Congratulations to My Book Proposal Client Melissa Walker
Whenever I share on social media about a book writing client’s success, I have mixed emotions. I never want to steal the attention and thunder from their hard-earned success. And–in life, it’s always a both/and, right?–I think there’s a way to talk about a client’s success as well as my work in a way that […]
WORDS CHANGE US: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
WORDS CHANGE US I submitted my memoir to agents. The book’s working title is: Shiva Blues: A Seeker’s Journey. It’s about travel, kicking an addiction to strong pharmaceuticals, and trying to live against the grain of American Big Alpha toxic masculinity…but, primarily, the book is about personal transformation. Is transformation possible? If so, how do […]
Short Memoir: On Finding Your Author Voice
I want to tell you about a book that, each time I open it, makes me a better writer. You probably haven’t heard of it, or of the author, Ted Solotaroff. It’s not a best-seller like Bird by Bird or a popular favorite like Stephen King’s On Writing. In fact, I’ve never seen another copy of this essay […]
How to Cultivate a Bigger View in Writing and Life
Seeing our planet–the entire misty blue sphere–from outer space changes one’s perspective. Astronauts who’ve experienced this say it’s like a mystical experience. It changed them. This big shift in consciousness is called The Overview Effect. The term was coined by astronaut Frank White. He wrote that he was profoundly changed from seeing the earth as […]
How to Write an Irresistible Book Proposal
Do you seek to publish your nonfiction book with a traditional publisher? Then you’ll want to write a compelling book proposal. To help you get started, I’m offering you this free guide to writing your book proposal. I am an experienced book-proposal coach. I help people write powerful, irresistible book proposals. If you’d like my expert guidance […]
Why Writers Need More Self-Compassion and How to Cultivate It
As a book writing coach, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to help my clients. Sometimes ideas come to me while watching Netflix. I recently watched Bruce Springsteen on Broadway on Netflix. Springsteen’s playing is rousing. His storytelling, more so. But the show’s true gift is watching Springsteen unmask himself. He bashes myths about himself […]
Yoga and My Quest for True Self
A consistent yoga practice can be powerful. It’s like standing in front of a mirror and staring at your reflection. This can be frightening for anybody, but for a middle-aged man it is especially so. First, you see things that surprise or shock you. Is my belly really that lumpy? Is my hair that gray? […]
How Travel, Journaling, and Yoga Bring Us Home to Our True Self
Working in memoir requires a writer to stand in the fire of truth. This means holding ourselves accountable to seeing what’s true about our lives. Part of my process as a book writing coach is to point clients to ways they can write with a more open heart. Writing well about our life requires us to open our […]
Short Memoir: How Dogs Show Us How to Love Unconditionally
When I used to travel a lot as a magazine writer, I tried to work fast so that I could explore more of the countries I visited. I gravitated toward holy sites. Temples, churches, ashrams, ancient ruins, active charnel grounds. I wasn’t a believer, so I wasn’t even sure what “holy” meant. But those sites, […]
How Bhakti Yoga Brings Us Back to Our Hearts
Spiritual practices are an important way I stay connected to my deepest self. Yoga and meditation are my go-to practices. When I practice consistently, I do better at staying grounded in the present moment. And when I stay grounded in the NOW, I am slower to react to difficult situations and people, and I’m better able […]
How Travel Changes Us
In 2011, I spent three months on walkabout in Israel and Palestine. At the time I was struggling with life. I wanted to see if I could believe in a higher power again as I did in my youth. I walked miles and miles in Jesus’ footsteps. Soaking in the Jordan River, I realized that I couldn’t […]
Short Memoir: How Pilgrimage Shows Us the Way Back to True Self, Part 2
Something changed in me that day on Mount Arunachala. I glimpsed something I’d never seen before. At least, not since I was a boy. It was only a glimpse, so I can’t say for certain what I saw. But during and after my circumambulation, I peered deeper inside myself than I had done before. Deeper […]