by Dave Goetz

Experience alone is not enough to write a successful nonfiction book.

And yet, your experience is what gives your book authenticity, authority, and the ring of truth.

These are two...

When my son was on his high school mock trial team, I was given a crash course on the objections in law. 

To name a few, there’s “Objection! Argumentative.”...

 My sister and I love to watch Pride and Prejudice (2005).

Historical romance with a witty, relatable main character who refuses to settle for a loveless marriage? Yeah, it’s a favorite...

We live in a small house with a total of one closet. It’s problematic for a modern family. And especially for a self-professed clothes horse.

When we moved in, we carved out a small section...

I am a story snob.

I’m not as bad as my cousin whose critiques are borderline nitpicky. But I have high expectations for the media and literature I consume.  

I don’t like to waste...

I had an old-fashioned quarrel with ChatGPT the other night.

Maybe it was one sided. I yelled at him. He didn’t yell back.

I’ll call ChatGPT a “he,” along with 66% of the...

Each of us writes for a variety of reasons.

Some write to work out their pain. Others write as a creative outlet. Still others write to promote their business or nonprofit. The noble among us may...

I learned an important lesson about cohesion when we bought our 1923 brick bungalow 23 years ago and I painted my hallway pineapple yellow.

The color wasn’t a problem except its Miami-party...

We called it the “80% Rule.”

My first real professional job was as an assistant editor at a publication.

I acquired and edited magazine articles. I also edited books, since the...

My husband reads car repair manuals.

I’m grateful he has the brain to persist through that dreary copy—because when you own three used cars with hundreds of thousands of miles on each,...

Don’t bury the lede.

That is a principle that can be applied to many forms of writing.

It is especially true in hard reporting stories.

 In journalism, the “lede” or...

 I like to think of myself as an original. But, really, I’m a middle-aged female cliché. At least when it comes to the podcasts I tune into. I’m part of the 63% of women who...