My favorite part of being a ghostwriter, editor and writing coach, hands down, is meeting truly remarkable people. Anyone with the focus and the guts to write a book is someone to admire and to celebrate. Andrea M. Pearson, founder of Slaying It! Books, is no exception. Throughout the process of working together over the last several months, Andrea and I found we share many things in common. We are both mothers, new Floridians with Northern roots, hard workers, and dedicated

This post is for the parent of an adult child. I wish we had a better phrase for that. Fully-grown offspring? Anyway, you get the idea. You have a kid. She’s 18, or 22, or 25, or maybe 35. She says she wants to be a writer, and you want to support her because that is an awesome dream and you know she’s so, so creative and full of heart and just bursting with stories to tell the world. Or maybe she just doesn’t want to get a real job. Ahem. Hard to say. Here are some do’s and

Lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking about the stories we tell ourselves. Stories are perhaps the most powerful force on Earth, and the stories we loop in our minds shape everything we do, every day. Some stories are very helpful. For example, one story I like to tell myself is I'm a good mother. So, even when I really, really don't want to, I find a way to be patient with my daughter. I plan ahead to make sure she has what she needs. I grocery shop regularly, even thoug

1. The writer prioritizes your needs. You’ll get the writer’s best effort, deepest creative thinking, and most pleasing turns of phrase. Your writer will work on your material first, in the morning, when she’s fresh and enthusiastic. Your well-paid writer will go the extra mile when it comes to research, seeking out sources, following up and getting the job done well. 2. The writer meets and often beats your deadline. Need it done now? No problem. If you’re paying your writer