tarahthornburgJan 21, 20192 minMary Oliver Taught Us How to Live in This WorldLast week, I learned of Mary Oliver’s death from a friend who lives across the country. She sent me a text about the beloved poet’s passi...
tarahthornburgJan 16, 20197 minLift the Concrete: Writing and Living With Your Guard DownIt happens to all of us: Some days we’re floating through life just doing our thing. All is well. Things are going great. And then someth...
tarahthornburgJan 9, 20195 minHow to Train Your Writer — Maria and the TrunchbullOver the holidays, something happened to me that hadn’t happened in nearly three years: I got sick. When I woke up on December 23rd with ...
tarahthornburgJan 2, 20199 minThe Best Places to Meet Writer Friends (and Why Writers Need Other Writers)The business of writing can be a lonely existence — even for the ultimate introvert. I get my energy from being alone, and I prefer intim...
tarahthornburgDec 26, 20185 minHow to Do a Life Audit (and Why You Should)Often we start the new year with the best of intentions, but life gets in the way and our goals peter out. We have that cigarette. We blow...
tarahthornburgDec 17, 20186 min5 Great Books to Give Writers This Holiday SeasonWriters can be a peculiar bunch, which makes us hard to buy gifts for. Writing also happens to be one of the cheapest pastimes, and it re...
tarahthornburgDec 13, 20184 minBring Back the Written Word This Holiday SeasonLast weekend, my husband and I ventured down to Old Colorado City to do some Christmas shopping for our family. We stumbled into a Britis...
tarahthornburgDec 5, 20185 minHow to Craft a Personal LegacyThis week was my birthday week, and, thanks to my husband, I took several days off. This past weekend we went to Taos, where I ate good f...
tarahthornburgNov 28, 20185 minHow to Write a Killer EndingThis post is part of a series dedicated to National Novel-Writing Month. If you’re participating this year, make sure you download my fre...
tarahthornburgNov 19, 20183 minHow to Write While Traveling for the HolidaysThe holidays are some of my favorite times of the year. I love Thanksgiving food so much that I served it at my wedding. I love to cook, ...
tarahthornburgNov 14, 20186 minHow to Write FasterThis post is part of a series dedicated to National Novel-Writing Month. If you’re participating this year, make sure you download my fre...
tarahthornburgNov 7, 20184 minNot Sure What to Write? Create an Id List to Jumpstart Your NovelWe’ve all been there: You want desperately to write a novel, but you’re not sure what you should be writing. As creative people, most of ...
tarahthornburgOct 31, 20186 minWhy You Must Write Your NovelOr, a Treatise on Life, Death, and Dreams One fact that no one can dispute is that we all eventually die. We are already, in effect, dyin...
tarahthornburgOct 24, 20185 min10 Ways to Distraction-Proof Your Life for NaNoWriMoThis post is part of a series dedicated to National Novel-Writing Month. If you aren’t participating in NaNoWriMo this year, you should. ...
tarahthornburgOct 17, 201811 minThe Essential NaNoWriMo Prep, Part 2: Nailing Down Your NovelThis post is part of a series I’ll be writing in honor of National Novel-Writing Month. If you aren’t participating in NaNoWriMo this yea...
tarahthornburgOct 15, 20186 minThe Essential NaNoWriMo Prep, Part 1: Getting Your Life in OrderHere’s a rundown of everything you need to write your novel in November… This post is the first in a series I’ll be writing in honor of N...
tarahthornburgOct 10, 20186 minConfronting My Biggest Fears and Falling Into TrustMy name is Tarah, and I am an awfulizer. There, I said it. I’m admitting to myself and the world that I have been unconsciously sabotagin...
tarahthornburgOct 3, 20184 minFirst Draft Rx: How to Get Unstuck in Your NovelIt happens to the best of us. One day you’re humming along on your novel. You’re churning out words like a boss and feeling great, and th...
tarahthornburgSep 26, 20188 minWhat I’ve Learned in 5 Years and 15 BooksToday is a very special day. Today marks the five-year anniversary of the day I published my first novel. So much has happened in the las...
tarahthornburgSep 19, 20185 minWriting in Times of Stress and UpheavalBeing a writer is the best job in the world. I can work from anywhere, write what I like, and I’m not restricted to a traditional 9-to-5....