Michele Tracy Berger's Blog

Hi creative community,

Happy 2025!

I hope you are well and thriving six weeks into 2025.

Two quick things:

Last fall, I was thrilled to be on book tour for Doll Seed: Stories. I took a break during the holidays and am gearing up for 2025. My first stop is in North Carolina! I was in the state in October (Pittsboro) and November (Greensboro) and am happy to be coming back.

For local North Carolina peeps,I’ll be back in NC at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill on Tuesday, Feb 11 at 5:30pm. I’ll be in conversation with the amazing Marjorie Hudson, a dear friend and mentor! When we’re together there’s magic!We’ll talk about speculative fiction, themes in Doll Seed: Stories including freedom and sacrifice, trust and betrayal, intersections of identity, and writing about settings that haunt us. I’ll read from the collection and we’ll have Q&A.I’m so excited to meet with a community of people that I miss very much. And, look forward to meeting people I don’t know, too.I hope to see you there!

Second thing:

I have a new website coming (finally!) and will most likely be transferring my blog over there. Details coming soon!

 

Hi creative community,

I’m sharing some ongoing holiday specials here in case you aren’t on my newsletter list.

I know your inbox is BULGING right now with extended Black Friday sales…and I want you to know:

You won’t see a better Black Friday deal that gives rocket fuel to your creative life than the one where I give hundreds of dollars off my signature courses. 

I have holiday specials for my two signatures courses now through Tuesday, Dec 3, 11:59 pm PT.

Plus, I have created a curated gift guide for the writers and creatives on your list including YOU!

50% off Declutter Challenge for Creative People

Feeling stagnant and creatively stuck? This self-paced declutter challenge course is specifically for creatives. Perfect for holiday stress and putting things in order as we head into 2025.

Decluttering completely shifts our energy, attention and focus. Decluttering is about mindset. This course recognizes the unique challenges that creatives can have with physical clutter and mental clutter (e.g. inner critics) and how they can reinforce each other. This self-paced declutter challenge is FUN and manageable. If you’ve got anywhere from 20-minutes to an hour a day for a few days this declutter challenge is for YOU!

Early Bird Special:Chart Your Path to Publication

Submitting one’s work means being visible as a writer. So many creative writers struggle with issues of feeling worthy and deserving of a creative career they often don’t submit their work consistently and/or have a deep fear of rejection from industry professionals.

My signature course provides YOU a roadmap to expertly and joyously navigate your way through the ever-changing and volatile landscape of publishing.

This course will teach you strategies to beat the odds of rejection. You’ll learn how to select markets for your work, how to submit your work, track submissions, and find great resources.

If you come to the end of every year wondering why you aren’t more widely published, this is the course for you!

Let me support you to get published and experience confidence every step of the way!

Gifts for Writers*

Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the History of Literature by Angus Fletcher
A captivating exploration of how literary tools shape our emotions and imaginations.

On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer by Stephen Marche
A witty and insightful guide to embracing failure as a necessary part of the writing process.

Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell
An essential step-by-step guide for novelists looking to refine their craft from first draft to final polish.

The Writer’s Toolbox: Creative Games and Exercises for Inspiring the ‘Write’ Side of Your Brain
A set of prompts and tools to help writers overcome creative blocks and ignite their storytelling

Moleskine Smart Writing Set
A digital notebook and smartpen system that transfers handwritten notes into an app for easy editing and organizing.

Typewriter Charm  Necklace
A chic and meaningful accessory for the writer in your life, featuring a typewriter charm accented with a crystal bead in your choice of color.

Gifts For Creatives

–Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith
An interactive book full of prompts and creative challenges to help break perfectionist tendencies and embrace messy fun while creating art within the book itself

-Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
An inspiring guide for unleashing creativity and embracing curiosity in all aspects of life.

–Portable Tabletop Easel
A lightweight and collapsible easel perfect for painting, sketching, or displaying finished works.

–The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp
A practical manual offering insights and exercises to develop habits that foster creativity. (One of my personal favorites!)

–The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal by Julia Cameron
A beautifully designed journal to accompany Julia Cameron’s timeless guide, encouraging daily writing and reflection. (This journal was a game changer for me!)

-Wacom One Drawing Tablet
A budget-friendly drawing tablet for digital artists of all skill levels to sketch, paint, and design on the go.

-ArtSnacks Monthly Subscription Box
A fun and inspiring gift for creatives, featuring a curated selection of premium art supplies delivered monthly.

DIY Miniature Book Nook Kit
A creative, hands-on project for book lovers to build their own tiny, whimsical library scene. There’s lots of different options to choose from.

Enjoy!
*links to some of the items are affiliates. I may earn a small amount at no additional cost to you. TY!

