My latest article for Writer's Digest appears in the Writer's Yearbook 2012 on stands and available from WD.com now!

If you have read any of my new book, you know that it focuses on putting your writing at the center of your writing career, and allowing everything else to follow from there.

Yes, you need to learn more skills than ever to succeed at a professional writing career, but the writing must come first and as writers we must return to the writing over and over as we grow our careers.

I have been working with writers for over a decade now and here is what I’ve noticed: a writing writer is a happy writer. And a writer who is doing everything else besides writing, when writing is what they’d really rather be doing, is an unhappy writer.

If you are a writer, everything you are emerges from the writing you actually do. I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than that.

Enter 2012. We now have more tools available to produce our own success than ever. But this brings a new dilemma—which tools do we use and when? How do we know what to do? How can we do what we do with excellence? And how can we create consistently positive results?

Well, just as the writing would not happen without a writer’s full engagement, writing success won’t happen on its own or maintain itself without your thoughtful, focused attention. It also helps to have a great mentor and be surrounded by other who behave like professionals.

A challenge for me, as a writer and writing coach, has been how can I clone myself? How can I help thousands of writers without becoming personally drained, emotionally exhausted, and creatively spent on a daily basis?

How do I get my hard-won knowledge about helping writers create writing career success to writers and still take care of my own professional and personal responsibilities?

Well, I’ve worked long and hard to solve this dilemma. And I feel I have finally resolved it. Here’s how you can work with me if you would like to:

I write books and workbooks for a global audience of writers. You may know what books I am talking about (Writer Mama, Get Known, Author Mama, and The Writer’s Workout). I have one workbook out so far, with more to roll out in 2012 (so far, Build Your Author Platform goes with Get Known.) If you want to know what I know, read my books. If you read my books and liked them, I would appreciate your word-of-mouth support any time you want to give it. I especially appreciate book reviews.

I write articles for a global audience of writers. I don’t have to ask people to read my articles, they are widely read and widely appreciated by writers. But hey, if you want to forward links to your favorites or tweet them or post them on Facebook, I am all for it. If you want more depth on subtopics of what I know, please read my articles.

I write articles on topics I enjoy writing about for regional audiences of women, moms and parents. I don’t tend to buzz these much because I sell and resell them year after year. Some day, I’ll put them all in a collection, but not yet. Chances are very good that your regional parenting magazine editor is already on my regular contact list.

I audio coach wide audiences of writers. This is new. I learned how to do this in the “flash class” to celebrate the launch of The Writer’s Workout and it went so unbelievably well that I decided to do more in 2012. In the meantime, my newsletter subscribers have first dibs on the first audio coaching session this year.

I speak to large groups of writers. I give keynotes, presentations, workshops, and I moderate panels. My objective whenever I speak is always to inspire writers to wake up and seize the opportunities that are right in front of us. Listeners tell me they are inspired into action by this focus. If you have heard me speak, feel free to get in touch and let me know what you thought.

I teach small groups of writers on a six-week basis. I have been teaching groups of writers consistently for ten years. My writing classes launch writing careers. I teach five sessions of small classes a year. My students learn skills that they can immediately apply to their writing, selling, self-promotion, specializing, and micro-publishing repertoire.

I train small groups of former students on a half-year basis. I have been doing this for two years and I absolutely love it. Via my five-month training groups, my former students get more support from me, I get to encourage them as a group, and the members encourage each other. The results are so powerful they sometimes bring me to tears.

I produce my own success while simultaneously partnering with trust-worthy others. Don’t skip over the “trust-worthy” part. If I feel that if someone is no longer an excellent resource, I will simply stop recommending them. I don’t just partner with anyone for the sake of cronyism. I am selective, conscientious, and a good judge of character.

I am a writer, a writing career coach, a speaker, and a teacher. I keep writing at the center of everything I do. And I encourage every other writer on the planet to do the same thing.

I help writers get from however they feel today to personally and professionally satisfied with their writing life. There is no reason to wait. Success is not “out there.” It’s right here and it’s always waiting for us to wake up and get back to work.

Writing career success never happens overnight. The job is never done. But you’d better believe that it happens. And it can happen for you in 2012. I hope that it does. And I hope that my work is helpful.

2011 has been something of a mess in publishing as publishers scramble for survival amidst full systems change.

The bottom line is some publishers will work it out and some won’t.

