Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

Years ago, one of my clients updated me on her publishing journey. She turned in her manuscript on deadline, so that was a huge relief. Then her editor asked for one last piece she'd put off. "Ann, it took me two full weeks to track down everything for my endnotes.Two weeks!" This first-time author knew the editor would ask for endnotes, but she had not kept track of them as she wrote. Putting Off the Inevitable When words were flowing—forming chapters, shaping ideas—she didn't want to lose momentum fiddling around with citations. So she decided to focus solely on the writing, trusting those endnotes would be easy to put together later. After all, most of the books she mentioned in her text were stacked next to her, ready to access after submitting her manuscript. She could find the direct quotes online again in a few clicks, right? "Please, Ann," she said, "I'm begging you to tell all your clients to document their sources along the way. Waiting until the end was a nightmare." Save Time & Headaches I've tried to convince the authors I coach to do just that: document all sources along the way. More specifically, I recommend they create a citation at the moment they mention it in their draft. Or at the latest, create it before stepping away from that writing session. You think you'll come back to it the next morning, but it's easy to push it off until later...and later...and later. Then your editor calls and you have to pull them together to submit a few days later. Citations Are a Pain It's a pain to track these bits of information. Author Joanna Russ writes, "I once asked a young dissertation writer whether her suddenly grayed hair was due to ill-health or personal tragedy; she answeredIt was the footnotes"(Russ, 137). It's tempting for authors to think of citations as a necessary evil, aging us, plaguing us. Citations Are a Gift But in reality they're a gift to our readers. They can dig deeper into the topic we introduce by visiting the websites, books, and podcasts we mention. Citations are also a gift to us. Heaven knows we want to avoid accusations of plagiarism, adhere to copyright laws, and make good faith efforts to track down the origin of a quote or statistic. I'm not a lawyer and can't give legal advice, but giving credit where credit is due is a step in the right direction. A good start is to include attribution for: direct quotes paraphrased quotes summarized ideas & info that aren't common knowledge paraphrased ideas & info that aren't common knowledge any idea, statistic, framework, or content you didn't develop yourself Create citations for any source: physical books, Kindle books, websites, interviews, podcasts, seminars, conferences, and more. In doing so, you demonstrate you're joining—even contributing to—the broader conversation on this topic. Is Blog Post and Social Media Citation Overkill? You may associate footnotes and endnotes with books and scholarly writing, but I hope you'll join me in citing sources in your digital writing, as well: in blog posts, articles—even social media posts. In years past, bloggers have generally taken a simpler approach, relying on linked text to credit sources. This minimized reader disruption and saved time. Parenthetical citation or cumbersome in-text mentions with signal text slow the flow. You can see an example where I wrote "Author Joanna Russ writes..." That phrasing signaled a source. Did it slow you down? Did it bother you? Bloggers have generally viewed that style as clunky. Footnoting blog posts seemed over the top. Vowing to Start Footnoting I myself used to think it was over the top. In the early days of blogging no one else was adding footnotes, so I didn't bother. Until 2012, when I taught high school students a session about plagiarism. The more I prepared for the session, the more I realized I wasn't following citation best practic...