 

Hi creative community,

Are you on Goodreads? Do you like speculative fiction? Would you like a chance to win my new speculative short story collection, “Doll Seed”? If your answer is YES to these questions, I have news. I’m so excited that my Goodreads Book Giveaway is now live! You can win a print copy of the book. Goodreads Giveaways helps author visibility and to receive rankings and/or reviews before a book launches.

Goodreads Book Giveaway Doll Seedby Michele Tracy Berger

Giveaway ends September 02, 2024.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

TY and feel free to share! It runs through Sept 2.

#afrofuturism #blackspeculative #horror #diversevoicesHere’s a snippet of what people are saying about this work:“This is Black Mirror with the emphasis on Black.” Vincent Tirado, author of We Came to Welcome You: A Novel of Suburban Horror“Michele Tracy Berger has a voice like no one else. Her stories bring wonder and horror and hope as they explore family dynamics, womanhood, what it means to be Black in the United States, and all the highs and lows of humanity. I was gripped from the first line. I couldn’t put this book down.”Julia Rios, Hugo Award Winning EditorFrom NetGalley: …Berger shines with mind-bending tales and unforgettable characters – especially her resilient women of color. Her writing? Tender and captivating. …Perfect for speculative fiction newbies or anyone craving a unique read.Playful and provocative, these speculative stories cover a wide territory including sci-fi, contemporary fantasy, weird, horror and magical realism.Fifteen stories invite you to get comfortable in the dark, to consider freedom and sacrifice, trust and betrayal, otherness, and safety. Marisol, an aspiring jeweler, is haunted by a fast-food icon. Chevella, a self-aware doll, finds herself in 1950s America playing a key role in the Civil Rights Movement. Lindsay, a Black girl in 1970s America “wins” an extraterrestrial in a national contest only to find her family’s life upended. Chelsea and Jessa, two sisters, fight about what a strange child means for their family. A meat grinder appears in a magical forest and chaos ensues. All this and more.

Hi creative peeps,I’m so excited to share with you thatMy COVER REVEAL for “Doll Seed: Stories” IS a video HERE on Instagram and it is on fire!That music—so creepy and yet inviting!I love that my publisher, Aunt Lute Books, did the cover reveal on Instagram.It’s a great place to connect readers interested in finding books.You’ll be seeing a lot more about the book in the upcoming weeks and months but suffice it to say that this collection is speculative, literary, centers women of color, contains some delicious chills, and not like anything you’ve read before. It’s got a little something for everyone! See more about the collection below.

Author Chen is the artist who created this brilliant cover!

 

Pre-orders make publishers and authors happy—they are like secret sauce.I’d love your support:-consider pre-ordering the book! It can be purchased through Bookshop, Barnes & Noble Magers & Quinn Booksellers and Sistah Scifi (US), Browns Books and WHSmith (UK).For NC peeps in the Triangle, Flyleaf Books and McIntyre’s Books will order it for you.You can also request it at your favorite bookstore or ask your local library to order it.-if you are an instagram person, please share there (I’m at bergermichele2005)-invite me on your podcast if you have one!-consider booking me as a guest-I have so much to share about elevated horror, the importance of mindset for writing, creativity, Afrofuturism, Black women writers, balancing career and the creative life and a dozen more topics! I’ve been a guest on local and national media.-share this news with a friend who loves short stories and might like this kind of work.–If you enjoy reviewing short fiction and/or speculative fiction and would like to do a review, please email me: mtb@creativetickle.comThanks in advance!

From Aunt Lute Books:

A dazzling debut collection of speculative short fiction.

​If you’re a fan of Octavia Butler, Dean Koontz or Kelly Link you’ll enjoy this debut short story collection by Michele Tracy Berger. Playful and provocative, these speculative stories cover a wide territory including sci-fi, contemporary fantasy, weird, horror and magical realism.

The stories span horror, fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism, but are always grounded in very real characters and beautifully rendered, distinctive communities. Often thematically centered on the lives of women and girls, especially women of color and their experiences of vulnerability and outsider status, these stories are often playful and always provocative.

Fifteen stories invite you to get comfortable in the dark, to consider freedom and sacrifice, trust and betrayal, otherness, and safety. Marisol, an aspiring jewelry artist is haunted by a fast-food icon. Chevella, a self-aware doll, finds herself in 1950s America playing a key role in the Civil Rights Movement. Lindsay, a Black girl in 1970s America “wins” an extraterrestrial in a national contest only to find her family’s life upended. Chelsea and Jessa, two sisters, fight about what a
strange child means for their family. A meat grinder appears in a magical forest and chaos ensues. All this and more.

