Get Your Writing Done

Dear writers,

I hope you’re eating and keeping well this holiday weekend. My wife and I are just coming out of three weeks of battling colds and in my wife’s case, a nasty sinus infection. We’ve been...

When I started teaching full-time, I quickly realized something: the academic year was a beast.

Classes, meetings, students, committees — all perfectly capable of devouring every spare minute of the ...

For many writers every writing session is a negotiation with their future self. Do you find yourself asking, Should I write now or later? For how long?

When I was a graduate student, I asked myself ...

This past weekend I read a wonderful article about the Buddhist practice of taking a “dark retreat,” in which practitioners spend long periods of time in total darkness (Chris Colin, “I Went On a ‘Dar...

Are you stuck because you’re not sure the world needs to hear what you have to say?

In a recent workshop, one of the participants mentioned that she was suffering from imposter syndrome. Why should s...

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We’ve all been there.

The draft feels stuck, the notes aren’t talking, and your outline suddenly looks like wishful thinking. You can’t decide if what you have is any goo...

Earlier this week I discovered a fascinating book called The Story Grid. Written by Shawn Coyne, an accomplished editor, it’s a framework for analyzing stories—what’s working, what’s not, and why. The...

Listen to the podcast here. 

The biggest challenge for most writers isn't talent or ideas—it's simply showing up. Ever meant to write but somehow the coffee, inbox, or laundry won instead? You're not...

One of the biggest mistakes writers make with the 12 Week Year is simple: too many goals, too many projects, not enough time.

When I was a brand new professor and just getting started with the 12 Wee...

Earlier this week I read a thoughtful New York Times piece on the “September Scaries,” the seasonal version of the Sunday Scaries. If you’re heading into fall feeling a sense of loss or dread, you may...

Have you ever caught yourself thinking…

• “I’m not smart enough to do this.”

• “My writing isn’t good enough.”

• “If people knew the truth, they’d realize I don’t belong here.”

If so, we...

On Monday, I had a conversation with a former coaching client. She told me that one of the biggest wins for her from the 12 Week Year for Writers system was getting smarter about how she used her time...