Years ago, one of my clients updated me on her publishing journey. She turned in her manuscript on deadline, so that was a huge relief. Then her editor asked for one last piece she'd put off. "Ann, it took me two full weeks to track down everything for my endnotes.Two weeks!" This first-time author knew the editor would ask for endnotes, but she had not kept track of them as she wrote. Putting Off the Inevitable When words were flowing—forming chapters, shaping ideas—she didn't want to lose momentum fiddling around with citations. So she decided to focus solely on the writing, trusting those endnotes would be easy to put together later. After all, most of the books she mentioned in her text were stacked next to her, ready to access after submitting her manuscript. She could find the direct quotes online again in a few clicks, right? "Please, Ann," she said, "I'm begging you to tell all your clients to document their sources along the way. Waiting until the end was a nightmare." Save Time & Headaches I've tried to convince the authors I coach to do just that: document all sources along the way. More specifically, I recommend they create a citation at the moment they mention it in their draft. Or at the latest, create it before stepping away from that writing session. You think you'll come back to it the next morning, but it's easy to push it off until later...and later...and later. Then your editor calls and you have to pull them together to submit a few days later. Citations Are a Pain It's a pain to track these bits of information. Author Joanna Russ writes, "I once asked a young dissertation writer whether her suddenly grayed hair was due to ill-health or personal tragedy; she answeredIt was the footnotes"(Russ, 137). It's tempting for authors to think of citations as a necessary evil, aging us, plaguing us. Citations Are a Gift But in reality they're a gift to our readers. They can dig deeper into the topic we introduce by visiting the websites, books, and podcasts we mention. Citations are also a gift to us. Heaven knows we want to avoid accusations of plagiarism, adhere to copyright laws, and make good faith efforts to track down the origin of a quote or statistic. I'm not a lawyer and can't give legal advice, but giving credit where credit is due is a step in the right direction. A good start is to include attribution for: direct quotes paraphrased quotes summarized ideas & info that aren't common knowledge paraphrased ideas & info that aren't common knowledge any idea, statistic, framework, or content you didn't develop yourself Create citations for any source: physical books, Kindle books, websites, interviews, podcasts, seminars, conferences, and more. In doing so, you demonstrate you're joining—even contributing to—the broader conversation on this topic. Is Blog Post and Social Media Citation Overkill? You may associate footnotes and endnotes with books and scholarly writing, but I hope you'll join me in citing sources in your digital writing, as well: in blog posts, articles—even social media posts. In years past, bloggers have generally taken a simpler approach, relying on linked text to credit sources. This minimized reader disruption and saved time. Parenthetical citation or cumbersome in-text mentions with signal text slow the flow. You can see an example where I wrote "Author Joanna Russ writes..." That phrasing signaled a source. Did it slow you down? Did it bother you? Bloggers have generally viewed that style as clunky. Footnoting blog posts seemed over the top. Vowing to Start Footnoting I myself used to think it was over the top. In the early days of blogging no one else was adding footnotes, so I didn't bother. Until 2012, when I taught high school students a session about plagiarism. The more I prepared for the session, the more I realized I wasn't following citation best practic...

Consider a lowly stick, memorialized by my friend: Little Y StickFragile, knobby crossroads in my fingersBring me eyes to see how God is in my midst.1 ​Jennifer Dukes Lee penned that poem after we chatted about a prompt found in poemcrazy, by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. Poemcrazy's Prompt In Chapter 31, Susan instructs us to find something in nature that attracts our attention. Maybe the object has a quality that we're attracted to, or maybe it's just speaking to us in some way.2 Jennifer pondered the little Y stick and used Susan's prompt to craft that small poem. I decided to try Susan's prompt myself. Following Susan's instructions, I found objects in the yard that attracted my attention. One was a pinecone. 1. Name it First, we name it. Name it by its actual name, like a pine cone, or make up a name, like "tree cigar." Susan says you could call a mushroom "white sticky," for example, or "plump cloud." Or you could use its actual name, "mushroom."3 2. Describe it Next, describe some of its qualities using descriptive language or by comparing it with something else. 3. "Bring me your..." Finally, you have a line that starts, "Bring me your…" and finish with a quality that this item has.4 As with any creative venture or poem, you get to make it your own. You can leave off the "bring me" part or expand on its name or its description. Here's an example in Susan's book from a seventh grader: Dead rose,crinkly as paper,bring me love.5 This exercise taps attentiveness and imagination to make connections and explore our yearnings. Sample Poems Let's look at Susan's example using a mushroom: Honey mushroomfloating in grass like a plump cloud,bring me your love of dark places.6 After spending time with the object, the final template is: Name (real or made up) "You look like…" (feel free to drop "you look like" and creatively describe it) "Bring me…" or "Bring me