Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life

Sensory imagery is what makes the reader feel like they’re there, so don’t skimp on it.

If I don’t have paper handy, I might type notes into my phone or record myself talking so that I don’t lose the language or the idea.

My hope is always that the new work feels at the same time like a natural continuation of the last book and a departure from it.

Being sensitive, attuned, observant—these things don’t just improve your writing, they improve your life.

I’ve found that anything that applies to writing also applies to life. Problem-solving is a creative act. Conversations are creative. Parenting is creative. Falling in love, leaving your job, changing your mind—all creative acts. Creativity isn’t just about making art.

Take a walk or a drive. Book a window seat on a plane. Sit outside—in your backyard, on a park bench, at a café. Or make sure your writing desk (or reading chair) is next to a window with an appealing view. Take notes as you move through your day, or imagine what the speaker, narrator, or character might hear, smell, taste, or touch: the birds chit

I’ve found it’s best not to be too finicky about the conditions.

Years spent with art are years spent in cocoon after cocoon after cocoon, always emerging changed.

Specifics are “sticky.” They’re like little burrs that attach to the reader and hold on. Don’t we all carry images, lines, snippets of dialogue, and bits of description from books we’ve read? Some memorable details have lived in my head for decades, even though the characters’ names, plot points, poem titles, or even authors’ names may have long ag