Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

When I was visiting my grandmother one summer afternoon, she pulled out a letter I sent her. “This is good,” she said. “Really?” She pointed at the paragraphs and said the ideas were well organized, my writing flowed well, and I included lots of details. “It was interesting to read,” she said. Then she looked up at me and smiled. “Maybe we have another writer in the family?” Did I gasp? Her words certainly sent a jolt through me. Did she know how badly I wanted to write? Could she have known how much I yearned to be a writer? Surely the thought of me as a writer seemed far-fetched to her. After all, my mother was a seasoned editor and columnist, endowed with innate writing talents—Grandma saw her earn accolades in college and as a career journalist. My father was an editor at a prominent metropolitan newspaper, shaping stories, crafting headlines, and curating front-page content. Even my brother, a skilled wordsmith, showed promise as a creative writer, eventually becoming an award-winning copywriter fo

Just as musicians credit their musical influences, writers, too, have literary inspirations who help them discover and shape their unique voice. At a White House event for poets in 2011, Billy Collins said to students about finding your voice: You’re searching for the poets who make you jealous…you’re looking to get influenced by people who make you furiously jealous…And then copy them.1 Billy himself was influenced by the work of Wallace Stevens—I suppose he would say he was furiously jealous of him. Anne Lamott’s Seemingly Effortless Prose Author Shauna Niequist openly mentions the influence of Anne Lamott on her work. The first time I read Anne Lamott, I thought, “Is this allowed? People can write like this and it gets published?” I laughed at her sometimes-crass and often sarcastic style. She opened the door to a whole new way of writing, with honesty and sass. While hers was not exactly my style, I admired the conversational tone—the seemingly stream-of-consciousness flow of ideas—that, upon close exam

On a sunny spring day, I sat with seven homeschoolers on a stretch of grass for a creative writing session. The older kids started to fidget before we even started. “What are we doing out here?” “We’re going to see what’s around us.” A fifth grader pointed with his pen. “I see sky, clouds, cars, building. Done.” The others laughed. “We’re going to be quiet and listen, too,” I added. “I hear birds. Done.” More chuckles. “Before we write,” I began, “Let’s look at the sky. What color is it?” Someone said blue. “What kind of blue? There are so many blues. Is it dark blue like these navy pants? Or is it blue like turquoise? Or is it the kind of blue you want to swim in? Or the color of your mom’s eyes?” They looked up. “Write down phrases that describe this particular blue at this particular moment of this particular day. Compare it to other things that are blue.” They studied the sky, and one by one, each started writing. “What else do you see—you mentioned clouds. What kind of clouds? Puffy white cumulus cloud

Jennifer Dukes Lee ​invites you to transform into a better writer​ through “beautifully ruthless self-discovery.” It starts in the pages of your journal. In a recent interview, she delves into the therapeutic benefits of daily gratitude journaling and its potential to rewire our brains. By writing down things we’re grateful for, our minds seek out the positive. Jennifer recommends guided journals when we’re stymied by writer’s block. The blank page of a traditional journal can overwhelm us. What should we say? Where should we start? Guided journals aren’t blank pages—they provide prompts and structure when you’re stuck or unsure of what to write. She stresses that journaling serves as a valuable tool for self-discovery and creative expression. When you use journaling to explore your experiences, memories, and struggles, you can weave your discoveries into your writing. This deep dive into the human condition adds depth and authenticity to all our writing: poetry, creative nonfiction, online writing, and ficti

During the early years of parenthood, I wasted a lot of time feeling sorry for myself. Why can’t I have my own dedicated writing space? Why can’t I have blocks of uninterrupted time? The overwhelming demands of being a stay-at-home mom almost shut down my creativity. In time, thank heavens, I stopped griping and started looking for solutions. My idea? Instead of waiting for the perfect conditions, I snatched time. No Time to Write? Snatch Every Opportunity I wrote when the kids were napping. I wrote late at night. I wrote when they were engrossed in a movie. I squeezed writing into the tiny openings in my days. Sometimes I only had five minutes, but I wrote. By making the most of a few free moments here and there, I kept my writing identity alive. Contain the Creativity This spontaneous approach made for a messy writing life, however. I left a trail of pens throughout the house. I scratched fleeting phrases onto the backs of envelopes. I scribbled a line of poetry onto a Wendy’s receipt and shoved it into our