I predict that 2012 will be the year that publishers remember the importance of partnering with authors, rather than merely treating authors like “content” they can “leverage.”

That’s my great hope for publishers, anyway.

Against the backdrop of all of this mess, focused writers have to still be able to ground and gain traction in their writing careers. I know, because I train them.

And when I look around at my peers, other authors, long-time freelancers, and teachers,  I see that it’s the most focused who are still able to flex their writing skills for income.

In other words, those who can flex their skills still earn.

And those who freeze up in fear and refuse to learn…well, I’m not really sure what’s going on with them.

The bottom line is, you either see the changes in the publishing landscape as a challenge to take on or you let your fears lead you into dark places.

The writers who are still writing in 2012 will have faced the dark times and figured out how to thrive anyway.

During 2010 and part of 2011, I wrote a book about how to grow a creative career no matter what is happening in the economy or the publishing world.

I’m not saying that neither matter, I’m just saying you either roll over and die or you roll up your sleeves and dig deeper within yourself.

That’s what the lesson of tough times is supposed to be. If there’s not going to be any growth, then what’s the point of all this?

You either get caught up with the negative Neds and Nellies or you put your creative energy into growth, innovation, and partnering wisely.

You either take your writing career into your own hands and produce yourself (which I have been saying since 2005) or you concede that you have been pretending that this was true, while you were secretly hoping that the publishing industry was going to parent you like a child.

The publishing industry has no interest in parenting writers. (And neither does anybody else, for that matter.) Writers need to man- and woman-up and grasp the opportunities that are right in front of us.

Are you in charge of your writing career or not?

You have a whole day stretching out in front of your like a field of infinite potential.

And you could take five or ten steps today that would insure you will still be around writing tomorrow.

Take those steps, writers. And ignore all the nonsense out there. There’s still plenty of it with more cropping up each day.

Steer clear of the yimmer-yammer—do your work, instead.

Because the writers who are doing their own work, are crushing it.

What can you do?

• Update your professional portfolio.
• Update your online website/blog/portfolio.
• Organize your past work. Look for ways to re-purpose it.
• Figure out your platform dynamic by taking my “Build Your Author Platform” self-study course (coming in January) or my Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform course.
• Make a plan to take your writing career to the next level by leveraging the best of what you’ve done and the best of what you currently offer.

In 2012, I’m leading writers into a bright future. I hope you are coming with me.

~ Photo by JulieRed

Here are ten reasons I love platform development and building that I want to share with you. These are also the reasons why I never tire of platform development/building and will never stop doing it.

I dedicate this post to all of my students who work in such a holistic, integrated, joyful manner towards profitable self-expression, continually learning and discovering things about themselves and their readers along the way.

Love platform-building because:

1. There is nobody else like you, who is passionate about what you are passionate about, and who expresses what you express in the world the way you express it.

2. You never stop joyfully growing your platform, even after you get published,  even after you hit the New York Times Bestseller List, even after you are famous, and even after you are a household name. It’s just a part of any genuinely creative person’s life.

3. You are a creative person, who gets to do creative work and share creative work with the world. What’s wrong with that?

4. Even when you are over-tired, over-wrought, and creatively exhausted, you will have the satisfaction that you did your best creative work and shared it with the world. And this is an extremely empowering feeling, which often leads to future creative work.

5. There are no rules! No one person has the secret platform-building formula. I spend most of my energy encouraging my students to find their unique note and sing it more loudly, expressively, and confidently. I encourage creatives to tap into what makes them uniquely powerful not become a clone of me.

6. You are not done yet. You are never done. You are a work-in-progress living in a world-in-progress. You get to realize your full potential on a daily basis. Not too many day jobs expect this of you.

7. Just as anything can be elevated to an art form, platform-building can also be elevated to an art form. And why wouldn’t you do it in your own particular kind of signature style? I call this social artistry. You should try it.

8. If platform development/building is uncomfortable or you hate it, you might be following bum advice. Even in the early stages, platform development should be expressive, creative, and empowering. If it doesn’t feel this way for you, take a step back and consider starting over with fresh priorities.

9. Platform busywork is not a replacement for your core creative work. Your writing, art, singing, acting, or whatever is your primary form of expression must be your first priority. At the end of a typical creative work day, platform development and building should probably not take up more than 20% of your energy. Or devote one day out of five to platform maintenance.