your…" Now that you know the template, look at Jennifer's again: Little Y StickFragile, knobby crossroads in my fingersBring me eyes to see how God is in my midst. Let's Try the Prompt In my yard, we have to deal with the seeds of two Sweetgum trees—long-stemmed spiky orbs. Approximately five million of these "Sweetgum balls," as we call them, coat our front yard year round. You could spend hours filling three giant trash bins only to look up and see a thousand more dangling from the branches above, poised to drop during the next thunderstorm that blows through. Despite the trouble they cause me, I spent time with one of them, staying open to what it might offer me: Spiky orb, one of hundreds, maybe thousands,fragile, persistent, overwhelming:bring me your abundance. We also deal with an outrageous number of pinecones that fall from two fir trees. I found a pinecone that was still closed, which happens when it's cold outside. As the temperature heats up, the pinecone opens to release its seeds. Smooth pine cone, waiting to warm, waiting to share yourself—hatches shut tight against the cold,protecting yourself, soon to unlatch—bring me your care and caution,knowing the time to stay guarded and safe,and knowing the time to open oneself,to be fully seen. Try this prompt yourself and share your poem with me. I can't wait to read what you come up with. __________________ Get the direction you need to improve as a writer with The Art & Craft of Writing. In this eight-week intensive, I'll help you elevate your writing skills and create a compelling piece you'll be proud to show an editor or agent. By the end of our time together, you'll have completed a 3,000-word piece, along with multiple short submissions that invite you to experiment and play with new techniques. Learn more! Footnotes: Dukes Lee, Jennifer. Prayer labyrinth story with a Y stick image and poem. Instagram, 17 Mar. 2023. https://www.instagram.

Consider a lowly stick, memorialized by my friend: Little Y StickFragile, knobby crossroads in my fingersBring me eyes to see how God is in my midst.1 ​Jennifer Dukes Lee penned that poem after we chatted about a prompt found in poemcrazy, by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge. Poemcrazy's Prompt In Chapter 31, Susan instructs us to find something in nature that attracts our attention. Maybe the object has a quality that we're attracted to, or maybe it's just speaking to us in some way.2 Jennifer pondered the little Y stick and used Susan's prompt to craft that small poem. I decided to try Susan's prompt myself. Following Susan's instructions, I found objects in the yard that attracted my attention. One was a pinecone. 1. Name it First, we name it. Name it by its actual name, like a pine cone, or make up a name, like "tree cigar." Susan says you could call a mushroom "white sticky," for example, or "plump cloud." Or you could use its actual name, "mushroom."3 2. Describe it Next, describe some of its qualities using descriptive language or by comparing it with something else. 3. "Bring me your..." Finally, you have a line that starts, "Bring me your…" and finish with a quality that this item has.4 As with any creative venture or poem, you get to make it your own. You can leave off the "bring me" part or expand on its name or its description. Here's an example in Susan's book from a seventh grader: Dead rose,crinkly as paper,bring me love.5 This exercise taps attentiveness and imagination to make connections and explore our yearnings. Sample Poems Let's look at Susan's example using a mushroom: Honey mushroomfloating in grass like a plump cloud,bring me your love of dark places.6 After spending time with the object, the final template is: Name (real or made up) "You look like…" (feel free to drop "you look like" and creatively describe it) "Bring me…" or "Bring me your…" Now that you know the template, look at Jennifer's again: Little Y StickFragile, knobby crossroads in my fingersBring me eyes to see how God is in my midst. Let's Try the Prompt In my yard, we have to deal with the seeds of two Sweetgum trees—long-stemmed spiky orbs. Approximately five million of these "Sweetgum balls," as we call them, coat our front yard year round. You could spend hours filling three giant trash bins only to look up and see a thousand more dangling from the branches above, poised to drop during the next thunderstorm that blows through. Despite the trouble they cause me, I spent time with one of them, staying open to what it might offer me: Spiky orb, one of hundreds, maybe thousands,fragile, persistent, overwhelming:bring me your abundance. We also deal with an outrageous number of pinecones that fall from two fir trees. I found a pinecone that was still closed, which happens when it's cold outside. As the temperature heats up, the pinecone opens to release its seeds. Smooth pine cone, waiting to warm, waiting to share yourself—hatches shut tight against the cold,protecting yourself, soon to unlatch—bring me your care and caution,knowing the time to stay guarded and safe,and knowing the time to open oneself,to be fully seen. Try this prompt yourself and share your poem with me. I can't wait to read what you come up with. __________________ Get the direction you need to improve as a writer with The Art & Craft of Writing. In this eight-week intensive, I'll help you elevate your writing skills and create a compelling piece you'll be proud to show an editor or agent. By the end of our time together, you'll have completed a 3,000-word piece, along with multiple short submissions that invite you to experiment and play with new techniques. Learn more! Footnotes: Dukes Lee, Jennifer. Prayer labyrinth story with a Y stick image and poem. Instagram, 17 Mar. 2023. https://www.instagram.

