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.
News and Events
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 …
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, …
Behind The Pen: My Book of the Year Award Interview
Tammy Letherer, the 9th Annual CWA Book of the Year winner for Indie Nonfiction, discusses the struggle and trials that come with writing and publishing a memoir. Her belief is that to be a writer, one must just write and not wait for the right time or circumstances. Writing and journaling and having constant practice makes you a writer.
Divorce Unscripted: A Conversation on Finding Your Power and Peace
How’s this for a conundrum? I spent eight years writing a book about divorce, then when I finally reached those two magic words I’d been certain would never materialize on the page—the end—I discovered that I was expected to talk about it. A lot.
In my mind, once I put the story on paper, I’d never again have to relate this difficult time in my life. If someone had a question about my past, I could point them toward the nearest bookstore and say “Read the book.” I could move on to writing happier, made-up stories.
‘The Buddha at My Table’ Chosen as Finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards!
Winners and finalists are determined on a basis of superior written matter coupled with excellent presentation in every facet of the final published product.
Storm Warnings For Aspiring Writers
As I sit at my desk in Chicago, it seems surreal that less than twenty-four hours ago I was on a Florida beach with a rainbow stretched over my head. Actually, it was the second rainbow to grace me in three days, but when it comes to rainbows, you don’t count them, you simply stop what you’re doing and stare.
A rainbow moment is a right-brain moment, a burst of color and creativity from a higher realm.
Writing With a New Voice
On this cold and dreary winter day, I’m feeling warm fuzzies thinking about all the beautifully creative people in my life (yes, that includes you!). I love watching others express their unique visions and there’s nothing I enjoy more than seeing the seed of an idea take root and sprout into something tangible.
I also know that, sometimes, it’s hard to believe that our creative efforts will bear fruit. Projects can begin to look like the view out my back window: frozen, lifeless, dull.
Give Yourself the Gift You Need Most
I got a text this week that had four magical words in it. They were the same four words that had inspired me in the past to write a blog, so I searched my files and found that it was almost exactly a year ago, at Christmas, that a simple phrase from a friend became an unexpected gift. What were those words? Read on to find out:
Your Voice Needs to be Heard
Happy Holidays! I receive regular emails from a wonderful resource called The Daily Flame. They arrive like love letters full of guidance and inspiration from my “inner pilot light.” The one I got this week was so sublimely perfect and expresses my sentiments so well that I decided to share it here.
Consider this a sort of Santa swap, where I’m re-gifting these words to you.
