As the daughter of an entrepreneur, I have been a student of business since the day I was born. As a life-long businesswoman myself, it has been my passion to learn how to be optimally self-motivated, efficient, effective, and forward-moving.
As a creative, it has been imperative to balance those skills with the space art needs to grow.
It’s these concepts that it greatly fulfills me to pass on to other writers.
My topics of study have ranged from productivity, goal setting, health, habits, and work/life/heart balance, to web design, branding, and marketing.
I have tried and tested the strategies I have learned in my own life and those of my students’ to design techniques that promote creativity and productivity but more importantly, a genuine enthusiasm for the personal journey an artist takes on her way to reaching her career ambitions.
I often say that writing is my passion and teaching is my purpose. My goal as a guide and cheerleader to other creatives is to inspire them to bring together their head and their heart to consciously design their own path to success…in a writing career and in life.
Grow With Me
If you’re interested in inviting me to speak at your event, please use the form in the sidebar to submit your information. Below are some of the topics I speak on regularly, and I am always open to requests.
If you’d like take a course from me, please browse the topics below to gain immediate access, or check my appearances page for upcoming workshops in your area.
Workshop Topics & Webinars
Write a Successful Query Letter
Are you ready to start querying but the idea of catching an agent’s attention in one page or less intimidates you? Have you been querying for a while but have yet to get requests for pages? Come join us as we break down the elements of a successful query, review the query that landed my agent, and write queries of your own. Bring your current query letter if you have one, a notebook, a pen, and the determination to finally take the next step in your writing career!
Design a Writing Career You Love
Do you know you want to be a published author, you just don’t know which route is the best one for you? Do you struggle with creating a clear vision for the future of your career? As modern authors, we are lucky to have so many choices at our fingertips but sometimes having many choices can lead to analysis paralysis. In this workshop, we will discuss the pros and cons of traditional publishing, small publishing, and independent publishing and how to choose the one that most aligns with the goals you have for your writing career.
Your Most Productive Writing Year
As a writer, how many years do you feel have passed right through your fingertips with little to show for it? Do you struggle to fit writing into your life even on a day-to-day basis? Learn to create a more productive writing life by setting big picture goals for your year and acquire the tools to break those goals down monthly, weekly, and daily. You can make big progress toward your writing career this year!
Optimize Your Writing Week for Balance and Productivity
Accomplishing as much as you'd like each week is a constant struggle for writers as we juggle writing, promoting, work, school, and family. Somehow, writing always ends up last on the list. In this workshop, learn how to track your current habits and routines, the art of prioritizing, how to strike a healthy balance between all your responsibilities, and design a weekly schedule that provides structure with flexibility. By making gentle shifts in your current routines you can work toward a more balanced and productive schedule.
Writer Self-Care
Because writers have so many demands on their time, they can often neglect the habits that keep them happy, healthy, and refilling their creative wells. If you struggle with low energy, stress, or lack of creativity, you will benefit greatly from learning how to address overwhelm, set boundaries and expectations, and work physical and mental health practices into your daily routines. In this workshop, I will share habits for taking care of your most important writing instrument: YOU.Write a Novel In a Month
We've all heard about National Novel Writing Month--maybe you've participated, maybe you've been too intimidated, maybe you don't believe you can write something worthwhile that quickly. In this workshop, we will talk about the benefits of NaNoWriMo, how to get started, how to tap into the community to increase your productivity, how to overcome obstacles when they arise, and what you need to know about your story to hit the 50,000 word goal. Hear from an eight-time "winner" who turned her NaNoWriMo project into a traditionally published novel.
Forming and Leading a Successful Critique Group
A hugely important part of becoming a successful writer is giving and receiving critiques. It can often be hard to know where to find critique partners or how to start a critique group of your own. In this workshop, learn what to look for in a critique partner/group, how to give and receive critiques, how to create a group of your own, and how to set group guidelines for the best possible critiquing experience.Build Your Own Author Website with Wordpress
These days, in order to be a successful writer, you must also have a strong web presence, but hiring a web designer can cost a lot of money that most writers don’t have. Thankfully, there are many online tools that anyone can use to create their own author website with minimal cost and technical knowledge. In this workshop, we will discuss the importance of an author website, take a closer look at Wordpress, and break down what to include on your site no matter which stage of the publishing process you’re in.