Once a month, I’ll share a few of my favorite things, cool classes or worthwhile opportunities that I think you will enjoy, as well as a short book review, by Jen, What’s in the Desk, a popular feature from the Simply Write podcast where authors share the tools they like to have around them when they write, and other tidbits, because well, I it’s Simply, Fun and I appreciate you.

What’s in the Desk

It’s a Book. I’m loving Roland Allen’s The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper and I know you would too even if you are not a nerd like me. Check it out and learn how notebooks changed the world—and why I think they will again.

In the Works

This is happening this week. Sign up now. Work through the lessons on your own. Take a deep dive into the different revision techniques that will move your WIP forward to the finish line, and receive feedback from me as you go. Revision is my favorite part of the process—revision is writing.

Jen Reads

Each month Simply Fun will include a short review from one of the most discerning and comprehensive readers I know, Jen Fife-Adams.

Jen Fife-Adams is a reader, mom, knitter, and library school dropout who has decided to start a library in her own home. She wants you to read as much as she does but also understands if you have to do boring things like work, clean, and doomscroll.

Kin by Tayari Jones

Do you love juicy historical fiction populated with real-feeling characters and complex situations? If so, add Kin, by Tayari Jones to your hold list pronto!

Niecy and Annie are “cradle friends” who escape their small Louisiana town in the same 1950s summer but come to very different fates. Niecy escapes to Atlanta’s Spelman College, where her trajectory changes dramatically. She learns the ways of upper-class Black society and experiences things she hadn’t even imagined.

Meanwhile, Annie runs away to find her mama in Memphis. Without a high school degree and being just folks, she struggles to make ends meet. Despite these differences, they remain close, and in alternating chapters, we see how life shapes each of them. Get your tissues out for the end.

—JFA

Tips to Try

My buddy and the creator of Media-Ready Author media trainer Paula Rizzo sent these tips for writers and anyone who is using video to get their message across:

“Writing for video means challenging yourself to write things that are meant to be heard, not read from a page or a screen.

Short, punchy, active lines are how you connect with viewers.

Use the present tense. Use an active voice. You want your writing to feel immediate and that’s what writing this way does. Remember, you have only a few seconds to get and keep someone’s attention. Attention spans are shrinking so you need to get right to the point.”

—Paula Rizzo

Small Wins

A few things happen when we call out the good stuff in our lives: We feel better. Our blood pressure drops. We feel connected and warm and motivated to continue on.

Today I’ll share one of the things I’m feeling good about. But if you have a brag, small win, highlight, or gratitude you want to share, drop me a sentence about it, along with your name (or first name and last initial), and I’ll choose a couple to publish in the months to come. We all feel better when we share good vibes.

Today, I am grateful that my college girl is home from her travels. She’s around here somewhere. I mean, she’ll have to come out sometime. To eat? Right?

It’s good to have her home for a hug. I am grateful.

Vote Today!

Choose your favorite Chunky Champion.

Thanks for reading.

Be well. Appreciate this moment, no matter what else is crashing in. It’s all we have.

It’s Simply Fun.

—p

If it didn’t ring, I would pick up the headset and listen for the dial tone to make sure it was still working. If it didn’t ring, I would traipse across to the metal bank of mailboxes hoping not to see an envelope addressed to me, by me. That would mean my query was coming back, rejected.

A call? That was usually a go.

Technology has changed. But the wait hasn’t. For an intense self-styled Type A, it’s ironic that I’ve chosen and sustained a writing career that even now keeps me waiting more often than not.

What has changed is how I use that in-between time.

What to Do While You Wait

Sending your work into the world means spending some time waiting. Agents, editors, and publishers have their own timelines, and refreshing your inbox won’t make them move faster. But the days between sending the manuscript or pitch and waiting for the assignment or edits is some of my most productive and creative time.

So what can you do while you wait?

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We’ve all heard the advice: write what you know. There’s truth in that. Your personal experiences, emotions, and observations give your work authenticity.

Fine. But, I think it’s even more important, and much more fun, to write about what you want to know.