Looking for an uplifting and great gift for Mother’s Day? Check out A Letter to My Mom, available by e-book or print.It is a tribute to the women who shape us into the people we become.I love writing nonfiction and I don’t get to do it often enough.

My love letter to my courageous mother is next to letters from Suze Orman, Dr. Phil McGraw, Melissa Rivers, will.i.am, Lisa Ling, Dr. Jennifer Arnold and many other amazing sons and daughters. In this third installment of the A Letter to My series…(following A Letter to My Dog and A Letter to My Cat), over sixty contributors share letters that chronicle the love, gratitude, silliness, fun and even conflict that define mother and child relationships. I am so honored to be part of this collection.

My writing teacher, Marjorie Hudson (author of Accidental Birds of the Carolinas) encourages students to ‘find their territory’, to explore the kinds of unique themes and challenges that only they can write about.

The relationship with my mother is definitely my territory. In 2013, I started exploring a snippet of my mother’s life which involved a great act of courage that changed the course of our lives. Since that time, I have continued thinking about the intersection of my life and hers. I am constantly surveying that rich and fertile ground. My mother is no longer living, so writing about her is one way that I can keep her memory alive.

When I saw the call for ‘A Letter to My Mom’, I decided to submit my very personal story. The editor and creator of the A Letter to My series, Lisa Erspamer and her team were amazing. They treated my narrative (and I assume all the others), with great care, respect and unabashed enthusiasm.

A Letter to My Mom is so inspiring and the layout of the book is beautiful. Each entry is accompanied by photos.

It will make you and your mom (or special woman in your life) laugh and cry.Available everywhere and anywhere. *Find it on Amazon here.P.S. Want more innovative ways to keep connected to your creative self during difficult times? Check out my free guide here*link to the book is an affiliate. I may earn a small amount at no additional cost to you. TY!

 

Hi creative peeps,

The response to my Declutter Challenge for Creative People has been phenomenal.

This is a reminder for the procrastinators (I see you!) and folks who meant to sign up but forgot—tomorrow is the last day to to sign up and receive two bonuses.

As I say in this video, decluttering is not just about moving things around. It’s about mindset. The process I have created stimulates inner wisdom and transformation. It’s about your future you, less overwhelm, and struggle. The link to the self-paced course is here.

In the video, I explore the concept of ‘backups’, irritants and perfectionism and how they relate going deeper into decluttering mindset work.

Course details here.

 

Hi creative peeps,

Since it’s spring, it’s a natural time to tackle decluttering. Did you know that I consider decluttering a transformational practice for creatives?

-Are you feeling stuck or stagnant in your creative life?

-Are the techniques you have relied on to expand your creative life not working (i.e. vision boards, affirmations, submitting your work)?

-Are you struggling with clutter? 

Ah, Houston, we have a problem!

Clutter is the physical manifestation of unmade decisions fueled by procrastination.
-Christine Scalise

I have created a self-paced declutter challenge course specifically for creatives. It’s based on Feng Shui (the Chinese art and philosophy of placement) and it’s not like any decluttering process you’ve done before. It tackles physical clutter and supports inner transformation. It recognizes the unique challenges that creatives can have with physical clutter and mental clutter (e.g. inner critics) and how they can reinforce each other. This declutter challenge is FUN and manageable. If you’ve got anywhere from 20-minutes to an hour a day for a few days this declutter challenge is for YOU!

Sign up by April 8 and you can join me on a live call and also have access to a bonus conversation with me and a therapist about the relationship between trauma and clutter. More details here.

Want to know more about how I approach this issue of  creativity and decluttering? I’ve got three videos that explore the decluttering process, our resistance to it and why I’m so passionate about it as a practice for creatives.

The 5 Things You Say Over and Over Again that Stop You From Decluttering (and How to Overcome Them)!

5 More Things You Say Over and Over Again that Stop You From Decluttering (and How to Overcome Them)!

Shame, Fear and Anger and the Decluttering Process + Why I’m Passionate About Decluttering:

 

Ready to have a workspace that is welcoming, functional, and mirrors your highest intentions? Ready to be filled with energy and creative magic MOJO? Don’t miss out on this declutter challenge course

Hi writer friends,

I’m hearing from many writers that 2024 is a time for preparing for the next phase of success whether that is planning for a new release (like me!) or making significant progress on the next WIP. In the ever-changing writing and publishing market, and no matter what you write, an important component of being a writer is having a website where people can find you. 

If you’re an emerging writer there’s a good chance that you’ve been putting the critical task off of getting your author website done and checked off your list of to-dos. The delays could stem from imposter syndrome (who am I to create a website when I don’t have a ton of publications?), the potential cost, not knowing how to get started.