Gain inspiration from the journey of a first-time author who transformed her dream of writing into a reality by taking bold action. Merideth Hite Estevez's success story involved launching a captivating podcast and partnering with a coach (yep, that's me!) to develop a winning strategy. Her talent and tenacity helped her build a robust platform, create a winning book proposal, secure an agent, and land a publishing deal in just a few years. Although she felt like it took an eternity, that's fast. Follow her story and be inspired to pursue your own writing dreams with confidence! Resources Here's the program Merideth mentions in the video (we worked together to complete her proposal and set her up for success): https://annkroeker.com/yourcompellingbookproposal/ Merideth's website: artistsforjoy.org Merideth on Instagram: @artistsforjoy Merideth's free resource, 3 Ways to Love Your Inner Artist Merideth's Creative Clusters using The Artist's Way https://youtu.be/-pe0ds60Ecc Transcript (Transcripts are reviewed and lightly edited.) Ann Kroeker I'm Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach. If you're tuning in for the first time, welcome. If you're a regular, welcome back. I'm sharing my best skills and strategies to help writers improve craft, pursue publishing, and achieve their writing goals. On today's show, you're going to get a glimpse of a first time author's journey from idea to a signed contract with a publisher. Even better, she's a creative coach herself, so it's like you're getting two coaches for one. You're going to love meeting Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez. Merideth Hite Estevez Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez is a spiritual space-maker for artists as an oboist, writer, coach, and educator. Her podcast Artists for Joy was an Award of Excellence Winner in the 2022 Communicator Awards and is in the top 2% of podcasts worldwide. She has served thousands of artists in communal creative recovery with her popular support groups around Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and serves artists of all disciplines through her writings, workshops, and one-to-one coaching services. She holds degrees in oboe from The Juilliard School and Yale University and is a Certified Start with Heart Facilitator through Graydin. As a trained coach, she runs a thriving business helping creatives of all disciplines looking for a more joyful life. Merideth has performed with top orchestras in the US and abroad, including the MET Opera and PhillyPops and is currently the English hornist/Second Oboe of the Chamber Orchestra of NY. She has served on faculties of numerous universities and schools of music, most recently as Associate Professor of Oboe at University of Delaware. When she’s not creating or teaching, you’ll find her attempting to speak foreign languages with a southern accent while traveling with her husband Rev. Edwin Estevez, daughter Eva, and son Eli. Her first book, an inspirational guide to the creative life, is forthcoming in 2024. Merideth, welcome. We're so glad you're here. [00:02:03] - Merideth Hite Estevez Hi, Ann. Thanks for having me. [00:02:04] - Ann Kroeker Now, that's an impressive bio. I'm amazed at all of the things you juggle, and in the middle of it all, you managed to land a contract to write a book. And I would love it if you could give people a simple summary of this crazy journey you've been on. Can you just summarize it? And then we can go into detail of what that looked like. [00:02:26.780] - Merideth Hite Estevez Absolutely. Yeah. It feels like a really, really long journey. Like many of the people listening to this, I have been writing all my life. My mother was my elementary school librarian. And so writing was something that always was around. I took a lot of creative writing classes in college. But as you heard from my bio, I always had a beeline on being a professional oboist. All my concentration and focus was on music.

