connected!

Let’s keep the conversation and creativity going over on Instagram and Facebook! Here are a few fun items to enjoy over in those spaces.

Literary Trivia: I post one-question quizzes on my Instagram story. Test your literary knowledge!

Manuscript Updates: Watch in-the-moment updates on my novel-writing process and share your own writing experiences. Together, we can keep each other motivated!

Book Recommendations: Looking for a good book to read? Check out my recommendations. I love talking about books!