Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

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Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach episodes

December 19, 2018 Ep 179: Time to Schedule Your Writing Life Tune-up
Tis the season for many things. One thing that doesn't roll off the tongue as jolly as a line in a carol is a writing life tune-up. Yes, tis the perfect time for writing life maintenance. - It sounds so boring,
13 min
December 13, 2018 Ep 178: The Writer at Work - Use Freewriting to Give It Some Thought
My first university-level creative writing course used as the main text a book that, at that time, was a brand-new release: Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg. - After moving through the exercises in that book, I felt transformed.
14 min
December 04, 2018 Ep 177: [Interview] Alison Hodgson on Boiling a Story Down to Its Essence, One-Star Reviews, and Perseverance
Back in October 2018, I interviewed three authors who served on the speaking team at Breathe Christian Writers Conference. We discussed all things writing, like their writing challenges, their writing process, and their advice for writers.
56 min
November 29, 2018 Ep 176: What Do You Know to Be True?
Last time, I talked about the power of lists to get us writing about all kinds of things. Lists trick us into writing. - In her famous TED talk, spoken word poet Sarah Kay invites the audience to make a list.
10 min
November 20, 2018 Ep 175: How to Use Lists to Transform Your Writing (and your life)
Tis the season for lists, even for those who aren't naturally checklist and to-do list types. For the holidays, people will make packing lists, shopping lists, cleaning lists, address lists, and wish lists. - Lists are useful and practical,
14 min
November 13, 2018 What Lies Beneath the Surface of Your Life?
[Ep 174]
In last week’s interview, Patrice Gopo described the stories that bubbled up inside her—personal stories about topics she cared deeply about as she grappled with her identity and where she fit in society.
Patrice grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, as a black American daughter of Jamaican immigrants. She wanted to explore that, to make sense of it all.
How?
Through writing. She turned to the essay to figure out her life, to delve into her experiences—to discover self and live a more meaningful life
We, too, can delve into our experiences, diving beneath the surface to discover ourselves and live more meaningful lives.
Elizabeth Lesser writes in Broken Open:
If we don’t listen to the voice of the soul, it sings a stranger tune. If we don’t go looking for what lies beneath the surface of our lives, the soul comes looking for us.
I haven’t read Lesser’s book, but that line urging us to look for what lies beneath the surface of our lives? We can use writing to do just that: to look for what lies beneath and listen to the voice of the soul.
Capture Ideas
It starts with an image, perhaps, or an interaction that bubbles up—a scene or memory. Pay attention to each one. Capture in detail this scene or image.
You can do this on the spot or during a writing session later. Add sensory details. Try to recreate it objectively. That helps to examine and explore the meaning in it.
If you don’t have time to write at that instant, jot down in a notebook a key word or phrase that can serve as a reminder or prompt. When you settle in to write it out in more detail, you’ll have many to choose from.
Anne Lamott captures these snatches on 3x5 cards she carries in her pocket. Patrice uses a simple composition notebook tucked in her bag. I use Evernote or Google Keep.
Ask Why?
When you write—when you start to dive in and look beneath the surface—be curious about yourself, about that scene or image or snatch of dialogue.
Why am I remembering that moment my dad grazed his leg with the chainsaw? Why does the sensation of flying back and forth in the swing keep coming back to me? Why does that glass doorknob make me tear up?
Patrice says that when we're trying to understand what's happening in our lives or in the world—when we delve deeply into an incident to see its significance and why it matters—that’s meaning-making on the page.
The incident could be big or small. As an example, Patrice said she noted in her journal that a couple of weeks ago her husband brought her a chocolate bar. It occurred to her he's been bringing her chocolate bars throughout their entire marriage.
Why?
Why are these chocolate bar moments over the years coming to mind? Why does he bring them? It seems small, but it’s rising to the surface. She’s listening to the voice of her soul.
She pulled out her composition book and started writing some of the other scenes and memories, all because she was struck by that recurring image of a chocolate bar.
She doesn’t know the answer yet; the meaning is unclear. For now, she’s exploring it.
We can do that, too.
We can write scenes and reflect. Let’s let curiosity and a sense of discovery lead us.
Stay open as you listen to the voice of the soul; look for what lies beneath the surface of your life.
You Don’t Need an Outline or Plan
Thanks to our early academic training in the essay form, it’s tempting to set out with a thesis and outline our way into understanding, theme, and meaning.
Resist...at least, at first.
Anne Lamott, in a podcast interview for "Books of Your Life with Elizabeth," says not to worry about outlines.
10 min
November 06, 2018 Ep 173: [Interview] Patrice Gopo on Meaning Making on the Page and Studying the Craft
At Breathe Christian Writers Conference, held October 12 and 13, 2018, I interviewed three authors who served on the speaking team. We discussed all things writing, like their writing challenges, their writing process, and their advice for writers.
47 min
October 30, 2018 Ep 172: 4 Simple Ways to Put Your Own Writing First
As you know from my interview with Shawn Smucker, he’s a novelist with ambitious goals—on track to write ten books in ten years. He's written three of his own books—two novels and a memoir. His fourth will be released in 2019. - To make a living,
12 min
October 23, 2018 Ep 171: [Interview] Shawn Smucker on Cowriting, Ghostwriting, and Prioritizing Your Own Work
At a writing conference held October 12 and 13, 2018, I interviewed three authors who served on the speaking team. We discussed all things writing, like their writing challenges, their writing process, and their advice for writers. All for you! -
47 min
October 17, 2018 Ep 170: How to Be a Better Writer (Pt 5) - Four Writing Tips
Last time, we talked about the 6+1 Traits. When you take time to evaluate your work in each one, you can begin to identify areas of strength and weakness. Over time you can boost the weaker areas and become a better writer. - In the months ahead,
9 min

About Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

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With Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach, you'll gain clarity and overcome hurdles to become a better writer, pursue publishing, and reach your writing goals. Ann provides practical tips and motivation for…