What I Do

Lately, a lot of people have been asking me about what I do. So here's a little explanation:

As a writer, I help people articulate their message clearly and succinctly. This happens across many different genres: I write marketing materials like newsletters, welcome packages, case studies, bios, and brochures. I ghostwrite books and articles. I pen content for websites and blogs. I write grants for non-profits.

As an editor, I work closely with clients to make their written materials flow more smoothly and become accessible to a wider audience. I edit written materials like executive summaries, manuals, books, dissertations, articles, and websites.

As a writing coach, I help people identify their blocks and clear the way for clarity and creativity.

It's easy to work on so many types of projects because they all involve the same skill sets: Gathering large amounts of information and condensing it into something interesting. Interviewing people to discover their voice, and then writing accordingly. Really listening to understand what people want to say. And telling a story in a compelling way.

Many people feel blocked and anxious about writing. They procrastinate, make excuses, and then rush to finish it, often sloppily. The bottom line is that most people would rather be doing something else. And that's where I come in.

Tagline Contest

The time has come for a tagline for Isaacs, Ink!

As many of you know, I have worked as a professional namer for Idiom (the San Francisco-based naming and branding consultants responsible for Genuity, Dreamery, and Fogdog). But as a true collaborator, I always like to gather information before settling on something.

Here are a few submissions so far:

Where Your Words Come Alive
Don't Be Content With Mediocre Content
Let Us Put Your Pen to Paper

Vote on one of these, or create your own. The winner will receive a prize valued at $50!

Writerly Advice

Many people come to me for advice about writing. I always try to help. Some people get stuck on the first sentence. Other people find that they have too much to say and have trouble organizing their thoughts. And still others tell me that it takes them hours to write a simple one-page letter. In my work, I find that it doesn't really matter what topic I'm writing about. As long as I'm focused and have a true understanding of what I'm trying to articulate, I can find a way to say it. And so can you.

Here is the advice I most frequently give for people struggling to write:

1. Talk It Out. Many people feel overwhelmed at the prospect of putting a pen to paper, or keys on a keyboard. When I'm in a one-on-one situation helping someone write, they sometimes have a jumble of random words on the page. They often say "What I'm really trying to say is. . . ." and then they launch into a beautifully constructed and eloquent sentence. So when you are stuck, simply take a breath and say what you mean. Then write it down. You might just find your sentence speaks to you with very little effort.

2. First Is Sometimes Last. Logic dictates that we start at the beginning, move to the middle, and finish at the end. Writing isn't always like that. Sometimes the beginning of a piece of writing doesn't come into full view until you write the middle, or the end. So don't get stuck if you can't start at the beginning. Start at the middle or the end. You might just get clarity when you least expect it and find the perfect way to start.

3. Walking and Daydreaming are Part of the Writing Process.
Writing is a process that isn't necessarily linear. You don't always sit down and write until you are done. Ideas need time to percolate and seep in. Your subconscious is always working — even during off-hours. So give yourself permission to take a break or stretch or take a walk. Don't feel guilty — you are still working by giving your mind space to stretch and explore its nooks and crannies. Let your mind wander until it comes to a natural new conclusion on its own. It might happen in the shower, or in a dream, or on the treadmill. You just don't know until it happens.

4. Give Yourself A Deadline.
Writing isn't like math. There is no one correct answer and no one (besides maybe your editor if you are in that line of work) telling you to stop. If you are like me, you could keep on tinkering until until you have to go to bed, and then get up and tinker some more. The thing with writing, is that there are so many ways to go. Once you have chosen a direction, commit to it. Then tell yourself that you will be done at a certain time. Stop, with the knowledge that your first instincts are often the best ones.

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Moving Through Change

Being a freelancer, I'm accustomed to change. Clients come and go. My schedule varies from week to week. One day I'm in an office full of employees at a meeting, the next three weeks I'm flying solo in my office. One day I'm interviewing a doctor at the Mayo Clinic about natural supplements to lower cholesterol, the next day is spent on business like invoices and contracts

The freelance life isn't for everybody. But I am grateful for the flexibility, the spontaneity, and the unknowing-ness of it all. It makes me feel alive, and gives the illusion of freedom. I could be a day away from the biggest job of my life, or a black hole where the phone doesn't ring.

In the midst of this constantly changing schedule, I am thinking about the things that don't change, the things that add a rhythm and consistency to my days and weeks:

1. My morning cup of coffee.
2. The Sunday newspaper— Styles section first, then Week in Review, then Front Page, and Arts.
3. Dinner with my family.
4. A morning stretch and intention.

I'm holding on to these simple things amidst bigger changes; a new house, a new city, a new baby, a new routine, a new job opportunity. It's these things that keep me grounded, and steady.

Enjoy what changes, and what stays the same. For now.