10. You still have other important things to do besides creating and platform-building, like selling, specializing, learning, and growing. Platform should accentuate your professional strengths and the beauty your work brings to the world. But you should not become a slave to your platform. You should not let platform squelch your creativity or self-expression. You should keep platform in perspective.

Putting platform before creative self-expression is always going to create tension because platform is an extension of creative self-expression, not a substitute for it.

If platform isn’t an extension of your creative joy, then there has been a major mis-communication.

Your platform is an extension of your creativity. And your creativity, I hope, is connected directly to your joy.

So, back to work, people. First on your creative work…and then on your platform.

~ Photo by Peter Nijenhuis

Number of cups of coffee: 3

Number of trips taxi driving back and forth to school: 2

Number of blog posts written: 3 (including this one)

Number of times dogs taken out: 3

Loads of laundry washed: 0

Number of chapters written for book: 3.5 (not nearly enough)

Number of time husband nagged: Only a couple

Number of cups of tea: 1

Number of emails responded to: Couple dozen

Dishes washed: 0

Number of family members notified about Samantha’s part as young Cosette in “Les Mis”: 18

Number of e-zine issues sent out: 1

Number of cats patted: 2

Number of minutes spent throughout day on Facebook: 15

Number of cats scolded: 2

Number of times microwave used: Too shameful to divulge

Number of editor requests responded to: 5

Number of times asking daughter if she is “listening to my words”: More than I care to share

Number of lunches rescheduled: 1

Number of minutes spent throughout day on Twitter: 10

Number of invoices sent: 1

Number of hours creating article database: 3

Number of kisses, hugs and “I love yous”: Plenty to go around

Number of rejections: 1

Number of writer mom friends called: 1

Number of interruptions to phone call: About 5

Number of checks in the P.O. Box…I’m off to find out.

Have a great week!

~ Photo by Stewf

I’ve got news…

Personal Essays That Get Published: Level 2 is here! Woo-hoo!

It’s been a long time coming but I have finally talked Abigail Green into offering a Level two for her Personal Essays That Get Published Class. The description is posted and the first one is slated to launch November 3rd. Details here.

Thing is, you can’t take the advanced level unless you’ve taken the level one class. I know a lot of my readers have already taken it but, if you haven’t yet, and you want to take level two, you can sign up for Personal Essays That Get Published, which begins September 8th. More here.

Check out what Abby’s students have to say about the class and you’ll see why I nagged her into teaching a second class.

Also, check out her post, “Confessions of a Belated Writing Instructor” if you want to see her strut her stuff.

• • •

Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform Scholarship Deadline Extended!

I can’t remember the last time I put my e-mail on auto-responder. But I sucked it up and did it. I have heard this crazy rumor that it’s actually a good idea to take a break from being on your machine 24-7 and spend some time in nature with people you love.

Interesting idea, huh?

I stink at unplugging. So let’s just say I’ll do the best I can. And then I’ll report back and let you know how it went.

But not in real time because I’ll be (pretending, at least) that I’m unplugged.

Therefore, I’m extending the deadline for the lucky ducks applying for The Writer Mama Platform Development Scholarship. The new deadline is Sunday, August 22nd. I will alert those who have already applied.

In the meantime, if you have not yet applied, you can learn all about it, here. You are encouraged to apply!

• • •

What About The Writer Mama Back-To-School Giveaway?

I have been asked about The Writer Mama Back-t0-School Giveaway…will it be returning this year?

Sadly, the answer is no. My schedule simply won’t allow it. I’m sure that Judy Miller and I made it seem effortless last year (ha-ha), but it’s actually a ton of work with countless logistics to coordinate. So, with deep regret, I’m skipping it this year.

Not sure yet what the future will hold.  I don’t want to rule it out for next year because, let’s face it, it’s too much fun!

• • •

September Appearances:

Rose City Romance Writers, September 11th from 11:00-12:30, PCC Sylvania Campus. I’ll present “Get Known Before The Book Deal, An Author Platform Checklist.” More here.

The Northwest Author Series Presents Nicole Rubel
Hosted By Christina Katz
September 19th at 3:30 p.m.
Tickets at the door: $5/$3 for students & seniors
At the Wilsonville Library in the Oak Room
More here

• • •

Christina, Are You Going To Tell Us More About This Book Or What?

I’m keeping the new book under wraps until January 2011. After all, it’s not coming out for a long while yet. Not until Fall 2011.