Part of the reason I was drawn to newspaper reporting was simple. I’m fascinated by people. I want to know how they think, what they do, and why they do it. Writing gave me permission to ask questions. Some of those questions might have felt awkward in everyday conversation, but in an interview they became part of the job.

Curiosity Is Good Material

Longform writing for magazines and books gave me a chance to take a deep dive into subjects I wanted to learn.

When you write about something you don’t already understand, you approach it with a beginner’s mind. You notice details an expert might overlook. You make unexpected connections. One question leads to another, and before long you’ve uncovered ideas you never would have found if you’d stayed inside familiar territory.

Research isn’t a detour from writing. It’s often where the writing begins.

Do the Work

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One of the hardest parts of writing is knowing when to stop. When to finish the final edits and let it go. To hit “send,” show it to a friend, or post it on the blog.

It takes a certain kind of courage. Even after all these years, my stomach starts sloshing with nerves when it’s time to send a piece out to editors.

We spend hours, days, sometimes months living with the words. We rearrange, trying to pick the right ones and put them in the right places. We change openings, rethink endings, cut words, and add others.

That kind of revision is, for me, not separate from the writing. It’s an important part of creating a finished piece.

But then you’ve got to call it.

And writers can be sticky about this. Heck, I can be sticky about this. In my first book wrote a chapter about a moment I had with my daughter when she was just a few months old. My chronic illness was flaring, and it forced me to adjust as a mother. The chapter was strong after many drafts. And emotional. Definitely for me, and I hoped for the reader, too.

But it was so personal, I had a hard time letting it go. I revised that thing til there were almost no words left on the page. That was my fear talking. My vulnerability. I caught myself. Went back to an early draft, the one before I overworked it, and that’s what went in the book.

It’s important to move on and release it before the endless revisions make the story worse.

How do you know when to quit?

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“Don’t fret over the first draft,” says, well, everyone.

Heck, even I’ve said it. And it’s true. Technically.

The first draft isn’t the time to fret about the quality of your writing. This isn’t the time to polish. It’s the time to get everything out and on the page, to see what you are working with. It can also be scary and overwhelming. Because once we start getting all the pieces out there, we see how much work we really have to do. And we start to worry.

Are we good enough? Is the story dumb? Am I a terrible writer? Who’s going to read this anyhow? I’m such a fraud.

It’s hard to switch off those voices, but until you quiet those inner critics, they will keep getting in the way.

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Ahhh, summer. Long, warm days, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, time spent outdoors, and maybe even a cool cocktail on the back deck while reading a thick paperback.

Sounds ideal. What doesn’t sound so hot is work. I’ve always had a hard time settling into the behind-the-desk work model when the weather is warm, so I work a little differently during the summer months. That way, I can capture the creative vibe and still get the work done.

Summer can be a great time for creative collecting. Ideas, inspirations, and projects to launch during the second half of the year.

Poet Maria Giesbrecht “captures words,” choosing those she likes for their sound or significance. She was a guest on the Simply Write w/Polly Campbell podcast talking about her new poetry collection A Little Feral and her writing process.

I’ve begun choosing a word of the day, something that fits my energy but also one I don’t often use. Looking for appropriate ways to work it into my writing and speech throughout the day has been a fun way to learn new words and become specific in my word choice.

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I’m wrapping up a project I’ve been working on for a few years, and it has me thinking about what comes next.

Not because I don’t have ideas.

Those aren’t something I ever run out of.

But for so long this piece has been all mine. Private. No deadlines. No one waiting. No pressure. It’s lived in my imagination and fit into my schedule when I wanted to work on it. For fun.

This kind of freedom felt creative, exhilarating, interesting. A place to think, play, and explore.

And now that this phase is nearing completion, I’m realizing how much I’ve enjoyed having something that was just mine.

Publishing and writing are not the same.

Writing is a lifestyle; publishing is a career.

So many writers come to it for the joy of writing. Writing is an escape. A hobby. An intrigue. A creative outlet. Personal expression. They do it because it’s fun.

