Hi Reader, I'm excited to see you live on Tuesday for the first session of the Mini-Memoir Method led by me and Linda Joy Myers. Please set aside 30 minutes before Tuesday to review these instructions — it will make a real difference in your experience. Required Reading Please login to the Mini-Memoir Method course. All the information you need lives here. Find links to access the sessions, the course materials, and the discussion group. Please get familiar with the rules and discussion group...
about 17 hours ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Thank you for registering for Introduction to the Mini-Memoir Method, an introduction to our four-week course that begins June 9th. Enroll by May 30th for the early-bird discount. Start reading the class materials and watching bonus pre-recorded videos as soon as you join. The community is open June 2 through July 7 to give you a chance to connect with us and other writers in the group. It was a joy to spend this time with you this morning. Here's the replay and other links we...
13 days ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, If you're working on a memoir, you know it's a long road. But what if you could start publishing parts of it now — while it's still in progress? Join me and Linda Joy Myers to discuss how to turn scenes, chapters, and standalone memories into polished, publishable stories — for literary journals, anthologies, your blog, or Substack. Already published? You can adapt chapters into short pieces that generate new readers and keep your book alive. Introduction to the Mini-Memoir...
24 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, I'm thrilled to be offering this class with my longtime colleague and friend Linda Joy Myers at the National Association of Memoir Writers. If you've ever felt stuck staring at your manuscript wondering where to begin—or begin again—this class is for you. Here's what I've learned from years on the road and on the page: the big story gets clearer when you write the small ones first. One scene. One memory. One true moment. That's the mini-memoir approach, and in two hours Linda Joy...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Before anything else, I want you to know this: you currently have full access to Author Friendly, my writing and publishing Substack as a thank-you gift from me. It’s equivalent to an $80 annual subscription, and it’s my way of saying thank you to longtime subscribers who’ve been reading, learning, and showing up over the years. There’s nothing you need to do to receive it. AUTHOR FRIENDLY: PUBLISHING HELP FOR WRITERS ON SUBSTACK I also wanted to take a moment to explain how Author...
4 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Publishing 101 begins this Tuesday, January 20 and, just a heads up, I won't be opening enrollment again until next year. If you're working on a memoir, novel, or any fiction or nonfiction book, and you want to finish it with confidence and professional publishing standards, this is the moment to join. Publishing 101 is designed to support you while you draft or revise, so publishing decisions don't become a confusing slog after your manuscript is finished. This program isn't about...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Hey, thank you so much to those who showed up for yesterday’s conversation. I left the session energized but by the thoughtfulness and honesty you brought into the room. You didn’t show up casually. You showed up engaged, curious, and already doing real work. Whether you attended live or you're catching the replay, I want you to know this is a long email! Please skim, pause where something resonates, and come back if you want. I wrote it this way on purpose. But first, here are the...
5 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Well, that didn't take long - apparently my brain is still living in 2025. Thanks, Sybilla, the first subscriber to email me about the "2025 goals" in my subject line. Aaarg. Hey, has anyone else done this yet? Once? Twice? Ten times? 🤪 One more time... this is 2026, and I'm not gonna forget it again. (Famous last words.) For writers Okay, here is the link to my invite to discuss publishing your book this year. (Ha! Notice how I got around writing the exact year?) >> Register here...
5 months ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, "Finish my book" tops so many resolutions lists this year—mine included. I have at least five more books to write, and 2026 is the year I finish and publish two of them. I have accountability partners, the know-how, and I'm "in residence" on my parents' property in Morgan Hill. No major travels planned. My motorcycling days are behind me (though a big scooter may be in my future), and I'm rediscovering the joy of mountain biking that sustained me before my career in motorcycle...
5 months ago • 2 min read