Gain inspiration from the journey of a first-time author who transformed her dream of writing into a reality by taking bold action. Meredith Hite Estevez's success story involved launching a captivating podcast and partnering with a coach (yep, that's me!) to develop a winning strategy. Her talent and tenacity helped her build a robust platform, create a winning book proposal, secure an agent, and land a publishing deal in just a few years. Although she felt like it took an eternity, that's fast. Follow her story and be inspired to pursue your own writing dreams with confidence! Resources Here's the program Merideth mentions in the video (we worked together to complete her proposal and set her up for success): https://annkroeker.com/yourcompellingbookproposal/ Merideth's website: artistsforjoy.org Merideth on Instagram: @artistsforjoy Merideth's free resource, 3 Ways to Love Your Inner Artist Merideth's Creative Clusters using The Artist's Way https://youtu.be/-pe0ds60Ecc Transcript (Transcripts are reviewed and lightly edited.) Ann Kroeker I'm Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach. If you're tuning in for the first time, welcome. If you're a regular, welcome back. I'm sharing my best skills and strategies to help writers improve craft, pursue publishing, and achieve their writing goals. On today's show, you're going to get a glimpse of a first time author's journey from idea to a signed contract with a publisher. Even better, she's a creative coach herself, so it's like you're getting two coaches for one. You're going to love meeting Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez. Merideth Hite Estevez Dr. Merideth Hite Estevez is a spiritual space-maker for artists as an oboist, writer, coach, and educator. Her podcast Artists for Joy was an Award of Excellence Winner in the 2022 Communicator Awards and is in the top 2% of podcasts worldwide. She has served thousands of artists in communal creative recovery with her popular support groups around Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and serves artists of all disciplines through her writings, workshops, and one-to-one coaching services. She holds degrees in oboe from The Juilliard School and Yale University and is a Certified Start with Heart Facilitator through Graydin. As a trained coach, she runs a thriving business helping creatives of all disciplines looking for a more joyful life. Merideth has performed with top orchestras in the US and abroad, including the MET Opera and PhillyPops and is currently the English hornist/Second Oboe of the Chamber Orchestra of NY. She has served on faculties of numerous universities and schools of music, most recently as Associate Professor of Oboe at University of Delaware. When she’s not creating or teaching, you’ll find her attempting to speak foreign languages with a southern accent while traveling with her husband Rev. Edwin Estevez, daughter Eva, and son Eli. Her first book, an inspirational guide to the creative life, is forthcoming in 2024. Merideth, welcome. We're so glad you're here. [00:02:03] - Merideth Hite Estevez Hi, Ann. Thanks for having me. [00:02:04] - Ann Kroeker Now, that's an impressive bio. I'm amazed at all of the things you juggle, and in the middle of it all, you managed to land a contract to write a book. And I would love it if you could give people a simple summary of this crazy journey you've been on. Can you just summarize it? And then we can go into detail of what that looked like. [00:02:26.780] - Merideth Hite Estevez Absolutely. Yeah. It feels like a really, really long journey. Like many of the people listening to this, I have been writing all my life. My mother was my elementary school librarian. And so writing was something that always was around. I took a lot of creative writing classes in college. But as you heard from my bio, I always had a beeline on being a professional oboist. All my concentration and focus was on music.