Then they start thinking about sharing that writing. About publishing and contracts and bestsellers, and it becomes something else.

Publishing does change how you write and sometimes even how you feel about writing, and not always for the better.

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Ship It

Still, you must share your work. Writing can inspire, uplift, inform, connect, and motivate change—it’s too valuable to keep to ourselves. Part of becoming a writer is sharing it.

It’s not easy to do. Practice now. Start a blog or Substack. Write a letter a week and send it out. Write an essay about something you care about and share it with a friend. Go on the record with your work.

Here’s what that does: It makes you a better writer. It helps others. It elicits comments and can help you grow or gain confidence. It helps you finish and get comfortable with imperfection.

As I said, publishing is different from writing. You need to practice both.

Whether it’s one sentence or a post or article or chapter, it doesn’t matter what you give away. When you ship your work, you get in the practice of engaging with your art and your readers.

Pick a project. What will you write this week?

When will you send it? Prepare to launch even if you don’t feel ready.

How will you distribute that piece?

Ship it.

Save It

I published my first piece when I was 18 years old. Of course, not everything I’ve sent out since has been published. But my intent is to have what I pitch, published.

I get paid when an article runs, or a reader signs up, or a book sells. Sure, I take on projects I enjoy, but I write them with publishing as a goal.

That changed during the pandemic when I began writing something just for me. Most people don’t even know about it.

And it’s been one of the best writing experiences of my life.

Now the writing phase is coming to completion. I have to decide what’s next for this piece, and I’m reluctant to ship it. It feels so freeing just to write for yourself.

Not everything has to be a side hustle. It doesn’t have to become a book or a course or a podcast.

Our writing must also be a place to play and experiment. To grow and learn and lose track of time. Writing can be fun. Satisfying. The writing itself matters. Not everything needs an editor or deadline or deal. The process comes with its own rewards.

Start jotting notes about something you’ve been thinking about.

Shhh. Keep it to yourself.

Intend this project to be about your writing, your experience, your joy.

Choose a form. Book, blog, essay, script?

Give some attention to it each month. No deadlines. No decisions. No drama. Just experiment.

Make something without expectation or stress. Just see where it leads.

The freedom to create without an audience helps take the pressure off and allows us to play without trying to please others or make a buck.

Sharing our work with others teaches us to become better at the craft, to learn how to communicate and convey emotion in clear and compelling ways. It teaches us the power and impact of words and makes us stronger.

Ship your work.

Save something for yourself.

Both will make you better.

-p

Simply Write episode 460 featured author Michelle Lee. It was a great discussion about process and novels and middle-grade markets, and how to sustain a writing practice. Then I found out she’s teaching a class in July with Writing Workshops.

UNSTUCK: Strategies for Moving Your Novel Forward is designed to help writers identify where they are stuck in their work and how to get moving again.

The class is capped at 10 people and will cover concrete, craft-based ways to reengage with your writing. Writers can also submit up to 75 pages of their novel in the first week, and on the last class date, they’ll receive a personalized "Promises & Expectations to Remember” PDF checklist as a guide to help jumpstart their future writing.

Interested? Here’s the link: Get UNSTUCK!

Whew. I’m tired. Lots of little challenges this week, and I’m behind on my to-dos, and that could be a great excuse not to write. I have too many other things I must get done and not enough time, yada, yada, yada.

But this is exactly the kind of day when we must write.

And then tomorrow.

So instead of going straight to work, I poured a cup of coffee, warmed my fingers around the mug, and spent 20 minutes writing in my journal with a TWSBI fountain pen.

Then I went into the office, and instead of tackling invoices, administrative correspondence, edits, and the rest of my to-do list, I worked on the novel.

Here’s the thing: the other stuff, the so-called essential stuff, will always get done. We are responsible people. We tend to our business. We pay our bills and meet client demands. Make shopping lists.

But the writing will keep getting pushed aside if we don’t tend to it. If we don’t see it as essential.

And it is.

Essential Work

Because this morning I felt stressed and disappointed over a cancelled trip, exhausted from a late night consoling a broken-hearted kid. I felt frustrated and grouchy.

