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Blog2018-06-27T20:39:04+00:00

Writhe What You Want To Know

By |November 20, 2023|

Questions come in all sizes. There’s the age-old: where did I put my keys? The hometown fav: are you really going to wear that? And the esoteric: who would I be if I could be anyone? I’ve been pondering questions and how, as a writer, I can use them [...]

Smile! You’re on Camera

By |October 31, 2023|

Video. When I watch myself in a video it's sort of an out-of-body experience; is that really me on the screen? Do I look like that? Why do I keep doing that weird thing with my eyebrows? We are forever critical of ourselves and [...]

Does this count as a story?

By |October 31, 2023|

We tried not to talk about work. It was Saturday, for crying out loud! But over coffee this weekend, my new friend Jane and I couldn’t help ourselves. We both love what we do. And we’re still getting to know each other. So eventually our stories turned [...]

Why Can’t I Focu…SQUIRREL!

By |October 10, 2023|

I am a writer who has earned her living writing and teaching storytelling for many many years, so you would think I would be a whiz at getting my work done. Work being, writing. Sigh. I so envy those creators who can sit at [...]

Metrics worth measuring for our messages and ourselves

By |September 28, 2023|

Last week Jeff Herrington told me about a clever set of metrics he created to help businesspeople master the lessons he teaches in his writing workshops. His approach is so smart, I’ve been thinking about meaningful metrics ever since. After Jeff coaches a group to [...]

Your slides don’t have to suck

By |August 30, 2023|

I hate PowerPoint. More accurately, I hate the materials so many people produce with PowerPoint. Most slide decks are dumping grounds for all that’s known on a subject. They’re encyclopedias of facts, figures, and far too much info. Newsflash: A dumping ground does not inspire [...]

Is Storytelling now C.R.A.P.?

By |August 15, 2023|

Is my life’s pursuit of great storytelling now defunct, cast into the bin of “that used to be a good idea?” I ask this because the word Storytelling is now everywhere, used for all kinds of reasons, and thus makes me ask: has the word lost its [...]

Are you having fun yet?

By |July 30, 2023|

Last week my husband took his camera on an image-seeking adventure across the plains. Since starting his full-time gig as a professional photographer earlier this year, he’s experienced a full range of highs and lows. On the best days, he’s exhilarated by the hunt for a [...]

What it means to be a writer: Pay Yourself First

By |July 12, 2023|

While you couldn’t say my father was on the quiet side, he wasn’t the type to make small talk about the weather. Instead, he spoke when he had something to say. Although, he did have a few “somethings” that he like to repeat, over and [...]

Work like an artist on your business content

By |June 29, 2023|

Earlier this month on a cold rainy Sunday, my husband and I were out “glamping.” Our RV is well-stocked with diversions to keep us occupied on just such a day. I read for awhile, took a short nap, then pulled out a bulging box of [...]

Love Affairs Come and Go. A Good App is Forever

By |June 15, 2023|

You might call me a serial dater. I fall in love quickly, get bored or flummoxed, then off to the next one I go. Love affairs happen in all aspects of life and here, it's software I'm thinking about. There are so many apps and [...]

What Do You Say “Yes” To?

By |June 1, 2023|

Are you the type of person who says Yes? The other week I was listening to extemporaneous speeches given by our students in a leadership development program. We've been working with them on storytelling and presenting skills. Their charge on this morning was to randomly [...]

Are You a Writer Who Waits?

By |May 20, 2023|

Playing Waiting Games I’ve been a little obsessed with the idea of waiting, the joys and pains of it. Expectation and anticipation are a form of waiting that offer an element of surprise, a hint of ooh, this is exciting. Other forms of waiting just suck. [...]

Tools of the Trade: Where did I Put That List?

By |April 3, 2023|

  I don’t know anyone who doesn’t keep some kind of list, whether it’s grocery, ToDo, or “bucket” style. Entrepreneurs have become millionaires by creating methods to not just help us generate lists, but to get us addicted to the high of “checking the box” [...]

Don’t Get Mad. Make It Up.

By |February 28, 2023|

It started out as a joke, a silly way for us to blow off steam. We invented something out of sheer frustration.Ever since I started teaching creative writing, students have been asking me for the magical elixir: What is the formula for writing a story?I [...]

Your quest to be more creative starts here

By |February 28, 2023|

How To Be Creative is a theme that surfaces again and again when I sit down to write. Not because people flock to me asking, “Oh Beth, you creative wizard, will you please publish your wisdom?!” Nope, that’s not the spark that lights my blog-posting [...]

How Long Is Too Short?

By |January 30, 2023|

When it comes to professional development, how long does a training have to be? The answer of course is, it depends. Imagine preparing to teach and standing in front of a roomful of quiet, nervous colleagues who don't know each other and aren't quite sure [...]

Want your point to have power? Here are 7 things NOT to say.

By |January 27, 2023|

Lucky you! You get to speak at an industry event, corporate conference, or team meeting.  No doubt, your presentation will include a set of slides. Slides are a de facto requirement for most business presentations. You gotta have ‘em, right? Incidentally, Jill and I have [...]

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