Today we're exploring a topic that every writer is going to want to tune in and learn about: a trauma-informed approach to writing. To speak to that, I've invited Michelle Stiffler on the show to help us see how trauma-informed writing can transform both us and our words. This is one of the longest interviews I've published, but I believe it's one of the most important. Let's get right to it. Michelle Stiffler Michelle Stiffler is a certified trauma specialist, trauma-informed trainer, and co-host of Arizona’s Trauma-Informed Faith Community podcast. Eight years of nonprofit work shaped her trauma understanding, and during this time she created the trauma-informed culture and processes for Arizona's first trauma-informed faith-based organization. Michelle is a married mother of four, plus two sons in law and a proud Mimi. She's on the board of the Redbud Writers Guild, and her work has been published with Fathom, (in)courage, Guideposts and others, as well as the Women's Devotional Bible in The Message. Michelle writes at OneMoreTruth.com Enjoy the interview in video format, audio, or read a lightly edited transcript below: https://youtu.be/xC1qZEMMbdw Transcript [00:01:17.520] - Ann Kroeker On this topic of trauma-informed writing, and being a trauma-informed writer, should we be offering a trigger warning for anybody who's tuning in? A Safe Conversation [00:01:28.000] - Michelle Stiffler I always like to offer a trigger warning simply because the word trauma itself, even if it's paired with the word informed, sometimes just the word trauma can do something inside our bodies where we kind of tighten. We start to think about what trauma might be. So I would just give that warning so that people can kind of come into this podcast episode comfortably. We're not going to dive into anything deep or heavy. We don't want to burden anybody today, but it just kind of gives you a sense, like, check in with yourself. If you're tight, if you're thinking about things that are uncomfortable, just be free. It's going to be a safe conversation. [00:02:07.050] - Ann Kroeker I love that invitation, your sensitivity and your empathy. Thank you for helping them feel comfortable. I understand that there's this increasing awareness of trauma-informed anything and everything, and at the same time, I'm not that personally informed myself. So I'm probably going to ask you some really basic questions, Michelle. And I'm thinking about my audience, too. There may be people who are deeply involved in this whole movement or idea, but if a writer is hearing about this for the first time, can you define what is trauma-informed writing and what is a trauma-informed writer? Define what is trauma-informed writing and what is a trauma-informed writer [00:02:46.890] - Michelle Stiffler For our purposes today, trauma-informed writing is defining an approach for writing. When I come to my computer or when I come to the page and I intend on making my writing public, I'm coming with the lens that reminds me that trauma is very prevalent and that people broadly have experienced all kinds of adversity. It could be little "t" trauma. It could be big "T" trauma. And I want to come to the keyboard thinking about how I can best serve people if they're going through something hard or if they haven't yet resolved something hard. I don't want to burden anybody with too many details, and I want to be able to provide even just one step further in healing or in some sense of wholeness. That's what trauma-informed writing would be. A trauma-informed writer is basically saying that they live by the principles that the trauma-informed movement has in place. There are six of them. Those principles are: Safety Trustworthiness & transparency Peer support Collaboration & mutuality Empowerment, voice, & choice Cultural, historical & gender issues As a person,

Today we're exploring a topic that every writer is going to want to tune in and learn about: a trauma-informed approach to writing. To speak to that, I've invited Michelle Stiffler on the show to help us see how trauma-informed writing can transform both us and our words. This is one of the longest interviews I've published, but I believe it's one of the most important. Let's get right to it. Michelle Stiffler Michelle Stiffler is a certified trauma specialist, trauma-informed trainer, and co-host of Arizona’s Trauma-Informed Faith Community podcast. Eight years of nonprofit work shaped her trauma understanding, and during this time she created the trauma-informed culture and processes for Arizona's first trauma-informed faith-based organization. Michelle