Author and Ghostwriter
If you’ve been wanting to become a memoirist, here’s your first lesson, called “Commas can kiss my ass!” It’s also my very first video. Comments are welcome! Go ahead, let me have it. Basically, the thing is, don’t let a fear of getting your grammar and punctuation wrong hold you back from putting words on … Read moreCommas Can Kiss My Ass! Says Bright, Alert Memoirist
I recently took a class with the famous thriller writer Dan Brown! A lot of things he said stood out, but I particularly thought he had a unique approach to staying fresh during his writing time. He has an app–I don’t know what it’s called–that forces you to take a break every hour by literally … Read moreBestselling Writing Advice. It’s to Help You Be Better
If you’re writing a memoir, and you don’t “have time to write,” there’s always the audio-tape method. This biography writing trick is far more effective than most people think. Best of all, this method gives you permission to do two things: one, talk your book instead of write it and two, tell it out of … Read moreEnjoy Biography Writing Victory, Scene by Scene
You have a friend whose life is always a mess. I mean his kids are a mess, his ex-wife is a mess, his girlfriend is a mess, his business is a mess, each and every client within his business is a mess. His dog is a mess. His girlfriend’s dog is an even bigger mess. … Read moreA Memoirist’s Heart Confronts a Brazen Mess
When people find out I’m a writer, they often ask me (with a weird kind of light in their eyes) for my “routine.” I think people have a romantic notion that I’m up all night with a bottle of Jack, ranting and raving into the computer … scratch that, into an old-fashioned Olivetti typewriter, like … Read moreGetting up in Time for the Bright Sunrise?
As an entrepreneur, I think I’ve been in denial about a little thing called stress, for years. Perhaps “ignorance” is more accurate than “denial,” though. It’s just that I always thought of “stress” as something suffered by working moms, high powered lawyers, and people in the midst of divorce. As for me: I’m self employed, … Read moreMany Writers are Seen as Proven, Powerful Entrepreneurs
I’ve finally done it. Bitten the proverbial bullet. Made myself a “leader” of a “writer’s group.” It’s a group where we practice creativity, which is, after all, a skill. Honestly, I stay away from writer’s groups as a rule because … who was it that said, “I’d never join a group that would have me … Read moreI Started a Controversial New Writer’s Group I Love
Anyone who has ever tried to write her own memoir without any writing experience quickly discovers that it’s not easy. In fact, for most people, it’s impossible. Not everyone is a writer. In fact, most people have trouble stringing a few sentences together in a compelling way, and that is as it should be. Becoming … Read moreWriting: The Sane Insanity
As a memoir ghostwriter, the question clients probably ask me most often is, “Will anyone actually want to read about this subject matter?” My honest answer isn’t yes or no, because, let’s face it, there’s no way to read the minds of millions of potential readers. The best answer I, as a ghostwriter, can honestly … Read moreA Memoirist’s Ultimate Question
When memoir writers get started, they often write everything down, stream-of-consciousness style, just to get all the ideas on paper. It’s a good idea, but a lot of writers get insecure about it because they don’t realize this a type of pre-writing and only the first step in a long process. This random mental download … Read moreThe Astonishing Delight of Stream-of-Consciousness Writing