And then I wrote.

I left it all out there in my journal, then gave some of it to my character in the novel and kept going.

As I wrote, I became grounded. I settled. Remembered what I’m capable of and who I am.

The rest of the day got better.

Write. The reward isn’t only in getting the work done and published. It’s in the process itself.

Simply Write,

-p

I was standing in a long line waiting to check in when the person with the clipboard looked up and asked, “What do you do?”

I swallowed and said, “I’m a writer.”

Not, “I do PR consulting and writing.”

Not, “I’m trying to become a writer.”
Writer.

This was years ago now. I was just starting, writing regularly and publishing with mixed results, and taking on other freelance work to make ends meet. I intended to be a writer, but rarely called myself one.

Saying it out loud changed something.

Because if I was going to be a writer, I needed to start behaving like one.

What we believe motivates our behavior. But the reverse is also true. How we behave shapes what we believe about ourselves. Psychologist David Ben called this loop self-perception theory.

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I’ve started something new, and my stomach drops every time one of my videos goes live.

It’s the same feeling I had starting this Substack. The same quiver from launching my podcasts five years ago, and of course, before launching a book or sending an article.

Whenever we make something and send it out into the world, is a little scary and also invigorating. And, it’s an important part of the creative process.

For years, I’ve wanted to learn video production and make something short. In a video-heavy world—and as someone who writes for video—it makes business and creative sense to learn YouTube.

I’ve been thinking about this for years. For years.

Geez. Time to stop thinking about it. Time to move out of my creative comfort zone.

Creating is a Collab

Now I’ve done it. I pushed myself before I felt ready. Take Note, my first video project, is live on YouTube.

Being a creator means making things and sharing them. I write books and articles to be read. That’s the job—and the challenge—because it’s easy to overthink and never finish. It’s easy to make excuses and never share the work.

Create is a verb. To be a creator is to act—and to share the results.

Even when they’re imperfect.

We can’t wait to feel ready. The work only gets better once it’s out in the world.

Taking work public—whether to one person or one million— builds accountability. It sharpens the work.

To be a working creative—writer, actor, painter, filmmaker, game creator, podcaster—is to show up. People give us their attention, and we respond by making better work. We’ve got to keep learning, then and practicing. Creating is a collaboration between the maker and the audience.

I was only thinking about making videos until I remembered that. Now, I’ve got a channel.

Rules to Create By

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Some Cool Things

No. 6, Baby

How fun to open the newest, May/June edition of Writer’s Digest Magazine and see the Simply Write universe sitting at No. 6 in the 28th Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers.

Here on Simply Write and on our sister pub Simply Said: How to live well, do good, be happy, and on the Simply Write podcast, we are working hard to support writers and creatives with inspiring ideas, writing tips, and science-backed strategies that make life a little easier and definitely more interesting. We are always working to inspire, entertain, inform, and connect with you all in a meaningful way. Thanks for being a part of it.

Are You Kidding Me?

Wait, a show about notebooks? Absolutely.

I wanted to learn more about YouTube and video production, and decided the best way to do it was to jump all in and create a channel about a few of my favorite things.

Take Note is my new channel and playlist on @PollySimplyWrite on YouTube, where I show off my favorite (and not-so-favorite) notebooks and pens, talk about writing and books, and other analog tools in short videos. We have just launched, and I would love for you to drop in.

Sign Up Now

OK, since we’re talking about learning new things, now is your chance. If you’ve been curious about writing or want to learn how to put your life experiences into essays, register now for the Personal Essay Writing 101 course, launching April 30th with Writer’s Digest University. This guided course is a great (low-stress) way to learn about essay writing, and you can move at your own pace with new lessons each week.

A Field Trip, A Pause

I went on a field trip with my husband this weekend.

We spent the night in a B&B at a winery. We drank Oregon Pinot Noir and sat on a wraparound deck, looking at the mountains, the grapevines, the sheep waiting to be sheared. I took deep breaths. I didn’t talk to anyone except Noah, the bartender, and my husband, here and there.

