I’m so convinced that hiking helps my writing that I recently decided to offer a series of hiking-writing workshops to see if others had the same experience. Kate Klise Read Quote
I love the Bronte sisters, but I feel a closer kinship to the Ephron sisters, Nora and Delia, if only because their work makes me laugh more than the Brontes. I also love the Mitford sisters with their secret language and their endless letters back and forth. Kate Klise Read Quote
Early in my publishing career, someone told me I’d need to have five books in print before I could quit my job as a journalist. Turns out it was closer to 10 books. It also turns out that while it’s great to see my titles on bookstore shelves, my best customers are schools and libraries. Kate Klise Read Quote
Every writer dreams of having a backyard cottage, similar to Dahl’s ‘writing hut.’ English cottages and charming huts might seem out of reach, but a good carpenter could build a modest cottage on the cheap. Kate Klise Read Quote
Recent studies have shown that our creativity is increased by 60% when we’re walking. I encourage my workshop participants to write at their desks but think on their feet. Kate Klise Read Quote
I’m still driven by the feeling I had when I wrote my first book or read a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle adventure. Kate Klise Read Quote
The tagline at Westin hotels is that they strive to surprise and delight their guests. This is exactly what a college essay should do. Kate Klise Read Quote
As writers, we must keep throwing problems at our characters. Conflict is the heart of good storytelling. Hiking in nature along a twisting trail can remind us what a good story feels like. It’s the opposite of a treadmill – or an interstate highway. Kate Klise Read Quote
Our job as friends, mentors, parents, and writing coaches is not to write anyone’s college essay. That’s cheating. Plus, it sends a discouraging message to the teenager that he or she can’t be trusted with this important assignment. Trust the student to write the essay, but verify that it gets done. Gentle editing and proofreading are allowed. Kate Klise Read Quote
The smartest thing I ever did as a writer was hire a retired conservation agent to blaze a hiking trail for me. It’s nothing fancy – just a narrow path that meanders for a little over a mile through the woods near my home. But that trail through the trees has become my therapist, my personal trainer, and my best editor. Kate Klise Read Quote
