Bridging the Gap Between Aspiration and Talent

My first quarter in UC Riverside’s Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA program, I studied fiction with Mary Yukari Waters. Mary said something once that was mind-blowing to me, a real lightbulb moment. Mary actually said many mind-blowing things over the course of our time working together, but this one in particular has stuck with me. Mary … Read More

Why You Have to Keep Going

Something happened to me this week that drove home to me how subjective the publishing industry is. I want to share it with you, writers, because I want to remind you that, when you know your work is ready, but it is rejected, it doesn’t mean it isn’t good enough. It often means nothing more … Read More

Celebrating the Wins

I’m celebrating a big win today. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now. But before I do, I want to tell you about my win, not to brag, although I’m proud of the accomplishment, but because it’s a perfect example of something I want you to know and to believe with all your heart: … Read More

6 Reasons Writers Should Journal

Like many writers, I’ve kept a diary or journal since I was a teenager. I wish I had my old journals, but after someone read my diary when I was fourteen, I burned it and vowed never to keep a diary again. I kept writing, though, and as is usually the case with young writers, … Read More

Appreciation & Inspiration

Today, I want to reach out to my fellow writers and readers to say that I am grateful for you. These dozen quotes remind me that I am not alone, that I live in community with my fellow human beings,  and that living a full life begins with appreciating the life I am living. I … Read More

A Writer’s Days

It’s still sunny here in California. But the weather is getting cooler—most noticeably when the temperatures drop suddenly and rapidly after the sun sets. During the summer, I get up from my desk, away from my computer, and outdoors at least once a day, sometimes more. I go for walks—I moved here to Pismo Beach … Read More

My Happy Place

I haven’t been to Monterey for more than three years now, but I’m dreaming of it lately, and I hope to get back to visit soon. Monterey is the place in the world that feels most like home to me. It’s the place where I feel most like myself and where I feel most inspired … Read More

Get Yourself a Muse

Image source: Hip-Hop Wired, Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty. Sometimes I get discouraged. Sometimes I think I can’t do it. Sometimes I feel like giving up. Confession: Within the past few months, I’ve considered whether I should give up on my writing dreams and just go about living my life. Call it imposter syndrome or fatigue—whatever it is, I … Read More