Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

A few weeks ago, when I introduced the idea of how we can decide what to write next, I proposed several ways a writer can approach that decision. One was to write whatever’s next in sequence. Write What’s Next in Sequence If you’re writing a novel,

Last week I presented you with a long list of ways you can decide what to write next and then I promised to expand on some of them. - One suggestion was to decide to write something you can finish and ship fast. Projects Big and Small

Every day, a writer wakes up and asks, “What do I write next?” And the answer varies from writer to writer—even your own answer may change from week to week. Sometimes it’ll be obvious what to write next. When you’re approaching a looming deadline and that article or chapter must be completed, the decision is made for you. You sit down and work on that. But other days you have flexibility. You can write anything you want. How do you choose? Can we be sure the next thing we write is the right thing to write, or the best thing? Do we need to be sure? I don’t think there’s an absolute right or wrong answer. You choose. But you usually choose based on something, whether consciously or subconsciously. And if you make the choice based on something that rings true with your values and supports where you’re at in your journey, you can feel good about your decision. Ways to Decide The next few weeks, we’ll go through various ways you can decide, so you’ll feel a little more confident moving forward on whatever you

This fall, I traveled to New York City for the first time. - I’d been concerned about how to navigate the city; I'd never before been there. I didn’t know what to expect, and wasn't sure how things work. Should we take taxis? The subway? Uber? -

Not long ago, I presented to you the concept of a writing pipeline. The stages are: Research Ideas Drafts Final Edits Shipped Archive (or Portfolio) - A project enters the pipeline when it’s an idea,

You’re writing. Everything’s moving along just fine, and then. Huh. You hit a section that won’t flow. You write a line or two and it feels convoluted. Or you’re not sure how to best express the idea. Or something’s missing and you’re not sure what. Or you just stop, blocked. Try this. On the page—or on the screen, depending on where you’re writing—actually write this phrase: "What I’m trying to say is…” Then finish that phrase. Write, without stopping. Discover What You’re Trying to Say Finishing the phrase often: clarifies the complexity supplies the best words fills in the gaps clears away blockage Finish the phrase and ideas flow freely. By writing and finishing that thought, you discover what you intend to say, the message you plan to share, the idea you want to develop. If you’re plagued by a formal, stilted tone in your written communication, this phrase invites more natural expression—your writing voice emerges as you say what you’re trying to say in a straightforward, easy-to-unders

Writing takes time, and life is short. When experts recommend we post content on Facebook and on blogs and in newsletters and YouTube and all these places while we’re trying to write essays or articles or books, we can feel deflated and defeated. How on earth are we supposed to produce that much content? It’s easy to just say, “Forget it. I can only write one thing at a time." Repurpose Your Writing to Connect with More People I’m not super strategic, and I tend to write just one thing at at time, but I’m discovering ways to repurpose content in order to connect with more people in places like Facebook and on my blog and in newsletters. What I’ve been doing most often is writing one solid piece—usually an article that’s available as a podcast episode, like this one. Then, if it seems workable, I repurpose it—that is, I repackage it in some way, or cut it down, or, if its short, I expand on it. The various versions head out to appropriate destinations often with slightly different audiences and purposes. F

And so it begins. The holidays. Here in the U.S., Thanksgiving kind of kicks things off with gatherings and feasts and shopping and decorating. Over the weekend, lights blink on in neighborhood yards and Bing Crosby will croon Christmas tunes from the stereo most nights. It’s hard to know how much writing we can actually produce in the middle of the holidays. Do we write, or take a break? If we write, how much and how often? If we take a break, for how long? Writing and Not Writing on Breaks During Christmas break, my husband usually arranges for time off work between Christmas and New Year’s Day so he can coordinate with the kids’ break from school. When the children were little, I’d keep work hours to a minimum or put my writing and editing on pause during that time, to rest and focus on family. We avoided ambitious plans and stayed low key. We’d sleep in, work on a big puzzle, and watch movies. But in more recent years, I’ve been known to keep work hours during the holidays, finishing up a long projec

My husband is fluent in both French and English. During the first years of our marriage, I worked hard to learn some French on my own. I wanted to be functional in the language when we visited his family overseas.

In October, I had the honor of accompanying a client to New York City, where she met with her editor and publisher. In person. Face to face. Digital Connections: Intimate or Distant? In the digital age, face-to-face interaction is becoming more and mor...

Last time we talked about how lack of time is a universal frustration for people who want to write. And I offered a solution that could kickstart your writing and prove to yourself it can be done—you can write even when you think you have no time at al...

I hear it all the time. It doesn't seem to matter what stage of life we're in or what part of the world we're from. Regardless of age or gender or personality type, everyone says it: "I want to write, but I don’t have the time." Time Management Systems Only Part of the Solution You might think the only solution is to quit your job or hire a nanny. More likely, you’ve given up. Well, I guess that’s where you’re finding yourself if you’re someone who wants to write but doesn’t because of time…or lack of it. I don’t think you have to quit your job or hire a nanny. I also don’t think you have to give up. I could offer project management and time management solutions to help you eliminate some things from your schedule, plan your days efficiently, streamline your processes, and make the most of your time. And we could discuss distraction and motivation and nemesis and Resistance and procrastination. Because chances are, more than one thing is keeping you from writing, not just lack of time. It Can Be Done: You

A lot of my clients are preparing nonfiction book proposals to send out to agents and publishers. One of the sections they have to think through is their primary audience or target reader. We have to identify who this book is intended to impact.

In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, we follow the saga of King Arthur and his knights when, at one point, they encounter the Keeper of the Bridge of Death. Arthur explains that the Keeper of the Bridge of Death asks each traveler three questions.

Writers have to churn out content of all kinds, from blog articles and guest posts to magazine pitches and book proposals. You never want the well to run dry, yet you may have faced days when you opened your laptop and stared at the screen without a si...

In fiction writing, we refer to plotters and pantsers: those who like to outline their plot and write in an organized manner, the “plotters"; and those who write-by-the-seat-of-their-pants, the "pantsers.” Each approach reflects when and how you do your thinking. I know every writer has specifics to his or her approach, but here’s the general idea. Plotter, Pantser The plotter is imagining his characters and thinking through their struggles up front, before he writes a single word, planning out the story’s plot. The pantser has a basic idea and a main character or two, tosses them into a setting, gives them a problem, and starts writing—because he’s thinking as he writes and the story unfolds before him. Nonfiction Plotters and Pantsers While nonfiction writers and poets don’t technically have to plot out anything, I suspect writers in all genres can identify with one or the other of those general approaches. Maybe you’re a plotter-type who outlines essays and articles or works from a template for blog po

In Rumors of Water, L.L. Barkat recommends a book to her daughter. Barkat is out in the garden with her girls, who are pulling weeds, and one of the girls, Sara, has decided she hates Bishop’s Weed. Barkat tells Sara,

Young people graduate high school or college, apply for positions, and get stuck: no one will hire them because they have no experience, but they can’t get experience because no one will hire them. So they get a job at Starbucks to pay bills,

Last time we talked about taking a cue from Dani Shapiro and attempting to tell the story as we’re inside of it—potentially before the story has become a story. This requires us to write about life as it’s unfolding,

In her recently released memoir, Hourglass, Dani Shapiro says she used to teach her students that writers need distance from the event or events they intend to explore in memoir. I was quite certain that we could not write directly from our feelings,