I wasn't a goal setter early on in my career.

I was 39 when I started my first small business.

And suddenly, I had to make plans for the year. Or I wouldn't make my house payment.

Goal setting became...

At age 22, I received my most cherished and memorable Christmas gift: The Oxford English Dictionary (or OED) on CD-ROM.

Any nerves I had about marrying my fiancé (now husband) just a few days...

I rarely wring my hands about future catastrophic events.

I've got too many of my own troubles to think beyond dinner.

With four kids, two dogs, and college tuition for one more child still to pay,...

You likely won’t get rich from publishing a book. Most people don’t

While we all dream of writing the next bestseller, on average a traditionally published nonfiction book sells about...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Except for those schmaltzy Hallmark movies.
 
People call my bluff when I say my husband is the one who watches them. It’s true. If the...

You've probably heard some version of the phrase, "You don't know what you don't know."

And that's the absolute truth at the start of a writing project. For every writer.

You don't know what you...

Every book has a heart. It’s not just an idea; it’s why the idea matters. Whether it’s a nonfiction book, a memoir, or a novel, every book has a purpose. It has a...

I am a fan of hypothetical scenarios, like “What if I was stranded on an island by myself…”

Without question, I’d be doomed. I’d never figure out how to make fire,...

First I got rejected, and then I got paid.

At the Big Bang of my writing life, years ago (in the heyday of magazines), I submitted an article to a publication. And it was promptly rejected.

I...

If you’ve spent time searching for tips on writing, you’ve probably come across the phrase “show not tell.” It’s a tip authors, editors, and agents commonly throw...

I’m a decorating nut. My home has been featured in both Country Living and Flea Market Style magazine. And in Spring 2023, it will be published in a book called ...

A good friend had a so-called midlife crisis at around 45.

He was a pediatric ophthalmologist, a high paying, meaningful profession: He performed eye surgery on children.

But he was restless.

He...