The way I see it, I have two choices: I can either talk about it or I can write it.

This is something I learned in graduate school. If you really want to dissipate a great idea, tell everyone you know. By the time you are done, you will have nothing left to say.

So, I say nothing. Except when pressed.

Then I make vague, hedging comments. Shuffle my feet. Look down. Hem. Haw. Change the subject.

This doesn’t seem to satisfy anyone BUT I will spill the beans — and all of them — after the New Year.

And then I’ll probably talk about it non-stop until it comes out.

Thanks for understanding that I need to conserve my energy to write the best book I can while continuing to do all the things I already do.

Now I’m off to pack! Keep the ethers buzzing while I’m gone!

So often when we talk about writers, we talk about their physical spaces as being crucial to what and how they write. But it seems to me that “place” where writers write is more of an internal construct than an external construct. This idea was validated for me when I read psychologist and creativity coach Eric Maisel’s terrific book, A Writer’s Space, which I reviewed here.

In our space, he says, “Like a surgeon, your goal is to focus. You want to muster your resources and canalize your energy.”

Canalize. Is that the perfect word or what?

He also says, that we are not merely seeking “a quiet room” but also “mental health.” In other words, we are seeking that sane inner space as well as the calm external space before we even start to write. And in my experience these are both prerequisites for successful productivity.

I know that I write better without interruption (although ironically I am being interrupted as I type this sentence by my daughter who wants me to come and see her latest acrobatic trick). This is why I typically get up early to write when the house is as quiet and still as it gets (with the exception of the cats, who are typically pretty active at this time).

I also like to write when the house is empty. When Jason and Samantha are at school, for example. Or in the summer mornings, if they have gone over to the high school so Jason can work at his desk there.

I know that I am a morning person. I know that I do my best and most productive writing in the morning. When all else fails. When I have to write in the afternoon or evening, I try and remove myself to the most quiet spot in the house like the basement or out on the patio under the Redwood tree. Whatever it takes.

A lot of the movies that depict mom writers portray them running away from their life circumstances. This was the case with the film “Motherhood” (2009) with Uma Thurman.

Chaotic as home life can sometimes be when you have a family, I don’t relate to this depiction of the frustrated would-be mom writer fleeing her life because my most productive years as a writer have come since motherhood, not before.

I think the premise that makes writing and life all work together under one roof for us is that everyone in the family has creative work that is important to him or her and it is the job of each person in the family, which operates as a team ideally, to support the goals and dreams of each of the other members of the family.

I suppose this requires a lot of understanding and flexibility on all of our parts, but it has also become so habitual that it feels completely natural at this point.

So if Samantha needs help mastering her bridge back-bend, we support her in that.

If Jason needs help working on his play prep for “Les Mis,” we support him in that.

And if mommy (that’s me) needs time and space to write her book, they support me, too.

There is no room for keeping up with the Jones(es) around here. We could care less what the Jones family is doing. We are not in competition with them. Nor do we wish to be like any other family other than our own.

Though, naturally, we wish them the best of luck with all of their creative projects.

How do you balance writing time and the needs of your family?

Does everyone under your roof get to have and pursue their dreams?

How does this uphold their desire for self-expression?

And is your family happier as a result of family members supporting family members?

I look forward to your insights.

Photo by afterthetone

I am often asked by writers if I can work with them.

I can! And I do. All the time.

The only caveat is that I work with writers in fairly specific ways. I work mostly with moms who want to write nonfiction. I work mostly with women. And I only work with writers who plan to succeed.

In fact, after years of steady work, one of my students landed an agent last week. Yahoo! Several of my former students have first books coming out this year. And I could not even count how many former students were published in June, I’m sure.

On top of all of this teaching work, I actually do my own work too (somehow). In fact, on Friday, I received an offer on a third book with Writer’s Digest that I am VERY excited about. (Won’t be able to reveal details about this book until everything is nailed down, though, so bear with me.)

So, now that I am swinging back into book-writing mode, I am thinking about how I will structure my time as carefully as possible so that I can write the best book possible.

This Fall, I am offering four classes, hosting two classes for Abby Green, working with three Dream Teams, and phone coaching former students (in my copious spare time).