is a married mother of four, plus two sons in law and a proud Mimi. She's on the board of the Redbud Writers Guild, and her work has been published with Fathom, (in)courage, Guideposts and others, as well as the Women's Devotional Bible in The Message. Michelle writes at OneMoreTruth.com Enjoy the interview in video format, audio, or read a lightly edited transcript below: https://youtu.be/xC1qZEMMbdw Transcript [00:01:17.520] - Ann Kroeker On this topic of trauma-informed writing, and being a trauma-informed writer, should we be offering a trigger warning for anybody who's tuning in? A Safe Conversation [00:01:28.000] - Michelle Stiffler I always like to offer a trigger warning simply because the word trauma itself, even if it's paired with the word informed, sometimes just the word trauma can do something inside our bodies where we kind of tighten. We start to think about what trauma might be. So I would just give that warning so that people can kind of come into this podcast episode comfortably. We're not going to dive into anything deep or heavy. We don't want to burden anybody today, but it just kind of gives you a sense, like, check in with yourself. If you're tight, if you're thinking about things that are uncomfortable, just be free. It's going to be a safe conversation. [00:02:07.050] - Ann Kroeker I love that invitation, your sensitivity and your empathy. Thank you for helping them feel comfortable. I understand that there's this increasing awareness of trauma-informed anything and everything, and at the same time, I'm not that personally informed myself. So I'm probably going to ask you some really basic questions, Michelle. And I'm thinking about my audience, too. There may be people who are deeply involved in this whole movement or idea, but if a writer is hearing about this for the first time, can you define what is trauma-informed writing and what is a trauma-informed writer? Define what is trauma-informed writing and what is a trauma-informed writer [00:02:46.890] - Michelle Stiffler For our purposes today, trauma-informed writing is defining an approach for writing. When I come to my computer or when I come to the page and I intend on making my writing public, I'm coming with the lens that reminds me that trauma is very prevalent and that people broadly have experienced all kinds of adversity. It could be little "t" trauma. It could be big "T" trauma. And I want to come to the keyboard thinking about how I can best serve people if they're going through something hard or if they haven't yet resolved something hard. I don't want to burden anybody with too many details, and I want to be able to provide even just one step further in healing or in some sense of wholeness. That's what trauma-informed writing would be. A trauma-informed writer is basically saying that they live by the principles that the trauma-informed movement has in place. There are six of them. Those principles are: Safety Trustworthiness & transparency Peer support Collaboration & mutuality Empowerment, voice, & choice Cultural, historical & gender issues As a person,

I hosted a virtual Christmas party in my membership program, Your Platform Matters (YPM). At the party I encouraged a writing exercise: Christmas Reflections. I asked these writers to close their eyes and go back in time to a warm and wonderful Christmas memory from their childhood. Rather than trying to capture a big, sprawling scene, I asked them to zero in on a detail. Using the one-inch frame Anne Lamont talks about in Bird by Bird, they narrowed their focus to a detail that they could see, smell, taste, touch, or hear. We captured those multi-sensory, concrete, specific details in words and phrases, dropping them in the Zoom chat. What a quiet, creative gift it was to share those memories with each other, to go back in time, to reflect...to write. After the party sendoff, I assembled the snapshot memories (with their permission) to create a free verse poem: Christmas Reflections Popcorn captured on strings strung on the tree,Mom, sis, and I around kitchen table, molding memories out of salt dough ornaments.Snowed in with guests,ice skating on the road,fluffy snowflakes falling on faces,magic in the night sky. Carols around the old upright piano—the twinkle in his eye bounced off his rosy cheeks as hisfamily sang the familiar tune.Pinecandlelightblack hairsparkling crystal necklacegreen silkreaching and hitting the high notes. Candles glimmered in hands lighting evening darkness.The lonely ceramic clown tucked in the Nativity scene—family humor nestled amidst the holy.I bend pipe cleaner arms