Today I am on a plane, on my way to Toronto, where I will visit cousins I have not seen in 30 years, and not spent any real time with in more than 50. Yet these are cousins of my heart, because of our shared childhood. Though we lived thousands of miles apart, we would be together for a week or two every few years at my grandparents' place in Indianapolis--a place we called Cherrywood. Our "Grampy" built Cherrywood himself--a gingerbread kind of house with a screened in porch, at least one...

I have a cool idea that I've been turning around in my head for a long time. It has to do with Works in Progress. Many of us go years on a WIP with only a tiny number of readers--an indulgent partner, our kids, our best friend. Some of us are lucky enough to have a critique group. But for many, the work may not see the light of day for a very long time. And that means readers are missing out on our work. I have this idea to use my newsletter as a sounding board--a place where we can pull the...

Hey all! Here's something I spent the spring working on with a small, dedicated group of writers, who helped me get it ready for you! It was so lovely to be back in that weekly group energy and hearing people's wonderful stories. Now our new, limited-enrollment coaching groups begin in mid-July. Won't you join us? Here's the skinny:You don’t need to write alone.Your story matters—but when you’re in the thick of it, it’s easy to lose your way. What seemed clear at first starts to blur. The...