Lisa Tener's Blog: Lisa Tener's Writing/Publishing Blog

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...  Read more

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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:...  Read more

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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...  Read more

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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...  Read more

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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...  Read more

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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,...  Read more

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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...  Read more

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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...  Read more

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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...  Read more

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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...  Read more

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