Lisa Tener
Book Writing Coach
When an aspiring author contacts me, one of the first things they often share is, “I’ve been working on this book for years.” They started, got stuck, and tabled the book. Maybe later, they returned to the project only to lose momentum once again. Or life just got in the way. They don’t seem stuck,…
Do you ever suffer from procrastination, feeling stuck, resistance or “writer’s block” when you intend to write? The more we label and fight these experiences, the more entrenched they tend to become. Have you ever tried a counterintuitive approach to creative resistance: Curiosity: What might be behind this experience? Wonder: “I wonder what this resistance…
in my two-plus decades of teaching writing, I’ve taught my clients and students about the importance of finding the precise word, or as they say in Paris, “le mot juste.” Yet, last week at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies I received a deeper level of the teaching myself. I spent five days at Omega…
The Conundrum In “Get Your Writing Done” last week, a lively discussion ensued about writing other people’s stories, such as in anecdotes, in our work. Can we write about other people’s experiences with integrity? Are there some “power issues” that come into play when we do so? Is it taking advantage of people? Here’s much…
Think of those times that your creativity flows with ease in bountiful constancy…you probably feel more alive, fulfilled, happy…right? There are so many ways to support your flow, inspiration and creative output, but often we don’t think of them. Or we imagine we’re too busy. One of the things I love about my work as…
Today, I’m celebrating the release of The Northeast Coast Journal, Issue III, Summer. There are a lot of amazing things about this issue. For me, it starts with that fact it includes my very first poetry publication! Editor Katherine E. Schneider chose my poem, Poetry Nite at the Rite Aid Parking Lot to appear in “Chapter…
I’ve never enjoyed trying to “sell” my services to anyone. Back when I was still figuring out what my business was (creativity coach? writing coach? book coach?), I attended my share of networking events. I liked meeting people, but I did not enjoy pitching. At all. And many of those meetings felt like a pitchfest….
This week, I’m inspired by my mini-coaching/consulting sessions as part of the Nonfiction Writers Conference. These writers are impressive. One writer sold 30,000 copies of her first book, another around 20,000! And the aspiring authors drew me in with their captivating book ideas, timely wisdom and catchy titles. I want to read these books! One…
A profound writing exercise I just began year two of my poetry mentorship with Nadia Colburn. And something interesting happened when I practiced the writing exercise in our homework. I think it can be an equally powerful exercise for my readers who are writing memoirs, self-help books, business books, fiction, essays, articles…anything! I invite you…
While editing several manuscripts in the past few weeks (still in draft form), I’ve come across many common mistakes we writers make, especially in early drafts. I’ve also seen gorgeous writing in those same drafts. So don’t feel bad if you find these errors in your own writing (you’ll be in good company). Good news:…
For a long time, I wrote poetry, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year and even decade after decade and… stored it away in my journals. My Mentorship One year ago, I joined a year-long poetry mentorship with Nadia Colburn and refined dozens of those poems, wrote many more and…
Yes, if you are an author or plan to be one, the sooner you develop your author website, the better. What to include, how to grow it, how many sites? These questions and more will be answered in this post! Questions about an author website? The topic of author websites came up during a recent…
Here’s how I finally broke through a recent months-long creative resistance. In the process, I realized that what some might call “writer’s block” was, in fact, an invitation to heal. Knowing many writers, I had a hunch this story might help some of my readers—you, perhaps—out of a creative slump and into enhanced flow and…
On a plane trip returning from sunny Sarasota, I opened the folder with the final third of Laurie Hunt’s manuscript. I’d read the first two-thirds of the book through a number of iterations, but this was my first full read of the final third—a section she’d recently completed. On the Impact of Writing a Book,…
If you found yourself in an intimate gathering with a New York Times bestselling novelist, such as Oprah’s very first book club pick, Jacquelyn Mitchard, what would you ask that author? You may just have the opportunity to find out! As Robin Kall and I planned the rebirth of our Creative Abundance Writing Retreat for…
Would you love to know how to plan for a creatively abundant year to: Easily start and complete your projects. Avoid overwhelm. Enjoy a rich, stress free writing life. Continue to nourish mind, body, spirit throughout your day, week and year. Fun vs. The Old Mantra (Not Enough) I think I’ve hit upon a remarkably…
In preparation for this weekend’s Creative Abundance Writing Retreat (more about that shortly!), I decided to make my plan ahead of time, so I’d have an example to show the group. Making My Creative Abundance Writing Plan The assignment I gave myself: Answer prompts about the writing, other creative and self-care projects and routines I…
8 Writing Prompts to Welcome in the New Year 2026! I’ve revised my New Year’s Writing prompts for 2026. You may recognize a few of my classics and some new ones as well. I hope they inspire you today and serve as a catalyst for a magical and fulfilling year for you! Choose one writing…
I send you my wishes for a joyful holiday season. In the Northern Hemisphere, just after the Winter Solstice, it seems a perfect time to remind ourselves that after the darkest day of the year, the light has begun its slow and steady return. While the dark time of year (and cold, too, in many…
Some Important Notes for Transformational Storytelling This post serves as part II of The Powerful Role of Transformation in Storytelling. It’s helpful to read that post first as it deals directly with: What transformation in storytelling is and why it’s important The science behind storytelling and what the transformation story does for your reader An…