Nearly everyone who writes personal stories in any form has agonized over how much to share. Will writing about an issue from childhood break Mom’s heart? Should I change the name of a high school teacher? The next-door neighbor? The dog? The children? Are the hyacinths blooming by the mailbox worth mentioning? We write. We worry. Is this naval gazing or vulnerability? Will people feel I’m airing the dirty laundry or sharing my own struggles so others might find healing? https://youtu.be/bzd7a8J4UXc Stories Bring YOU into Your Writing But…stories! Goodness, stories set your projects apart from all other essays, articles, and books, because only you had that encounter, that experience, that struggle, that transformation. When you make a claim and support it with your own life story, no one else could have written that piece. Stories create connection between reader and writer. Stories convey universal truths through specific situations. You don’t have to share your darkest eras or most embarrassing moments

As writers, we spend countless hours crafting and refining our work to perfection. We labor over word choices, sentence structure, and the perfect flow. Despite our best efforts—even after a pass through Grammarly—typos slip through. We tend to spot them in other people’s projects, even if we miss them in our own. How do you react when you spot a typo in someone else’s writing? Do you assume they’re unprofessional and lose faith in them? Or do you extend grace and understand that mistakes happen? Automatic Unsubscribe One time I spoke with a professional in the creative space who said if she sees a typo, it’s an automatic unsubscribe. “Seriously?” I exclaimed. “You don’t even give them three strikes?” “No, that’s it. I unsubscribe on the spot.” I strive toward excellence and aim for perfect prose, but if I’m in a hurry or make a last-minute change, I miss details. I’m sure you’ve noticed them in blog posts and emails. “Well,” I told her, “I suppose you aren’t on my list, because I send out notes with errors s

Years ago, one of my clients updated me on her publishing journey. She turned in her manuscript on deadline, so that was a huge relief. Then her editor asked for one last piece she’d put off. “Ann, it took me two full weeks to track down everything for my endnotes. Two weeks!” This first-time author knew the editor would ask for endnotes, but she had not kept track of them as she wrote. Putting Off the Inevitable When words were flowing—forming chapters, shaping ideas—she didn’t want to lose momentum fiddling around with citations. So she decided to focus solely on the writing, trusting those endnotes would be easy to put together later. After all, most of the books she mentioned in her text were stacked next to her, ready to access after submitting her manuscript. She could find the direct quotes online again in a few clicks, right? “Please, Ann,” she said, “I’m begging you to tell all your clients to document their sources along the way. Waiting until the end was a nightmare.” Save Time & Headaches I’ve

Consider a lowly stick, memorialized by my friend: Little Y StickFragile, knobby crossroads in my fingersBring me eyes to see how God is in my midst.1 ​Jennifer Dukes Lee penned that poem after we chatted about a prompt found in poemcrazy, by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. Poemcrazy’s Prompt In Chapter 31, Susan instructs us to find something in nature that attracts our attention. Maybe the object has a quality that we’re attracted to, or maybe it’s just speaking to us in some way.2 Jennifer pondered the little Y stick and used Susan’s prompt to craft that small poem. I decided to try Susan’s prompt myself. Following Susan’s instructions, I found objects in the yard that attracted my attention. One was a pinecone. 1. Name it First, we name it. Name it by its actual name, like a pine cone, or make up a name, like “tree cigar.” Susan says you could call a mushroom “white sticky,” for example, or “plump cloud.” Or you could use its actual name, “mushroom.”3 2. Describe it Next, describe some of its qualities u

Gain inspiration from the journey of a first-time author who transformed her dream of writing into a reality by taking bold action. Merideth Hite Estevez’s success story involved launching a captivating podcast and partnering with a coach (yep, that’s me!) to develop a winning strategy. Her talent and tenacity helped her build a robust platform, create a winning book proposal, secure an agent, and land a publishing deal in just a few years. Although she felt like it took an eternity, that’s fast. Follow her story and be inspired to pursue your own writing dreams with confidence! Resources Here’s the program Merideth mentions in the video (we worked together to complete her proposal and set her up for success): https://annkroeker.com/yourcompellingbookproposal/ Merideth’s website: artistsforjoy.org Merideth on Instagram: @artistsforjoy Merideth’s free resource, 3 Ways to Love Your Inner Artist Merideth’s Creative Clusters using The Artist’s Way https://youtu.be/-pe0ds60Ecc Transcript (Transcripts are re

