Dear writers, On New Year's Day last year I woke up, started a Meetup group, and announced a weekly writing workshop in the hope of generating a bit of income. Over the next few days I secured a meeting space after hours in a neighborhood cafe, adapted the curriculum from a workshop I'd led before, and hoped for the best. Several people registered, but icy streets and bitter cold made me cancel some of the first sessions. Then Inauguration Day arrived and I threw up my hands in despair. It...

Dear writers, On New Year's Day last year I woke up, started a Meetup group, and announced a weekly writing workshop in the hope of generating a bit of income. Over the next few days I secured a meeting space after hours in a neighborhood cafe, adapted the curriculum from a workshop I'd led before, and hoped for the best. Several people registered, but icy streets and bitter cold made me cancel some of the first sessions. Then Inauguration Day arrived and I threw up my hands in despair. It...

Dear writers, I've been thinking lately about the doubts that start rattling around in my head whenever I sit down to write. My writing group meets twice a week for two hours at a time, and I declared to them recently that I hate writing. "It feels bad, I don't know how to do it, and I don't have anything worthwhile to say. I'm a total fraud and imposter, and where do I get off telling people what to do with their books? I should just pack up and go home, or stay in my lane and stick to...