On Getting Out of Your Own Way

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On Getting Out of Your Own Way

Natalie Goldberg calls it monkey mind. Steven Pressfield labels it resistance. Elizabeth Gilbert describes it as fear. Regardless of the name, the concept is the same: it's the thing that stands in the way for so many of us wanting to accomplish a writing goal.

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What I Believe In

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What I Believe In

I've never bore witness to a more challenging political climate than the one our country is experiencing right now. The months in the lead up to the Iraq war comes a close second, where I marched in protest of the war with millions of people through the streets of London in the city's largest political demonstration in history. 

It's times like these where taking stock of what we believe is vital. Turn off the TV, the radio, put down your phone. Get quiet. Pull out a notebook and a fast writing pen. Here's your prompt: what I believe in. You don't have to address political issues or candidates. Tell me what you believe at your core. Ten minutes. Go. 

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KPOV Interview

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KPOV Interview

Last month, I appeared on Bend's local community radio station, 88.9 KPOV. Listen to The Point's Jacquie Elliot interview me about the writing process and upcoming writing events in Bend this fall. 

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On Writing Practice

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On Writing Practice

I like to call writing practice writing into the abyss. It is an act of faith. Day in and day out, you put pen to paper, without any guarantee of results, just like a young Olympic hopeful.

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Electrifying Verbs

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Electrifying Verbs

Verbs bring energy to a sentence. You don't need to ring your hands on every verb, of course, but sprinkling some eyeball-stoppers here and there will invigorate your work

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Creativity Quotes

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Creativity Quotes

Being a writer - or any type of creative for that matter - can feel lonely at times. There's no proverbial water cooler chat going on at my house. Just the noise of cars driving around the roundabout outside my studio window, my blue pen scribbling across the page. 

I often find companionship from books where the author describes their writing process and gives us a glimpse into the voices inside their head. They too procrastinate? They too self-doubt? Alas, I'm not crazy. In fact, quite the opposite: I'm in good company. 

creativity-quote-ann-patchett

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April Writing Intensive

April Writing Intensive

Join fellow writers in Central Oregon - new and seasoned - in a 30 day writing challenge. The ground will be warming up, and so will your writing muscles.