I challenged myself not to write.

The No-Writing Experiment

It sounds strange, I know. But I’ve been in a busy stretch. When the work is there, you take it. It ebbs and flows. Right now it’s flowing. And I am grateful. And, tired. Long days. Weekends of work.

So I made a deal: read, rest, enjoy the quiet. Not a word of writing for 24 hours.

I broke the deal to jot a couple of notes in my Traveler’s Passport notebook so I wouldn’t lose an idea. But I didn’t work on my proposal or the essay about goldfish.

I slept hard. I finished reading a mystery. I relaxed.

And when I came back to my desk just 24 hours later, I was ready.

According to research from the American Psychological Association, that kind of cognitive distance helps improve our recovery and work performance. Who knows how that all works, but I do feel sharper this week.

Now this isn’t an excuse to not write. Yes, I see you there. But it is a reminder that sometimes we have to live into the other part of our lives and take a rest to make room for the creative energy to flow.

Sometimes the best thing for the work is to step away from it.

Or, Simply Write.

-p

Whoo-Hoo! I am feeling some spring energy today. Longer days (though losing an hour did mess up both the cats and me for a few days), mild weather, daffodils pushing through. The seasonal shift has left me feeling more motivated.

This isn’t all in my mind—though my mind is definitely helped by these changes. Research from the Centre of Chronobiology and other institutions that look at these things shows that the longer days and natural light boost serotonin, improving mood, motivation, and cognitive flexibility. And, sunlight can also increase Vit. D levels.

Translation for writers: it’s easier to think, connect ideas, and persist in your writing. If you’ve been feeling a creative lift, like I have, it’s not only your imagination. Use the energy and get writing.

The Arc

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I taped a podcast on Tuesday with a friendly middle-grade author who told me she wrote her first novel while teaching five college classes and raising a young child. I recognized the rhythm. I wrote my first book when our daughter was four, working odd hours in between her nearly non-existent naps, working nights after her bedtime. I got it done.

It feels hard this week, though. The writing. I sat down at my desk at 8 a.m. today and crossed three items off my to-do list before most people finish coffee. But I have yet to start the thing. Chapter 38 of The Novel.

My neck is tight. I’m edgy, irritable. Today is a writing day. And I am not writing.

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When I began freelancing more than two decades ago, the Internet hadn‘t yet become a thing. We weren’t writing on stone tablets, but there weren’t blogs or websites. There were strong newspapers and magazines, brochures, white papers, and press releases. Those projects paid my bills for years.

They still do, but we just call them different things now, and most are distributed digitally. Sure, there are still articles and books, thank goodness, but there are blogs and podcast scripts, websites, newsletters, and other pieces that fall into the realm of content and writing opportunities.

For a freelancer willing to hustle, there are plenty of places to write, but it takes more than good writing to make a go of it.

Freelancing is more than writing for money. It requires adaptability, marketing, management, and an entrepreneurial mindset.

As you develop your freelance business, here are some things to think about.

Get clear on what you offer.

Do you write blog posts? Reported features? Email newsletters? Website copy? Pick one or two categories to start and state specifically what you offer. “I write health and wellness content for companies and magazines to inspire, inform, help, and entertain,” is stronger than “I’m a writer.”

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The raincoat hanging by the door.
The unopened stack of letters.
The cracked phone screen.

The bottle of whisky. The box of Band-Aids. The books by the chair.

Objects are opportunities to build character and emotional resonance.

Think about it. The things you’d find on my desk—a pile of notebooks, an ink-stained rag next to my fountain pen, a candle that smells like the ocean—tell you something about me. What I like. How I work. How I think.

The objects our characters move around, use, protect, or discard in the scene reveal a lot about who those characters are. Objects and how they are used can show what a character values, what they need, and what motivates them. How do they react when the old family photo burns? Do they put the wedding ring on—or take it off? The way they handle what’s around them can do some of the heavy lifting of characterization without slowing the reader down with explanation or backstory.

