Toolkit
So You’re Writing an Essay. But What Is It Really About?
To get from a pile of ideas to one essay, I ask myself three questions: What is this essay about? What’s it really about? What is it really, really about?
Little Lessons from Writing Newsletters
Sometimes you just need to claw out a few paragraphs on the page and hit publish. A newsletter can teach you how.
How to Set Yourself Up for Success at Your Writing Residency
This guide is meant for writers who are dreaming of getting away to write—and addresses the anxiety many of us feel when we finally get that treasured chunk of time.
New Year’s Resolutions for Writers (That Aren’t About Writing)
This year, rather than making resolutions about how or when you write, consider focusing on the skills and habits that will help you maintain a career in the ever-changing world of publishing.
How to Track If You’re Writing “Enough”
I call my instincts to organize and categorize a project that feels out of control the Religion of Office Supplies.
How to Be a Writer When You’re Highly Sensitive to Rejection
Throughout my writing journey, I’ve been working hard to cope with the inevitability of rejection in ways that work for me. I hope that what I’ve learned can help others.
Writer’s Block? Try Talking to Yourself
The self-interview is a way to ask myself real questions about whatever I’m working on without it feeling like work.
How to Get a Literary Agent
Query smarter, not harder, to find the right agent for you.
The Dinner Table Problem
When you’re ready to pitch or publish your work, a good question to ask yourself is: Why does this need to be an essay rather than a story you tell to friends over the dinner table?
How to Workshop Stories About Trauma
Not all feedback, even from a reader you hold in high esteem, will be appropriate for the story you’re trying to tell.