Often folks want to work with me who have not taken classes with me before, which is challenging because I strongly prefer to work with former students. So, if you’d like to work with me, the best way to become a former student is sign up for one of the upcoming Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff classes. This helps me get to know you and it helps you get to know me, and then we can work together better. The skills you will learn and practice will come in handy in any nonfiction writing career and the September class will be completely updated.

So, if  you are ready to write this Fall and you would like to work with me, I would welcome the opportunity to work with you.

I offer classes that can stand alone or build on each other over time. The vast majority of students who have gone on to become authors have taken repeated classes with me over time. Others are just happy to learn how to earn money writing about topics they enjoy. Hope to work with you soon:

Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff

Personal Essays That Get Published (with Abigail Green)

Discover Your Specialty & Launch Your Platform

Pitching Practice: Write Six Queries in Six Weeks

Dream Teams (Article Writing, Advanced Article Writing, and Platform Development)

As you may know, I always offer copious free and inexpensive opportunities to learn with me. You can read about them here. I am also the author of two traditionally published books and one e-book. Over the summer I will be adding more offerings with low-price tags. Subscribe to The Prosperous Writer e-zine in the upper right-hand corner to get and stay in the loop.

Here’s to our mutual success!

~ Photo by ElyceFeliz

Over the many years that I have been in business working both for myself and others, I have had to develop policies.

I think this makes perfect sense because, after all, and as I just said, I am in business. I work with lots of different people in lots of different types of situations, and naturally, when things don’t go well (meaning in a way that is win-win-win for everyone involved), the onus is on me to develop a policy so things will go better next time.

Policies of mine have arisen from the following types of questions:

Do I work with friends and family? (I have a policy for that.)

Do I want to supply the labor for your four-hour work week? (I have a policy for that.)

Do I offer refunds for my classes if a students poops out part-way through? (I have a policy for that.)

We have a conflict of interest, will I work with you/for you? (I have a policy for that.)

Most of my policies are internal policies. Which is to say that they exist in the back of the house, where I work. I don’t broadcast them in the front of the house, where I am visible. Policies are developed and brought into play on an as-needed basis.

I have found that because I have policies, I rarely need to use them.

Something important I’ve learned in the past ten years is that people have starkly differing views on how business should be conducted. In fact, I think I’ve seen the whole spectrum at this point, from those I respect and trust and want to partner with all the way to those who are presumptuous and have decided in advance what I am going to do for them and how they are going to benefit from my efforts without treating me with any kind of respect.

The hype of how the Internet has changed everything and now we are just one great big happy family has worn thin and given way to clearer and more healthy boundaries, for me and my business.

These clearer and more healthy boundaries have helped me create a clearer and more effective business. My students definitely benefit from my clearer focus. My writing also benefits. The amount of projects I can bring to completion have gone up.

I still can’t keep up with my inbox, however. And that’s even after changing my address.

Perhaps I need a policy there. Or at least a better system.

Friends respect your policies. People who don’t respect policies have words for people (particularly women) who have them. I won’t use that word here.

Some might feel that the new laws of “transparency” dictate that I reveal all of my business policies and every detail about the way I run my business in the front of the house. But that’s ridiculous.

In fact, one of my newest policies relates to preventing seemingly nice people who are “my biggest fans” from robbing me blind.

And I can tell you how to do it.

By having policies.

~ Photo By Terry Balin

My iPhone is plugged in and charging in the kitchen as I type this blog post on my laptop in the sunroom when the phone starts to ring.

Am I going to get up and go get it?

Nope.

Because I’ve got something to say and you can bet that as soon as I pick up that phone and say, Hello?, I will lose my train of thought.

The phone is ringing again. This person is persistent. They clearly think I should answer the phone.

Am I giving in?

No.

By the way, my daughter is with my husband right now. His call has a special ring, so I would know if he was calling. And, naturally, I would answer.

Ditto if my daughter was at school, and I hadn’t programmed a special ring from the school (I haven’t yet), and the phone rang, I would immediately get off my duff and go check the phone to make sure it wasn’t an emergency call regarding her.

That’s just how working moms are. We have our priorities. They are not negotiable.

Everyone else can wait. At least when I’m focused on my work and there is nothing else so critical as to merit my immediate attention.

Writing takes concentration. Administrating my career also takes focus. Maintaining my schedule of what I choose to freely give also takes considerable time and energy. Why would I give my time, my most valuable resource, away to others?