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I knew how the chapter should begin, but I edited myself early. The result was a dull, drippy chapter and head-smacking frustration.

So I trusted my gut, went back to what I felt all along, and revised the chapter using a more conversational voice and practical, read-on-the-fly structure. The book became something better.

I often call on my intuition in writing and in life because it’s a useful way to clear through mental clutter. But it takes time to trust it.

When something feels right, it’s often the skills and knowledge we’ve acquired over the years showing up without our awareness. We feel it. Or get a sense of knowing out of nowhere. But it’s been growing inside of us all along.

When we write without overthinking or micromanaging every aspect of the process, our creative intuition becomes more available, and ideas are easier to access, according to research led by Steven Kotler.

By allowing ourselves to write—particularly in early drafts—without editing, intuition can help us generate fresh ideas, clear patterns, and new twists. That builds excitement and energy and can shift us into a flow state.

How to Strengthen It

Practice. Experiment. Explore and play. Read and write with curiosity. Notice patterns in your own work. Pay attention to what happens when you trust your sense of knowing—and when you don’t. Over time, you’ll see how intuition supports your work and learn to welcome it as part of your creative process.

Try This

To practice, spend five minutes a day on low-stakes writing. Five minutes without distraction, without pausing to question, judge, or edit. Sit down, write. Notice how that feels.

Intuition isn’t magic. It’s just another tool we can use to access our creative energy and find flow in our process.

Now, sit down and simply, write.

-p

You’ve heard author, television producer and speaker Paula Rizzo on the Simply Write w/Polly podcast talking about how to build your platform with media opportunities. But that’s a practice that is not intuitive to most of us. This is when we need training to maximize our airtime and sell more books.

Paula has a fantastic class available to you, and since we’ve been talking a lot about building an authentic platform on this site and on the podcast, it seems like a no-brainer to let you know about it.

COURSE: Media-Ready Author: Speak in Soundbites, Set Up Your Virtual Studio, and Sell More Books.

Media-Ready Author is a self-paced online course that helps authors and experts feel confident, clear, and prepared for media opportunities of all kinds—TV, video, podcasts, live events, book signings, and more. Hundreds of authors have taken the program, which is based on Paula Rizzo’s nearly two decades as a television producer in New York City and years of working 1:1 with authors. Paula has trained authors and experts for publishers including Hachette, HarperCollins, Time Inc., The New York Times, and Dow Jones. The course teaches authors how to clarify their message, create strong soundbites, and show up polished and professional whenever they’re talking about their work. Find out more here at Media-Ready Author.

I once attended a book event where I was seated next to a very prominent and remarkable author.

I had no idea that she was sitting next to me.

We chatted over a baked chicken lunch. She passed the butter for my roll. But it wasn’t until she was introduced and stood up to deliver the keynote that I understood who she was.

The pictures on her book jacket and promo materials looked nothing like her and she went by her name, not the pen name she used on the covers.

She was fabulous. Wise. And a great person whom I enjoyed visiting with. But much different then her public persona.

I decided then that I wanted to be recognizable to readers both in person and in prose. That has helped me stay focused in my writing and discerning in the way I choose my topics. It also makes me feel more comfortable when I meet readers at events. I’m not showy, but I don’t pretend to be.

One of the greatest compliments I’ve received from readers has been “I feel like I could sit down and have a cup of coffee with you.”

You Do You

There’s not a wrong way to show up in person and on the page. It’s a personal decision, but it’s worth a thought.

“Go all in on the thing that feels most authentic to you,” said publicity and author-marketing consultant Emily Florence when she appeared on the Simply Write w/Polly Campbell podcast last week.

She was talking about building a platform. Instead of posting on every social platform, pick one or two and be yourself. Show up consistently. Let your real voice and personality come through. That’s how connection happens.

This doesn’t mean you need to share everything. Boundaries are important. I share personal stories in my work, sure, but while I’m honest about what I do share—it certainly isn’t everything. But I want to cultivate a familiarity and a sincerity that feels true to who I am.

