Writing Articles

• "Hit the Bullseye with Your Writing" - January 19, 2022. A simple guide for formatting submissions to avoid automatic rejections.
• "What Happens After NaNoWriMo?" - December 6, 2021. Don't let your words go to waste! How to change your NaNo project into a finished manuscript.
• "Should I Join a Writing Group?" - November 27, 2021. Why they're important, and how to find the perfect group for you.
• "Searching for the Magic" - November 15, 2021. One author's insight into why writing a sequel is much harder than writing a first book.
• "The Success of NaNoWriMo" - October 27, 2021. How I turned 50,000 words into a contest-winning book, and how you can win at NaNoWriMo, too.
• "Write Toward the Fear" - October 14, 2021. Overcome what's holding you back by confronting it head-on.
• "Budget-Friendly Book Marketing" - October 7, 2021. Innovative ways to get your work into readers' hands without the high price tag of direct advertising.
• "Failure is the Key to Success" - October 6, 2021. Learning how to write the hard way, to make the lessons stick.
• "Taking Writing Advice from Fortune Cookies" - September 21, 2021. A sweet treat of inspiration to overcome self-doubt.
• "The Battle for Good Reading (and Good Writing)" - September 12, 2021. Trash can be treasure - it just depends on your perspective.
• "Red Flags When Hiring an Editor" - September 10, 2021. A quick guide to tell if you've found a good editor for your project, or if you should think about going back to the drawing board.
• "The Tao of Receiving Rejections" - September 7, 2021. Demystifying the agony of an essential part of being a writer.
• "How to Give Your Kids the Writing Spark" - September 5, 2021. Why my 3 daughters love to write, and what I did to encourage them.
• "Where Can You Submit Your Writing and Get Paid for It?" - September 1, 2021. 8 helpful databases that will get you started in the right direction.
• ​"Behind the Scenes at Indie Fiction Magazines" - August 27, 2021. What happens to your story submission after you hit "send?" One editor's experience at three indie publications.​
• "How to Submit Your Short Stories, Poems & Essays for Publication: Query Letters" - August 19, 2021. A breakdown of what to put and not put in query letters, including examples.

Personal Essays

• "Fantasy Versus Reality" - January 3, 2022. Rom-com portrayals so bad they're good.
• "How to Read More as a Working Parent" - December 23, 2021. How I juggle a job, kids, and my to-read list.
• "What's the 'Perfect' Gift?" - December 16, 2021. Rediscover the joy of giving, not the stress.
• "The Struggle of Being Creative" - December 6, 2021. Why it's okay to give yourself permission to just be "okay."
• "Thank You to Our Writers & Readers!" - November 25, 2021. Heartfelt appreciation to the growing creative community of writers and artists at Morning Musings Magazine.

• "Advice for Plagiarizers" - November 16, 2021. How to report plagiarizers on Medium, and why it's important to be a part of the solution.
• "Great Advice from Great Authors" - November 12, 2021. Three inspiring quotes to start your day.
• "Finding Your Creative Space" - November 4, 2021. Why creativity is essential for health and peace of mind.
• "Fighting Procrastination" - October 30, 2021. How to stop shadowboxing against yourself and start accomplishing your goals.
• "Individuality = Success" - October 21, 2021. How to focus on your individual experiences to achieve your goals.
• " 'Hack' & 'Side Hustle' " - October 4, 2021. Why some slang phrases are puzzling and cringeworthy.
• "Morning Musings Magazine" - September 30, 2021. I'm one of the editors for this new Medium publication, currently open for submissions.
• "Help! My Reading List Has Over 300 Stories" - September 23, 2021. Why my addiction is having stacks of books and stacks of stories to read.
• "What Day Is It Again?" - September 23, 2021. The genetics behind being forgetful.
• "Fortune Cookies for Life" - September 17, 2021. Drawing inspiration from the sweetest of places.
• ​"Why I Read Every Writer Who Follows Me" - September 10, 2021. Why I like to know a little bit about my fellow writers who also like my writing.
• "The Accidental Teacher" - September 8, 2021. My adventures in homeschooling my three kids during the pandemic.
• "What I Learned from Meeting Ray Bradbury" - August 26, 2021. A look at how meeting one's literary hero isn't always enough.
• "I Apologize in Advance" - August 25, 2021. Where is the perfect balance between apologizing too much and not apologizing enough?
• "Finding the Right Words" - August 24, 2021. An essay about why I became a writer.
• "Return to a Golden State" - August 22, 2021. Looking back on my upbringing in California and how far I've come from where I grew up.
• "Whiskey, Sushi & a Granddaughter's Hope" - August 21, 2021. Remembering how my grandmothers died, and what their deaths meant about how they lived.
• "The In-Between" - August 19, 2021. A look at Japanese and English words, and how the crossover of meaning defines who I am today.​