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Oct 13, 20233 min read

Creating Autumnal Myths: A Poetry Exercise

Here in Silicon Valley, the incredible heat wave of last week has passed and the cooler breezes of autumn are here. I'm enchanted. As I...

Oct 6, 20233 min read

Harvest of Words: A Poetry Exercise

When I lived on the East Coast, I looked forward to the abundance of fall leaves each year. My girls and I would gather them, creating...

Sep 16, 20233 min read

Ode to the End of Summer: An exercise

Summer is almost over, and every year it's a bittersweet feeling. The end of a season, shadows growing longer, gold-tinted dusks--even...

Sep 1, 20234 min read

Summer Adventure: A narrative poem writing exercise

Summer is often painted with a brush of adventure. There's something about this season, probably stemming from the time off school as...

Jan 9, 20231 min read

Wet Weather Wonders

After months of bone-dry weather, it’s raining here in Northern California. This means that my normally dusty trails are mud covered—and...

Nov 14, 20222 min read

Finding Inspiration for Writing

Writing every day requires coming up with ideas. Every day. Some days, the thoughts flow freely. Other days, it's like pulling teeth....

Feb 5, 20211 min read

Writing Exercise (PDF): Capturing Big Feelings

February is here. A short month with a lot on its shoulders. We have Valentine's Day, which, no matter your feelings on the holiday, can...

Jan 13, 20215 min read

Harnessing Your Dreams in Writing

I’ve had a recurring nightmare since I was in kindergarten. The dream is inextricably linked to a trip my Brownie troop took. I don’t...

Nov 1, 20204 min read

Fueling the (Creative) Fire: Prompted Brainstorming

When your work involves being creative, it's hard to come up with new ideas day after day, hour after hour. To maintain a creative life,...

Oct 30, 20192 min read

Poetry Workshop Wonders: List-Definition Poems

Today I had the privilege of spending time in one of my favorite places with my favorite people: a community creativity workshop. This...

Oct 12, 20182 min read

Writing Prompt: Using Facebook to Craft Poems (and other types of writing)

Facebook and poetry may not seem like they go together - at least not from the perspective of using Facebook to generate poetry. But I'm...

Oct 8, 20182 min read

What to Write When Nothing Comes

Maybe you've been lucky and never drawn a blank when sitting down to write. But if you're like me (and most people), you've sat and...

Oct 6, 20182 min read

Writing Prompt: An Exercise in Perspective

One of the best things about being writers is that we get to play with reality. When we craft fiction, poetry, and even creative...

Sep 25, 20182 min read

Creativity Prompt: Horoscope Poetry

Some people swear by the messages in the stars, some find them amusing and harmless, and others find them offensive. No matter your take...

Jun 21, 20184 min read

Writing Poetry with Warm Ups!

There are many parallels between writing and exercise. With both, it can be challenging to get started. We’ll swear tomorrow’s the day we...

Apr 3, 20182 min read

National Poetry Month: Playing with Form!

Check out the original post on my Cupertino Poet Laureate website! It’s April, and that means it is National Poetry Month! Even though I...