Today we’re exploring a topic that every writer is going to want to tune in and learn about: a trauma-informed approach to writing. To speak to that, I’ve invited Michelle Stiffler on the show to help us see how trauma-informed writing can transform both us and our words. This is one of the longest interviews I’ve published, but I believe it’s one of the most important. Let’s get right to it. Michelle Stiffler Michelle Stiffler is a certified trauma specialist, trauma-informed trainer, and co-host of Arizona’s Trauma-Informed Faith Community podcast. Eight years of nonprofit work shaped her trauma understanding, and during this time she created the trauma-informed culture and processes for Arizona’s first trauma-informed faith-based organization. Michelle is a married mother of four, plus two sons in law and a proud Mimi. She’s on the board of the Redbud Writers Guild, and her work has been published with Fathom, (in)courage, Guideposts and others, as well as the Women’s Devotional Bible in The Message, Mic

I hosted a virtual Christmas party in my membership program, Your Platform Matters (YPM). At the party I encouraged a writing exercise: Christmas Reflections. I asked these writers to close their eyes and go back in time to a warm and wonderful Christmas memory from their childhood. Rather than trying to capture a big, sprawling scene, I asked them to zero in on a detail. Using the one-inch frame Anne Lamont talks about in Bird by Bird, they narrowed their focus to a detail that they could see, smell, taste, touch, or hear. We captured those multi-sensory, concrete, specific details in words and phrases, dropping them in the Zoom chat. What a quiet, creative gift it was to share those memories with each other, to go back in time, to reflect…to write. After the party sendoff, I assembled the snapshot memories (with their permission) to create a free verse poem: Christmas Reflections Popcorn captured on strings strung on the tree,Mom, sis, and I around kitchen table, molding memories out of salt dough ornamen

AI writing apps, programs, and tools are all over the news. People are reacting. They’re writing articles and opinion pieces, they’re recording podcasts, they’re discussing it in Twitter threads. Some say don’t worry, AI writing tools can’t write like humans. Others claim this is an inkling of what’s ahead—they’re going to surpass our skills. You’ll find articles suggesting we sign up and use the tech as a free writing assistant to help with researching, drafting, and writer’s block. Of course there are those imagining worst case scenarios, but it’s not all gloom and doom. In fact, for a glimpse of what’s possible now, check out my “interview” with an AI writing app that’s making the headlines: ChatGPT. The first thing I asked: Why should writers bother with learning the craft of writing when we can now use AI writing apps like ChatGPT? Here’s what ChatGPT wrote in response: While AI writing tools like ChatGPT can be helpful for generating ideas or suggesting potential phrasings, they should not be seen a

People wonder about Stephen King’s pencil. Writers (including me) want to know what writing instrument he uses. Why? Maybe we all harbor a secret hope that if we get the same pencil as Stephen King, we’ll end up as prolific and successful as Stephen King. Or if we discover what Annie Dillard writes with, we’ll produce the same type of literary prose as Annie Dillard. Or if we use the same writing program as, well…fill in whatever writer you admire. If you use the same pencil, pen, writing program, or paper as your favorite writer, do you imagine you’re becoming a little bit more like them? Stephen King’s Pencil I poked around, and it sounds like King’s favorite pencil is the classic Blackwing 602, favored by such luminaries as John Steinbeck, Vladimir Nabokov, and Truman Capote.1 But while researching Stephen King’s pencil, I realized I wanted to hear from you—real writers at work. What do real writers use? Through social media, my newsletter, and a coaching call in my writing community, I asked: What’s

Bryan Collins relies on a simple system that captures notes and ideas that flow directly into his projects when he sits down to write. His writing routine doesn’t take all day yet achieves significant results. Find out how he works and test it out. When you combine that with his simple system for collecting inspiration for all of your writing projects, you’ll be on your way to completing a full manuscript. Ready to do the work and write the truth? Learn from Bryan: Hear how Bryan has “green-lighted” himself Learn how to capture ideas with Bryan’s systems Discover the magic of building your body of work in a surprisingly small pocket of time Find time for writing in your day like Bryan did Develop a flow for reviewing your own ideas and the notes you Try his advice for breaking out of writer’s block Meet Bryan Collins Bryan Collins is a USA Today best-selling author whose books include The Power of Creativity, This Is Working, I Can’t Believe I’m A Dad! and a best-selling series of books for writers. He wa

