Jimmy uses story-based improv games to help writers quiet the overthinking, follow their instincts, and find out where a story wants to go when you stop steering so hard.
How Being an Airbnb Superhost Gave Me a Writing Superpower
I’ve been an Airbnb superhost for thirteen years, sharing my four-bedroom Chicago apartment with tourists, marathoners, traveling nurses, university students, and visiting professors. I’ve met Americans from coast to coast and travelers from nearly every continent. Thanks to my proximity to Northwestern and Loyola, there have been many PhD candidates: a scientist working on the …
Why Every Memoir Needs a Partner and a Plan
In this vlog chat with Anonymous Bells (hosted by developmental editors Colleen Alles and Megan Turner) we chat about several tips for aspiring memoir writers, including: Do not write your memoir alone: I emphasize the importance of having an editor, coach, or mentor by your side throughout the process. Because you are often too close …
Why ‘Keeping it Real’ is Hurting Your Writing
I heard the word “springboard” the other day and it made me flashback to the summer I was nine years old and went off the high dive for the first time at the community pool.
Except that I didn’t. What really happened was pure humiliation: I climbed the long ladder for what felt like ages, shuffled to the edge of the diving board, looked down, and froze. Uh-uh. There was no way I was jumping. With shaking knees, I backed up and started down the ladder, which was a slow process because I had to wait for all the kids behind me to back up too. And then I went home.
Apply for a Full Scholarship to Beach Glass Writers Residency
I’m excited to announce a full scholarship for the Beach Glass Writers Residency July 13-19, 2026. This scholarship covers: Total value: $995 Who should apply: Writers who would benefit from dedicated creative time but face financial barriers. All genres welcome – fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, essays. How to apply: Submit a brief statement (300 words max) describing: Application …
When Words Fail, Why Do We Keep Writing?
Last week, something tragic occurred two blocks from my house: a teenager took his life by jumping in front of the morning train. I’d heard the news, but as I walked my dogs the next day, I was still startled to pass the train station and see the memorial. Flowers, notes, and candles were arranged …
Woman of a Certain Rage: When Writers Stop Playing Nice
A few days before the No Kings rally, my husband and I are standing in the craft aisle buying poster board. By morning, I have a small arsenal of sign ideas, each one angrier than the last. One of my favorites is: Someone please punch Stephen Miller in the face. Scott looks at my ideas, …
The Secret to Mastering Your Writing: Relax
At the YMCA on Sunday mornings, I stand in the front row of Peter’s tai chi class, following his movements as he demonstrates the form with effortless grace. “Sink the qi. Let the movement flow from here,” he says, patting his belly. “Keep it loose.” When we relax, he explains, we free up power. We …
Where’s the Love? What to Do When Your Loved Ones Are Not Your Biggest Fans
I was telling my friend about my latest blog, excited about how it came together, proud of the ideas I’d wrestled into words. He listened, and then said matter-of-factly, “I’m not going to read your blog.” Not as a criticism. Just as a statement of fact. Like I should already know this. Like it was …
Choose Your Boulder and Get Rolling: On Sisyphus, the Writing Life, and Being an Absurd Hero
My husband and I were watching the TV show The Pitt when the main character made a passing reference to Sisyphus. A few days later, I came across a literary publication called Sisyphus. Two mentions in one week were enough to get me thinking about boulders. You probably know the myth: Sisyphus, punished by the gods for …