around tree branch—the hand-crafted felt mouse smiles back at me.In the midst of the darknesswe sat in the puddle of light from the tree. Wrapping paper rustling in the night.Excited anticipation waiting at the top of the stairs,kitchen breakfast smells wafting up to us:bacon, sausage, cinnamon buns.We tiptoed down the stairs,our slippers silencing our steps.Cookies set out for Santa—only crumbs in the morning.Fireplace crackling—Santa’s in the kitchen!Afraid of men with beards, I was assured thatSanta Claus was gone. Shiny blue bicycle.Silver blue-tinted ball ornament.The young girl looking back at methrough the ornament's reflectionwas full of joyful smiles.Surrounded by the rapidly torn wrapping paper—utter delight.My fingers swiftly undid the twist tiesso I could stroke the loop braidsof my doll come to life from my favorite books. Are we there yet? rang from the backseat.Grandma's house full of warm laughter.Wrapped in blankets on the floorplaying the Authors card gameand Monopoly—the world was clear and bright. Try it! Take a moment to try this yourself. Close your eyes and capture that one-inch square of a warm and wonderful Christmas memory from your childhood. Share it in the comments below. I want to go back in time with you to see, smell, and hear your Christmas reflection. We so enjoyed the magic of creating this in community. I hope you find your writing community, as well. You're always welcome to be part of Your Platform Matters! Merry Christmas from the writers of YPM—and from me! ________________________________

I hosted a virtual Christmas party in my membership program, Your Platform Matters (YPM). At the party I encouraged a writing exercise: Christmas Reflections. I asked these writers to close their eyes and go back in time to a warm and wonderful Christmas memory from their childhood. Rather than trying to capture a big, sprawling scene, I asked them to zero in on a detail. Using the one-inch frame Anne Lamont talks about in Bird by Bird, they narrowed their focus to a detail that they could see, smell, taste, touch, or hear. We captured those multi-sensory, concrete, specific details in words and phrases, dropping them in the Zoom chat. What a quiet, creative gift it was to share those memories with each other, to go back in time, to reflect...to write. After the party sendoff, I assembled the snapshot memories (with their permission) to create a free verse poem: Christmas Reflections Popcorn captured on strings strung on the tree,Mom, sis, and I around kitchen table, molding memories out of salt dough ornaments.Snowed in with guests,ice skating on the road,fluffy snowflakes falling on faces,magic in the night sky. Carols around the old upright piano—the twinkle in his eye bounced off his rosy cheeks as hisfamily sang the familiar tune.Pinecandlelightblack hairsparkling crystal necklacegreen silkreaching and hitting the high notes. Candles glimmered in hands lighting evening darkness.The lonely ceramic clown tucked in the Nativity scene—family humor nestled amidst the holy.I bend pipe cleaner arms around tree branch—the hand-crafted felt mouse smiles back at me.In the midst of the darknesswe sat in the puddle of light from the tree. Wrapping paper rustling in the night.Excited anticipation waiting at the top of the stairs,kitchen breakfast smells wafting up to us:bacon, sausage, cinnamon buns.We tiptoed down the stairs,our slippers silencing our steps.Cookies set out for Santa—only crumbs in the morning.Fireplace crackling—Santa’s in the kitchen!Afraid of men with beards, I was assured thatSanta Claus was gone. Shiny blue bicycle.Silver blue-tinted ball ornament.The young girl looking back at methrough the ornament's reflectionwas full of joyful smiles.Surrounded by the rapidly torn wrapping paper—utter delight.My fingers swiftly undid the twist tiesso I could stroke the loop braidsof my doll come to life from my favorite books. Are we there yet? rang from the backseat.Grandma's house full of warm laughter.Wrapped in blankets on the floorplaying the Authors card gameand Monopoly—the world was clear and bright. Try it! Take a moment to try this yourself. Close your eyes and capture that one-inch square of a warm and wonderful Christmas memory from your childhood. Share it in the comments below. I want to go back in time with you to see, smell, and hear your Christmas reflection. We so enjoyed the magic of creating this in community. I hope you find your writing community, as well. You're always welcome to be part of Your Platform Matters! Merry Christmas from the writers of YPM—and from me! ________________________________