With inspiration from Mark McGuinness, you’ll integrate poetry into your writing life as a pleasurable practice that elevates your prose. In this interview, Mark describes the vision for his podcast and his own poetic beginnings, and he urges writers (and readers) to simply enjoy poetry. You’ll also discover the impact poetry can have on us as readers and writers. You’ll see ways it intersects with and impacts prose—you can even play a literary game he describes at the end. Learn from Mark: How a mouthful of air is a perfect image for poetry and podcasts How can we translate metaphor into our other forms of writing (without being weird) The metaphor that comes to his mind when describing himself and his writing How poems “mug” Mark and he drops everything to chase them like leprechauns The importance of getting input on your work and finding a writing mentor How to take pleasure in poetry Plus, play his writing game (bring your prose)! Listen to episode 245 and check out excerpts in the transcript below. Yo

Writers working on projects that are destined to be published—to be read—can struggle with nerves. We edit our words before they have a chance to breathe on the page. We hold back our true feelings and opinions. We forget to play with language. Serious Writers Need to Play I tend to encourage my clients to move toward practical goals, to create work that is going to be published. But at the same time, I also encourage writers to play, to get past the gates we put in front of ourselves and try to tap into those first thoughts without fear of being misunderstood. If you’re a writer taking yourself a little too seriously, I have just the thing for you today—a writing exercise you can play with in your writing journal, where nobody will see it. The Creative Writing Exercise: A Three-Line Poem This one comes from Imaginative Writing by Janet Burroway. When you’re done, you’ll end up with a three-line poem (24). Each of the lines has a template you can follow. ➤ Line 1: abstraction + verb + place ➤ Line 2: des

Literary agent Lucinda Halpern prepares us to navigate the industry and prepare for publishing. With her insights, we’ll position our project—and ourselves as authors—to pitch agents and get noticed. She reveals what literary agents are really looking for when it comes to platform and clears up the concern about how much or how little to share of your book’s ideas on social media. And if you’re wondering what to really focus on when crafting your book proposal, Lucinda’s got insider info to help you make decisions. After listening to (or reading) what she has to say, you’re going to feel more confident than ever as you prepare to pitch. Lucinda says publishers are looking for books with “perennial potential”: Publishers are trendcasters. They are futurists. They have to think about books from the perspective of what is going to sell when the book publishes in two years and then for five years after that, because they’re interested in books that backlist….So writers should be really savvy to what are the sort

Have you ever wondered what a writing coach is? As you can imagine, I get asked this a lot. I mean, it is baked into my branding, and I love sharing insights I’ve gained over my years of coaching. Let’s start with the simplest, broadest definition of what a writing coach is and does: A writing coach provides you with input and support designed to close the gap between where you are as a writer and where you want to be. I coauthored the book On Being a Writer with Charity Singleton Craig (2014). Our editor used similar language on the back cover copy of the book and in marketing materials: Let this book act as your personal coach, to explore the writing life you already have and the writing life you wish for, and close the gap between the two.1 That phrasing captures the foundational purpose and core intent of this coaching role in a writer’s life, so I adapted it here. And as a writing coach myself for over a decade, I can confirm that this is indeed a high-level description of writing coaching. Difference

For author Clarissa Moll, hiring a writing coach was like finding her book midwife, and she urges writers to seek that kind of intimate, knowledgeable support and input for their own writing and publishing journey. In this interview, Clarissa shares her approach to writing, platform, and publishing, like: make a list of 10 things whenever you’re stuck or developing an idea say “Yes” before you’re ready pitch publications as a core platform-building activity authentically engage with readers—she’s committed to building connections and offering support Listen to episode 242 and check out excerpts below. You’ll be inspired by her clear, sensible, inspiring personality and advice. Clarissa Moll is an author and podcaster and the young widow of author Rob Moll. Clarissa’s writing has appeared in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, RELEVANT, Modern Loss, Grief Digest, and more. Her debut book, Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving After Loss is forthcoming from Tyndale (2022)