Read more

Today, I came into the desk and immediately started writing a podcast script. I don’t get paid a ton of money to do my weekly podcast, but it does have a ton of value.

First, it’s a blast. I learn a lot and talk to cool writers. I love doing it. But it offers one other important thing that is essential to my writing and publishing: Platform.

Simply Write w/Polly Campbell is one part of my platform, which also includes this Substack, public speaking, classes, Instagram, media appearances, and more.

When I started publishing, platform wasn’t talked about much. Now, readers have so many distractions, so much media clamoring for their attention, that platform matters now more than ever in publishing.

Why Platform Matters More Than Ever

Publishers want to know that you can reach your readers. That you can get your book into their hands.

It’s not about chasing trends or having thousands of followers. It’s about creating steady, authentic ways for readers to find you and stay connected to your work. And it allows me to stay connected to my readers. I love that. They tell me what they think of my work, what they’d like to see or discuss, and they offer encouragement and perspective. Those things are valuable to me as a person and to the writing I do.

Think of platform as the bridge between your writing and the people who want it and need it. But it’s also the link between the author and the readers. The connection and community that feels good.

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I like the launch into a new year because it’s a benchmark for me.

This time, instead of resolutions or long lists of goals, I’m thinking about tone.

How do I want to feel? What do I want to give? How can I help? What do I want to do and learn?

I guess I’m setting the mood for the year rather than declaring a list of must-dos or accomplishments. It’s not that I don’t have goals. Hellooo, can I please finish the novel? I do have things I want to do and learn. I even get a little spark of energy thinking about them.

But this year, no matter what I’m working on, I want to stay open, engaged, and curious. I want to be gentler and kind. I want to feel steady and creative. Flexible. Available to ideas and possibilities.

This is what I want to bring into the moments and days ahead. I want to feel this way when I write, take care of my family, and move toward my goals. And I want to share it with others. I want to be deliberate in the energy I bring.

How Would You Define It?

Welcoming? Cozy? Content? Like settling into your favorite pair of jeans or sitting by the fire with a good book, the dog curled at your feet.

I don’t know exactly what to call this mood. But today, I’ll begin setting it.

What mood are you taking into 2026? What tone will you set for your writing time and life? In writing, the process is more rewarding than the ultimate publication. In living, the process is all we got.

I wish you ease, peace, and time for the things you find meaningful. We’re going to have a good year. We are going to get writing done, and I, for one, am going to have a blast doing it. Hope you do too.

Thanks for sticking with me here. I love writing for you and hearing from you.

Happy New Year. Let’s do this.

-p

Hey hey, before we get started, I wanted to share an opportunity with you.

Thursday, Jan. 15 I will be hosting a 90-minute Webinar for Writer’s Digest University called, Writing the Self-Help Book and Service Article.

If writing and writing and publishing self-help and service pieces is something you’ve been curious about, join us. Service pieces and books are a great way to share your expertise, solutions, encouragement, and even build your brand. Open to All. See you on Jan. 15th. Self-Help? Join us. Register now.

Behave Like a Writer

I lied about The Grapes of Wrath. I haven’t read it. Doubt I will.

I know, I know. But I’m no longer motivated by should-dos.

I did read Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible, Patchett’s Bel Canto, Tartt’s The Secret History, Irving’s A Prayer for Owen Meany, Seth Godin’s The Practice, Martha Beck’s Finding Your Own North Star, and Atomic Habits by James Clear.

I’m always reading something. I want to learn and grow as a person, but I also want to figure it out—this writing thing—unlock the strategies these writers use to make me fall in love with their books.

The best stories sweep me up before I remember I’m supposed to be analyzing the way the author pulled it off.

In the beginning, I always try to read like a writer, so I can see how the authors do it and get better at sweeping readers into my stories, too.

If you want to be a writer, you have to behave like one—long before you feel like you’ve “earned” the title.

Some days I write a paragraph, some days chapters. But even on the days when I don’t get to the writing, I behave like a writer by dropping observations in my notebook, thinking about structure, reading good material, and listening to podcasts about craft.

A writer can always train and learn.

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