Come on by! I promise to have pre-Valentines-Day alcoholic beverages at my table.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for an announcement about my upcoming *new* spring class at Richard Hugo House…

And as always you can find updates on my scintillating personal life at SparklySparkly (or delve into the even-more-juicy past at BreakupBabe.)

I’m busy getting ready to teach my upcoming Hugo House class, “Roughing It, Write a Draft of your Book in Six Weeks,” writing an article for MSNBC, and taking a travel writing class from my talented travel writer friend Amanda Castleman.

I also have a new novel in the works and more classes on the horizon…after I recover from the margarita-induced haze I’m in post-Mexican-vacation…find out more (and see some sunny pix) at my personal blog, SparklySparkly.

I’ve also been teaching a lot and have really enjoyed my recent blogging classes at this year’s Write on the Sound conference and Richard Hugo House. (Check out upcoming classes here!)

This is the second year I’ve presented at Write on the Sound and it was as fantastic an experience this year as it was last. It’s a well-organized conference full of energetic and creative people. My slot was the first morning at 9 a.m. and though I’m not usually talking to *anyone* at that time of day (except the dog), it was a shot in the arm to be around so many people buzzing with excitement and caffeine. One person was so caffeinated in fact, that they gave me this review:

“Speaker is very informative, full of life, story is very inspiring. One of the best presenters–I enjoyed her class even more than the keynote.”

Thank you anonymous caffeine-imbibing conference attendee whoever you are! I’ve added a few more of the positive reviews here.

I have two more classes coming right up — on is a 4-hour blogging workshop on December 5. The other is called “Roughing it: Write a draft of your book in just six weeks,” which starts in January at Hugo House. For more info, check out my Appearances and teaching page. Hope to see some of you there.

As always, you can check out my somewhat-more-frequently-updated personal blog here. for more fun stuff.

Happy Thanksgiving! And may your muses be with you this holiday season.

But it won’t last. Soon we’ll be locked down in months upon months of gray, cold, dark. And to that I say “yay!” There is no better time or place for a writer than winter in Seattle. It’s too miserable to go outside. The rain is the perfect music to write by.

Fall in Seattle is also invigorating. The trees turn giddy yellow and scarlet, the apples are delicious, the air is golden. But it’s tragically short. One day the trees are aflame with color, the next everything is dull and gray and there’s nothing to do but go inside and pour your heart out on the page.

At least that’s what I’m hoping will happen to me this summer. I’ve been rather morosely blocked on my current novel but reading this interview with writer Lori Witt on the Nanowrimo site yesterday perked me up. She averages 5000 words a day. Five – effing – thousand. And how many words of fiction have I written recently?

Next to none. (Though I have produced two travel articles this month, which is pretty good for me!) Granted, she is a full-time writer but still. It just reminded me that blocked or not, being a writer is about WRITING, and I better get my metaphorical pen moving again for my own peace of mind if nothing else. Besides I don’t believe in being “blocked.” So forget I ever said it.

I do have a bunch of appearances coming up in the fall and winter so be sure to check this page for details. I’ll be teaching a class at Hugo House in the winter that’s geared toward beginning writers so stay tuned for info about that!

Meanwhile, enjoy the end of summer.

I really appreciated those of you who complimented me on it afterward. I work hard on my presentations and it’s nice to get good feedback! The comment that resonated with me the most was when someone said, “You know, a bunch of people said after your talk that they now felt for the first time that they actually could start a blog.” (Oh jeez that’s an awkward sentence but I’m too lazy to fix it. You get the gist.)

Yay! That’s what I’m aiming for. To take the intimidation factor out of it, because it’s hella easy. (Or I never would have been able to start doing it.)

Anyway, be sure to check out my appearances page for upcoming classes. I’ve got a free blogging class on July 13th at the Seattle Public Library and also a Hugo House class starting on July 8, called “Understanding Story Structure and the Magic of the Outline.” (Oh yeah, that one’s full, which is exciting. But you could always put yourself on the waiting list!)

Hope to see some of you there.

In the creative writing realm, things have been a bit slow. I gained all sorts of momentum on my latest novel while teaching my class “Turn down the volume and pump up the word count” at Richard Hugo House in the winter. Then, in mid-April I actually had to some work to survive, plus there was my trip to sunny Finland, so writing ground to a halt.

Meanwhile I’m waiting with baited breath to see if I get a “scholarship” to attend Donald Maas’ insanely expensive (but probably worth it) “Writing the Breakout Novel” workshop in September. I had to turn in 5000 words of my novel to apply so at least it gave me something work for. They weren’t exactly the most sparkling 5000 words I’ve ever written but eh, they weren’t the worst either. One of these days I hope to hit my stride as a writer and really *produce* but for now I have to be patient with my own slow pace (you too dear fans — all three of you– and for that, I apologize).

This past April, I also taught some fun classes at Pacific Lutheran University with fellow Seattle writer Wendy Call and finished up teaching my Blogging 101 class for the Editorial Freelancer’s Association. In the next couple months you’ll be able to find me teaching and blabbing at the locations below. Find details about these events on my Appearances & teaching page.

• Teaching a free blogging workshop at Edmonds Community College on May 19
• Hawking my book at Balderash Books during the June 12 Greewood Artwalk
• Teaching a four-week class on story structure at Richard Hugo House starting July 8
• Teaching another free blogging workshop at the Seattle Public Library (University Branch) on July 13

• The San Francisco Writer’s Conference
• How I harrassed a Jane Smiley lookalike
• How I’m selling all my junk on Craigslist to survive the recession (Want to buy my junior high school flute? How about a moldy down comforter?)

In other news, check out my upcoming blogging class with the Editorial Freelancer’s Association, my appearance on March 26 at “Cheap Wine and Poetry,” and my article about kayaking in Glacier Bay from the February issue of Alaska Airlines Magazine.

I’ve also created a new page about all the services that I am now offering! Hire me as an editor, a writer, a blog consultant, a speaker, or a writing coach.

In a pinch, you could also hire me to sell your stuff on Craigslist for you.

–Rebecca

Blog Consulting
Starting a blog to help grow your business is the perfect antidote to those budget
blues. Requiring no money and very little technical expertise, a blog can:

Writing Coaching
Do you need someone to work 1:1 with on a writing project to help keep you motivated and on track? I work with individuals on novels, memoirs, and short nonfiction pieces (essays and magazine articles). No matter what stage of the writing process you’re in, whether it’s developing an idea, polishing a final draft, or pitching it to agents, I can help. I know the power of coaching; when I was writing my novel BreakupBabe, a coach helped me write my first three chapters and the query letter that found me an agent. I especially enjoy working with writers to structure their stories through the power of outlining (a crucial but often overlooked element of craft).

There is a lot of that happening lately, from writing about my recent sea kayaking trip to Alaska to making progress on my second book. Who knows if these will ever see the light of day but what matters is that I write, right?

Meanwhile, I do have some classes coming up, so check the schedule! In January I’ll be teaching a class at Hugo House about battling your writing demons and becoming more productive – ooooh. I am an expert on this topic so you don’t want to miss it. (Plus I heard that Charles Mudede brings a bottle of wine to every class session he teaches there so I’m thinking of doing that too.)

I’ll also be teaching an online course about blogging again for the Editorial Freelancer’s Association this spring, so stay tuned for details on that.

Meanwhile I’ve posted an update (at last!) on SparklySparkly, where you can see videos of my pug, hear my band play, and find out just how I feel about Florida.