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n October, I bought two amaryllis bulbs. According to the photos on the box, one would produce a brilliant red flower while the other would be a crisp white. I thought they would make a lovely decoration on my mantel when they bloomed, which I assumed would be close to the holidays.

Regret and hope can both be terrible burdens because they can lead to fear. Fear that our hopes won’t happen. Fear that our regrets have defined us. And fear, of course, makes us feel stuck.

I’ve always been conflicted about making New Year’s resolutions. On the one hand, I know that the failure rate for these resolutions is high—roughly 80% of them fail by mid-February.

When I sat down to write my first book, I was terrified. I had spent years as an editor, but now, as a writer, I didn’t know where to begin. So I did what people do when they’re afraid—I called a friend.

Learn how to set a goal and earn rewards on Bookflow with this step-by-step demonstration video! It's a great way to stay motivated and on track with your writing.

Getting started on Bookflow is easy! This step-by-step demonstration video will teach you the basics of creating a project and beginning to write.

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and when I came to the Northeast for college, I have to admit, I was confused by the snow. As a kid, I had always heard that each snowflake was different, a miracle of intricate detail. But that wasn’t what I saw in New York state.

Yes. I’m one of those weird people who is an extroverted introvert. That is, I love chatting with people and am very social. But talking to people makes me exhausted, and I always leave the party early to crawl into bed and read. I am, in fact, famous for that.

Today is StoryCorps’ National Day of Listening, which is intended to encourage people to have a meaningful conversation with a loved one. Today is also, of course, Black Friday—a day of insane, “door-busting” deals on electronics and housewares and clothes and anything you can think of.

My husband has a good friend who spent five years living in Alaska. Once, when we were walking around on a snowy day, I asked him how he dealt with the cold. “You relax into it,” he told me.

Even before the last candy disappears from the bottom of the Halloween bowl, holiday promotions start showing up in my mail and inbox. The thing is, though, that as I get older, I find that I don’t really want things with the same intensity that I did when I was a child.

Lately, I’ve been taking spin classes. Spin isn’t actually my preferred form of exercise, but the class is at the right time for my schedule, so I go.

When I graduated from college, I spent a year and a half teaching and living in Guatemala. That November, to celebrate the Day of the Dead, I went with a few friends to Santiago Sacatepequez, a town roughly an hour outside of Guatemala City. We were headed to a kite festival.

My interest in checklists started about ten years ago when I read an article by Atul Gawade in the New Yorker. In it, he tells how Dr. Peter Pronovost decided to make a checklist to tackle a single problem—the problem of line infections.

It’s mid-October, AKA Prime Time for goblins, ghosts, witches, and monsters. Why do we love this weird holiday so much? Why do we love to be scared?

The other day, I was talking to my husband about different kinds of writers. I was pointing out that not all writers are goal-driven. Some simply enjoy the writing life and the positive benefits that writing gives them.

The next time you’re hit with a regret, pause to consider what you learned or gained before returning your focus to work or the present moment.

Generally speaking, writers are sensitive people. This is part of what makes them want to write. And this is why it is so important for writers to support other writers.

I’ve heard it said (okay, on Twitter) that writing is fighting. And sometimes it is—fighting for something by giving it a voice, or fighting against our own fears. But writing is also observing and being compassionate to ourselves and others.

Writing can be lonely, which is an interesting paradox, given that it is an attempt to communicate. It can be helpful to remember that we write, we are looking for that which is universal that lives within specific events, and this is a realm that is greater than any single one of us.

Whenever I give a workshop, there are always people who want to pick my brain about getting published. How to get an agent, how to write a query letter, how to approach publishers, how to make sure you’re being marketed correctly, etc.

Stories are not a single idea that you write down; they are many ideas that have been assembled, page after page, into an integrated whole. They are ideas for characters, observations, settings, incidents, reactions, objects, and more.

When I created Bookflow, I insisted that we place a fresh writing exercise/thought prompt on the home page every day. I love knowing that there is always something I can play with or explore before I sit down to my “official” project

I know many writers dream of fame and fortune. These things are wonderful, but they are not in our control. What is in our control is the art itself, and our own willingness to learn from the process. This is how we teach ourselves...by letting the art teach us.

Stories are the way human beings understand events. This week, try telling yourself a positive story, one that gives credit to your efforts and achievements. If you want to write, take a few moments and do so, then congratulate yourself for your productive creativity.

Our lives are dynamic entities, and we have to remember that we can’t always do every single thing to live our Best Life at all times. Sometimes, you have to just live the life you’ve got. But it’s important to remember, also, that doing a bit of something is okay.

I’ve often people write letters to their past selves, telling themselves things they wish they had known when they were young. But we can do the same thing for our future selves.

Our minds wander. That’s because humans are innately curious, and our minds are always looking for thoughts to fasten on to. So this week, take a long walk. Stare out of a window.

I used to think that my writing was “unartistic” because I like to use outlines. And I have heard many character writers bemoaning their inability to wrangle plot. But–trust me–whatever you are doing is right.

You know you’re a writer when even the Email you send to complain about a computer bug is thoughtfully composed, appropriately descriptive, and--frankly--funny.

There’s a little meanie who lives in my brain; you might have one, too. This meanie is mean. He knows just what to say to get me to feel badly about myself and to give up on my creative projects.

Friends, readers, and fellow writers, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: You do not have to write every day. I don’t. And I’m one of the most prolific writers I know.

In the workshops I’ve given across the country, I’ve met a lot of writers who feel comfortable developing character, but struggle with plot. Many people ask what a plot even is.

Prompts are intended to help you spark new ideas and, often, to help you build new skills. They are meant to be open to interpretation and use; how you handle the prompt is completely up to you.

Settings play a vital role in any story. They aren’t simply locations where things happen, they are opportunities.

Prompts are intended to help you spark new ideas and, often, to help you build new skills. They are meant to be open to interpretation and use; how you handle the prompt is completely up to you.

Offering criticism—even when it is done with utmost love and care—can be a tricky business. Writers are often sensitive creatures and writing, like any creative endeavor, is a vulnerable thing.

Story/acquiring editors are always on the lookout for good manuscripts. They want to buy wonderful stories. But sloppy writing can take focus away from a great tale.

Articles about work/life balance always separate these things as if work is work and life is going for long walks on the beach and drinking a piña colada at sundown.

There are many moments at which you must stop, reassess, think, and wonder. These are some of the most important moments in your work.

Every major character has a guiding belief, a core understanding of the world that determines her actions. This belief serves as the foundation for the character’s decision-making.

Prompts are intended to help you spark new ideas and, often, to help you build new skills. They are meant to be open to interpretation and use; how you handle the prompt is completely up to you.