Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

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Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach episodes

September 09, 2015 The Writing Life Podcast – Affirm, Affirm, Affirm
[The following is only a glimpse of the topic … not a transcription]
As a coach, editor, workshop leader, and writing instructor, I’ve given a lot of feedback to writers at all levels.
For several years I taught composition and creative writing to high school students. Working with students reminded me to deal tenderly with developing writers. Encourage them. Gently help them grow. Affirm in as many ways as possible. Because it’s so easy as a teacher to focus on correction and minimize affirmation but I learned I got far better results when I showed them what worked well in any given project. If I focused too much on what needed revision, they grew discouraged. So I tried to affirm, affirm, affirm.
I’ve also worked with adult writers for over 20 years, giving input on their work, and I have come to realize adults can be as tender as teens. Writers producing any kind of writing—from a poem or personal narrative to a comedy sketch or brochure—they all need affirmation. Writers at every stage and every age need tons of affirmation to build confidence that they’re on the right track.
Writers do need to develop thick skin to withstand the red pen and rejections we’ll get along this writing journey, and we must not mislead or lie about someone’s work; however, along the way, writers need to know what aspect of their writing is going well and what their strengths are.
We can be a voice of health and life and energy to another writer.
* * *
Listen for the full podcast (4:22). You can subscribe to The Writing Life with Ann Kroeker with iTunes and Stitcher.
You can also connect with me on Twitter and Facebook, where I'm always sharing ideas to help us be more curious, creative, and productive.
https://twitter.com/annkroeker/status/641409382803185664
5 min
September 09, 2015 The Writing Life Podcast – Affirm, Affirm, Affirm
[The following is only a glimpse of the topic … not a transcription]

As a coach, editor, workshop leader, and writing instructor, I’ve given a lot of feedback to writers at all levels.

For several years I taught composition and creative writing to high school students. Working with students reminded me to deal tenderly with developing writers. Encourage them. Gently help them grow. Affirm in as many ways as possible. Because it’s so easy as a teacher to focus on correction and minimize affirmation but I learned I got far better results when I showed them what worked well in any given project. If I focused too much on what needed revision, they grew discouraged. So I tried to affirm, affirm, affirm.

I’ve also worked with adult writers for over 20 years, giving input on their work, and I have come to realize adults can be as tender as teens. Writers producing any kind of writing—from a poem or personal narrative to a comedy sketch or brochure—they all need affirmation. Writers at every stage and every age need tons of affirmation to build confidence that they’re on the right track.

Writers do need to develop thick skin to withstand the red pen and rejections we’ll get along this writing journey, and we must not mislead or lie about someone’s work; however, along the way, writers need to know what aspect of their writing is going well and what their strengths are.

We can be a voice of health and life and energy to another writer.
* * *
Listen for the full podcast (4:22). You can subscribe to The Writing Life with Ann Kroeker with iTunes and Stitcher.

You can also connect with me on Twitter and Facebook, where I'm always sharing ideas to help us be more curious, creative, and productive.

https://twitter.com/annkroeker/status/641409382803185664
5 min
August 31, 2015 The Writing Life Podcast – Non-Writing Writing Tasks
[The following is only a glimpse of the topic … not a transcription]
A heads up: At over 13 minutes, this episode is significantly longer than my usual 3-6 minute podcast episodes.
You sit down to write only to realize you've got a long list of tasks necessary to the work of writing, but after you check them off your list, you haven’t the word count to show for it.
Let’s call these: “Non-writing Writing Tasks.”

If you’ve never really thought about this category of tasks or planned for them, you’ve probably felt frustrated. Even though this kind of work is a support or extension of our writing, we can resent it or feel like we’re wasting valuable time.
But if we’re going to be the least bit serious about our writing, we’re going to have to do some non-writing, writing tasks. It’s part of the work. It’s actually good news: You’re a writer—you have non-writing tasks to do associated with your projects and goals and deadlines!

How to approach non-writing writing tasks:
Acknowledge them
Accept them
Record them
Attack them
Actually write
If you wonder what are some of your non-writing writing tasks, I offer ideas. In fact, one reason this episode got long is because I review a list of non-writing writing tasks for you to listen through and decide which belong on your own master to-do list. It’s a long list. Grab a pen and paper.
Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast:
5 Non-Writing Tasks Writers Need to Master
5 Strategies for Writers to Manage Non-Writing Tasks
Todoist.com for creating a master list
Bullet Journal
You can subscribe to The Writing Life with Ann Kroeker with iTunes and Stitcher.
* * *
14 min
August 31, 2015 The Writing Life Podcast – Non-Writing Writing Tasks
[The following is only a glimpse of the topic … not a transcription]

A heads up: At over 13 minutes, this episode is significantly longer than my usual 3-6 minute podcast episodes.

You sit down to write only to realize you've got a long list of tasks necessary to the work of writing, but after you check them off your list, you haven’t the word count to show for it.

Let’s call these: “Non-writing Writing Tasks.”

If you’ve never really thought about this category of tasks or planned for them, you’ve probably felt frustrated. Even though this kind of work is a support or extension of our writing, we can resent it or feel like we’re wasting valuable time.

But if we’re going to be the least bit serious about our writing, we’re going to have to do some non-writing, writing tasks. It’s part of the work. It’s actually good news: You’re a writer—you have non-writing tasks to do associated with your projects and goals and deadlines!

How to approach non-writing writing tasks:

Acknowledge them
Accept them
Record them
Attack them
Actually write

If you wonder what are some of your non-writing writing tasks, I offer ideas. In fact, one reason this episode got long is because I review a list of non-writing writing tasks for you to listen through and decide which belong on your own master to-do list. It’s a long list. Grab a pen and paper.

Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast:

5 Non-Writing Tasks Writers Need to Master
5 Strategies for Writers to Manage Non-Writing Tasks
Todoist.com for creating a master list
Bullet Journal

You can subscribe to The Writing Life with Ann Kroeker with iTunes and Stitcher.
14 min
August 06, 2015 #14: Progress, Not Perfection
[Please listen for the full message. The following is only a glimpse of the topic … not a transcription] It’s about progress, not perfection. A friend of mine said that to me and I thought, wow, what a great concept for the writing life. I found out it’s a phrase used in 12 step programs,
Read More...
The original version of this article can be found here: The Writing Life Podcast – Progress, Not Perfection
5 min
August 06, 2015 #14: Progress, Not Perfection

[Please listen for the full message. The following is only a glimpse of the topic … not a transcription]
It’s about progress, not perfection. A friend of mine said that to me and I thought, wow, what a great concept for the writing life. I found out it’s a phrase used in 12 step programs, so I’m borrowing it today for us, for writers.
I’ve discovered I’ve accomplished far more the times I’ve attempted to execute a plan and fallen short than the times I didn’t bother making a plan in the first place. If I set a goal and don’t meet it, I can still look back and see I’ve covered a lot of ground.
I made progress, even though I didn’t achieve perfection.
Let’s say you dutifully sat in front of the computer at the designated time and worked for 45 minutes instead of the hour you intended, because your dad called with a pressing need. You abandon the work, your plans foiled.
Maybe you planned to complete all three of Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages but you only managed to finish one before you got distracted thinking about a phone call you have to make, and then you saw a text come through and you just gave up.
Or perhaps you were aiming for the goal of 500 words each day, but you started feeling sick and thought you’d better lie down, so today you ended up with only 268.
You didn’t hit your goal—you didn’t achieve perfection—but you did make progress. Congratulations, friend! Some people don’t write a single word. What do they have to show for it? Nothing. But you? You have 45 minutes of work, one page of freewriting, or 268 words. And tomorrow you can write more.
If, as a writer, you do something, that’s growth. You’re a little further down the road.
Celebrate progress. Because progress is how you get the work done. Word by word by word.

Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast:

Scrivener, Google Docs and Microsoft Word
Julia Cameron’s Morning Pages
Pomodoro Technique

* * *
I’m happy to announce The Writing Life with Ann Kroeker podcast is available on iTunes and Stitcher if you’d like to subscribe.
“Progress, Not Perfection” image created by Isabelle Kroeker.
5 min
July 17, 2015 The Writing Life Podcast – Episode 13: Multi-Sensory Writing
In this short podcast, I encourage writers to introduce at least three senses into their writing, whether they are working on fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Don’t rely completely on the way things look. There’s also the way things sound, smell, taste and feel. Pick three. Bring your writing to life. One, two, three … and you’re done. […]
The post The Writing Life Podcast – Episode 13: Multi-Sensory Writing appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.
3 min
July 16, 2015 The Writing Life Podcast - Episode 13: Multi-Sensory Writing
In this short podcast, I encourage writers to introduce at least three senses into their writing, whether they are working on fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Don't rely completely on the way things look. There's also the way things sound, smell, taste and feel. Pick three. Bring your writing to life.
One, two, three ... and you're done.
[If you received this as an email, please click over to the website to listen.]
The workshop leader I mentioned referenced Flannery O'Connor, paraphrasing a section of "The Nature and Aim of Fiction" from Mystery and Manners: Occasional Prose:
A lady who writes, and whom I admire very much, wrote me that she had learned from Flaubert that it takes at least three activated sensuous strokes to make an object real; and she believes that this is connected with our having five senses. If you're deprived of any of them, you're in a bad way, but if you're deprived of more than two at once, you almost aren't present. (Emphasis mine.)
For a scene to really come alive, include at least three senses.
* * *
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3 min
July 07, 2015 #12: Rest and Productivity
In this 5:40 podcast, I talk about the paradox of rest leading to increased productivity. If you’re reading this in an email, click through to the website to hear the podcast. Here’s a glimpse of what we’ll cover: It seems like a contradiction. A paradox. It seems impossible that more rest would result in greater productivity, […]
The post #12: Rest and Productivity appeared first on Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.
6 min
July 06, 2015 #12: Rest and Productivity
In this 5:40 podcast, I talk about the paradox of rest leading to increased productivity. If you're reading this in an email, click through to the website to hear the podcast. Here's a glimpse of what we'll cover:
It seems like a contradiction. A paradox.
It seems impossible that more rest would result in greater productivity, but so we’re being told by study after study.
Regular rest and renewal gives us the focus and energy we need to get our work done more efficiently and effectively.
... One answer is the formula for the perfect balance of rest and productivity. A 2014 Atlantic article by Derek Thompson says the numbers are precise: Work for 52 minutes, break for 17.
... I doubt there’s a perfect number for everyone—there may not even be a perfect number for you yourself. I mean, you could try a Pomodoro 25/5 cycle, Pomodoro Plus at 52/17, and then attempt a 90-minute chunk followed by a break, just to see. But in the end, as my friend Jenne Fromm would say, it’s about managing our energy more than it is our time, because that’s how we get our work done—with energy. Whether we’re talking about mental, psychological, or physical energy, low energy results in less work, or lower-quality work.
Listen for the full presentation.
Resources mentioned in the podcast:
Why Summer Vacations and the Internet Make You More Productive
A Formula For Perfect Productivity: Work for 52 Minutes, Break for 17
The Exact Amount of Time You Should Work Every Day
Relax! You'll Be More Productive
Manage Energy, Not Time
Pomodoro Technique
Pomodoro Countdown Timer
Pomodoro Countdown App
5217 Pomodoro Plus App
Rest - A Gift from the Sea
* * *
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6 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…