So you think you can avoid risk…

I spent my whole life afraid to make a mistake, to take a wrong turn.  I latched on to a man early on because I was convinced he had the map, that he’d get us both on the one right road. So sure I’d end up in the wrong place on my own, I followed him to Iran. Not...

One more way to spot a newbie

Lately, I’ve had my head in manuscripts just rife with purple prose. Purple prose, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is writing that’s so extravagant, ornate, or flowery, it breaks the flow and draws excessive attention to itself. Purple prose is...

Last kid to get picked for the team

Do you remember when you were in grade school and you had to line up in the gym and wait to get picked for a team? There you’d stand for a dog’s age as every other kid but you got chosen. Man, that feeling of not being quite good enough! Maybe you...

The painful book-writing process

Dr. Serena Sterling wasn’t sure she’d ever finish her book project. There were times, as her content developer, I wasn’t sure she would either. Because Serena wasn’t just writing about her business–helping people overcome chronic physical and/or emotional pain–she was...

Your motivation matters

Can I ask you a question? Why do you want to write a book? Seriously, do you even know? What’s your purpose for doing so? •     To create a beautiful work of art? •     To tell your life story? •     To outline your message? •     To serve as an expert calling...