If you are having trouble with focus, let me run down a quick list of things for you of things that can probably wait:

• E-mail reading and responses can wait.
• Social networking, including all of the usual suspects, can wait.
• Paperwork can wait.
• Chatting with girlfriends can wait.
• Planning your family trip to Disney or your business trip to New York can wait.
• Perhaps blogging can and should wait. (For me, today, it could not wait. Other days, it certainly can.)
• Sales calls coming in not only can wait, those people can be put on a do not call list.
• Anyone who thinks you just sit home and play on your computer all day can definitely wait (and needs to be gently reminded that you are a working professional with a daily work schedule and deadlines).
• People who want to create drama can not only wait, but you should put them on special rings that make doom and gloom sounds because that’s the impact they are going to have on your career.

Basically, if you are a working writer, the only people you should allow into your workday are those who respect you and your time.

You will recognize them because they  will either come right out and ask, “Is this a good time to talk?” or they will send you non-urgent e-mails that you can reply to when it’s convenient for you. Certainly, they will never take it personally or feel rebuffed if or when you say, “Sorry, I’m busy. I can’t talk/tweet/meet right now.”

And, naturally, there are plenty of situations you cannot ignore. You will decide what they are and respond to them more spontaneously.

Part of being a grown-up is not getting thrown off your game by someone else dictating when and how you should be available to them.

I was a late bloomer when it came to becoming a grown-up. I have since witnessed sixteen-year-olds who are so good at managing their time that I am in awe of their self-respect.

I would like to be in awe of your self-respect too. I would like you to be available when you wish to be available and not available when you’d really rather not be. And please don’t feel like you have to apologize for your lack of availability.

It’s not up to me how much time you spend with your arms wide open. It’s up to you.

Capitalize on your ability to choose when you are available and when you are not available. It’s the only way you’ll get your work done. It’s the only way to succeed in the long run as a creative.

Photo by dragontoller

In my first book, Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (Writer’s Digest Books 2007) I said, “Writing is a rhythm, not a formula.”

What I meant is: Writing success comes from finding your rhythm, not following someone else’s formula.

In a recent interview over at Key Business Partners, LLC, I said: “Writing career success is all about finding your rhythm and then repeat, repeat, repeat.”

In 2010, I wrote a column for “The Writer Mama” e-zine on the topic of mom writers finding their success rhythms across all the kinds of tasks that mom writers must focus on, which include Craft, Pitching, Platform-building, and Professional Development.

So do you think I think that every writer needs to find his or her own rhythm in order to be successful?

Yes. I think that’s pretty obvious.

I have my own rhythm, you have your own rhythm, and I really don’t believe that any two rhythms are alike. I just know that a writer has got to find her rhythm and then groove in it.

But never has it been as clear to me how true this is than when I watch the participants in my Dream Teams, writing for publication and platform practice groups that began in January.

As soon as someone checks in with the group, I can tell if this person has found her rhythm and if she is groovin’ it or if she’s still struggling to find her rhythm.

You want to know why?

Because a person who has found her rhythm has momentum and a person who hasn’t found their rhythm is always trying to get some momentum going.

Now, don’t think I can’t relate to needing/wanting/trying to get momentum going. We just moved and I have been missing my momentum for a couple of weeks now.

But here’s the thing about momentum, once you’ve had it, and experienced your own groove for any length of time, it’s easier to get it back when and if you lose it.

Let me rephrase that: if you are a writer mama, you will lose your rhythm at some point. This is practically a given. You might lose your writing rhythm, your pitching rhythm, your platform-building rhythm, or your professional development rhythm–you might even lose them all at the same time, as I have recently.

But the good news is, once you’ve had any of those, you can quickly pick them right back up and move forward again. Because you know what it feels like. You have the muscle memory to get yourself back into your groove.

The purpose of my Dream Teams is to help writers find, experience, and sustain their own momentum for a sustained period of time. And then they really don’t need me busting their chops any more. At least not for awhile, because once you’ve got rhythm, you’ve got it.

And I love that. Because I am not in the business of trying to get writers hooked on me or addicted to me or thinking that I am going to be their ticket to success.

No. I am very clear. And I have always been clear that you are the ticket to your own success. The only thing I can do for you, as a teacher, is help you find your groove. And then you are on your way…

How about you? Got rhythm? Share your thoughts.

P.S. This post undoubtedly contains typos. I just moved. Cut me some slack in this department, please.

Photo by Bess Grant