I GOT YOU!

My writing colleague Li Yun Alvarado teaches writers how to build their own AMAZING website in just a few days without being a tech wiz! That’s right, you can have a beautiful, impactful, true-to-you website in 5-7 days through her successful self-paced course: Writer, You Need a Website! And, the best part is that you won’t spend $$$$ of dollars to do it. Her course is less than $300!!!!

Li Yun is a poet, essayist and activist. She loves helping writers get intentional about “crafting a writing life that you love and an author platform that will help you reach your big, dreamy, knock it out of the park goals.” I met her (and took one of her fantastic workshops) while at the transformative A Room of One’s Own Foundation (AROHO) residency in 2015.

Li Yun believes that your first real author website is about “claiming your writer identity and taking control of how You tell your writer story to the world.”  And, it’s not about being perfect. I love that!

She also knows you need a Website.

It’s that simple: 

If you’re a writer, you need a website.

Not in the fall, not next summer, not in a few years, not someday. 

Now. 

Yep, I know that it’s something that you’ve probably been putting off.

Let’s change that today!

Writer, You Need a Website

When you enroll in Writer, You Need a Website!

You’ll learn why it’s critical to take control of your online author story early in your writing career.You’ll learn why social media isn’t enough and why any writer who has published pieces (poems, stories, essays) needs a website.You’ll learn her proven First Author Framework which outlines exactly to include on your first site (and what you can wait to add on down the line).You’ll learn options to help keep website costs manageable.You’ll get step-by-step guidance and access to tech tutorials, so you can build your site fast and with confidence.You’ll learn what to do once your site is built, and have access to a resource library to help you as your site evolves in the future.AND MUCH MORE

This is an AMAZING course as her many testimonials attest to. Add rocket fuel to  your 2024 by making an investment in you-one that gives you skills, visibility and resources, and finally, a great author website. 

P.S., You’ve probably got all kinds of questions (like the ones below) and feel some resistance to moving forward–especially if you are an emerging author. This is normal! Don’t let it stop you from moving forward. 

“I can’t justify spending money on an author website.”

or

“I sort of write and have a few publications, but I’m not far along enough in my writing career for an author website… am I?”

or

“I’m tech-phobic; there’s no way I can build an author website on my own.”

or

“An author website will be nice eventually, but right now social media works just fine for me.”

or

“I don’t want to blog!”

or

“I’ll get around to building an author website once my book gets picked up.”

Li Yun addresses all this and more here 

Submitting one’s work means being visible as a writer. So many creative writers struggle with issues of feeling worthy and deserving of a creative career they often don’t submit their work consistently and/or have a deep fear of rejection from industry professionals. In this video I share how I’ve worked on these issues for myself and on behalf of clients: ‘Cultivate Superpowers for Your Writing Life’. It’s about methods and mindset.

It was fun to make! At the end of the video, I share information about my successful online course Chart Your Path to Publication. There’s a flash sale on it through 12/31.

Happy Holidays!I’m holding a FLASH SALE for Chart Your Path to Publication. My online course is a GREAT way to work with me in 2024 (and did you see that I have a BONUS VIP Goal Setting workshop and ENVISION LAB?).ENDS Dec 31! Chart Your Path to Publication is an online course which starts in January 2024. I only open this course once a year.My online course provides you a roadmap to expertly and joyously navigate your way through the ever-changing and volatile landscape of publishing.This course will teach you strategies to beat the odds of rejection. You’ll learn how to select markets for your work, how to submit your work, track submissions, and find great resources.If you come to the end of every year wondering why you aren’t more widely published, this is the course for you!The reason why I created this course is because a vacuum exists in the writing field with helping writers understand and manage one of the key components of creating a writing career—submitting one’s work. There’s not much about the submission process in writing craft books, except to “just do it”. But this declaration leaves out so much, including 1) how to build relationships with editors 2) how to find appropriate venues for one’s work 3) how to track one’ submissions and 4) how to cultivate a resilient author mindset, especially in dealing with rejection.I wanted to create a shortcut that would offer writers actionable information on how to navigate the volatile landscape of publishing.I’ve added even more value to Chart Your Path to Publication:-Bite-sized lessons-videos on how to deal with inner critics and how to write better and faster-2 Co-Writing Sessions in Jan 2024 (NEW!)-a live Q&A Calland a special VIP BONUS just for those who enroll by Dec 31!

–VIP BONUS: Goal Setting Workshop: How to Set Writing Goals that You Love (and can Accomplish) in 2024 and ENVISION Lab (NEW!)

Check out all the details HERE get it by Dec 31 & make real progress on your writing goals in 2024.