Hello Reader,
If you read that subject line and thought, "them's fightin' words," you're my people.
Ever since I moved to Chicago in 2001 and a friend taught me tidbits of trivia about my new home, I've been hooked. I love uncovering the city's secrets.
If you've been on this list for awhile, you...
Hi Reader,
Want to learn how to skip the Yes Men of writing and actually say something with your prose?
Tomorrow's live training is all about those dreaded turns of phrase: clichés.
If you want to avoid clichés like the plague, sign up and you, too, will be painting pictures instead of writing...
Hi Reader,
Want to learn how to skip the Yes Men of writing and actually say something with your prose?
Tomorrow's live training is all about those dreaded turns of phrase: clichés.
If you want to avoid clichés like the plague, sign up and you, too, will be painting pictures instead of writing...
Hi Reader!
It's done! My second novel is done! If you pre-ordered the e-book, it's already in your inbox. If you pre-ordered the paperback, it will be on its way to you soon.
I'm really proud of this one. It went through a few rounds of edits, and my final editor--the super tough one-- told me...
Hi Reader!
Historian Wallace Steiner called America’s national parks “the best idea we ever had," and you know what? I agree with him.
Last week I mentioned I've been on a bit of a national parks kick, and it continues. Over the weekend I hit publish on a collaboration with several fellow travel...
Hi Reader,
Welcome back to Writing Weekly! This week, we're talking about varying your sentence structure to make your writing more engaging and effective.
It's easy to fall into a pattern of using the same sentence structure over and over. But by varying the length and composition of your...
Hi Reader!
What an afternoon! I had the privilege of speaking to patrons of Wilmette Public Library, a suburb north of Chicago. We did a virtual tour of five of my favorite national parks. So fun!
Now I'm home resting my voice because tomorrow I'm speaking to the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates...
Hi Reader!
Guess what I wrote yesterday...
THE END!!!
While I love the writing process, those two words are probably my favorite. There's this incredible feeling of accomplishment. There's also a feeling of completion, even though I know the work isn't done. For example, last night I spent a...
Hello Reader,
Last month, I was in Los Angeles and Denver exhibiting and speaking at the Travel and Adventure Shows. I had my books available for purchase, including my favorite.
It's all about Chicago history, and you might not think those would go over well in CA and CO, but I'm here to tell...
Hi Reader,
One of the most talked-about sessions from my travel writing workshop is the one where we excise the dreaded cliché.
Students lament: "I can never say 'hidden gems' again!" "I was by the ocean and heard 'crashing waves' - DOH! Can't say that!"
That session sticks with them, which means...