The next Become an Idea Machine class starts on Monday, March 10, 2014.

If you’re looking to increase the quality and quantity of story ideas to sell to editors, this is the class for you. In the first week, we work on increasing your output of ideas. During week two, we focus on taking a few of those raw ideas and giving them shape (or angles). Then during the last week, we talk about marketing those ideas, which is key to actually selling your ideas. You can have the greatest story idea in the world, but if you don’t have it targeted for the proper market, you’ll never sell it.

Any questions? Please contact me at dianaburrell at gmail dot com or check out my FAQs. And if you’re ready to take your freelance writing career to the next level, sign up here.

A couple weeks ago, one of my October students sent me a nice note after the workshop ended. She had taken the workshop with phone mentoring:

“I want to thank you so very much for your support, encouragement, and generosity with your time and knowledge. Your course and personal help was far and away more than I expected and absolutely invaluable to me. I feel like I got WAY more than my money’s worth, and also like I’ve found a friend and cheerleader who’s out there sending the Universe good vibes on my behalf. Who couldn’t use more of that? I can’t adequately express my gratitude, so I’ll just say thank you again.”

It’s always lovely to get a note like this, but the truth is L worked really hard those three weeks and overcame some big confidence issues just by doing. It’s the doing that builds confidence, which a lot of aspiring writers have a hard time believing. I swear, though, that taking action is the secret to success, and if you can just get out of your own way and do something, anything to move you forward–even if it turns out to the wrong step to take–you’ll be ahead of the pack of folks who believe there’s some other secret to making it as a writer.

This isn’t a sales pitch for my story idea workshop, btw. If you know what you need to do to move yourself forward–whether it’s increasing the number of pitches you send out each week, or simply calling a magazine to get an editor’s e-mail address–then DO IT. Don’t sign up for another class if you know what you need to do — you’re just stalling and throwing good money away when you could be making money. However, if you’re ready to take action–or, in the words of Tony Robbins, “massive action”–but want feedback on your ideas  and how to strengthen them (which you don’t always get when you pitch to an editor) or want to build the skills you’ll need to become a writer who’s brimming with stories to tell, then my class can assist you. It’s hard work and like I alluded to above with L … the work is really on your shoulders. I can only help when you do the heavy lifting of doing the assignments and working with me to refine those ideas into stories.

Last week L said she was moving forward slowly, but as I told her and what I would tell you, that’s terrific! It’s not a race, especially if you’re at the beginning of your career or you’ve got a lot of other responsibilities and/or issues. As long as you’ve got a plan and you’re taking action regularly and consistently–even if it’s every other week–you’re making progress.

Here’s to happy, prosperous, and confident 2014!!!

I’m opening up registration for the January Become an Idea Machine workshop … it’ll start on Monday, January 6, 2014. I was going to start it a week later, but truth be told, I’m eager to get back to work after a month of recharging my batteries. While I enjoy working with my students, the work of helping them shape ideas demands a lot of creative energy and I have to take occasional breaks to give that side of my brain a rest.

My January workshop holds a special place in my heart. Students who sign up are extremely motivated–maybe because they’ve made some New Year resolutions?–and it’s always a lot of fun for me to work with writers who are determined to succeed.

If you’re looking to increase the quality and quantity of story ideas to sell to editors, this is the class for you. In the first week, we work on increasing your output of ideas. During week two, we focus on taking a few of those raw ideas and giving them shape (or angles). Then during the last week, we talk about marketing those ideas, which is key to actually selling your ideas. You can have the greatest story idea in the world, but if you don’t have it targeted for the proper market, you’ll never sell it.

Any questions? Please contact me at dianaburrell at gmail dot com or check out my FAQs. And if you’re ready to take your freelance writing career to the next level, sign up here.

See you in January!

Greetings! Hope you’re having a terrific autumn. After a couple busy months of teaching, I’m taking a break to focus on family and other projects I’ve had on the back burner (including my long overdue book about writing under a pseudonym).

I plan to run the Become an Idea Machine workshop again in January 2014; I’ll announce the start date in a few weeks. Until then, if you’d like to get the heads up via e-mail, drop me a note at dianaburrell at gmail dot com. I will not use your e-mail for any other purpose other than letting you know when the next workshop starts.

Have a happy Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and I’ll see you in the new year.

October is a crazy month around here, hot on the heels of the even crazier holiday season! But I’ve figured out a way to squeeze a class in this fall … I’m starting it a little later in the month so I can bypass most of the October nuttiness and finish well before the American Thanksgiving holiday. So mark your schedule for Monday, October 21, 2013 for the next workshop. I typically don’t teach in November or December, so the next time I’ll be offering the workshop is January 2014. Did I just write 2014 … really?

Sign up here.

Greetings! I’ve gotten a fair number of requests to post my fall teaching schedule, so here it is … for September anyway. I’ll be starting my next Become an Idea Machine workshop on Monday, September 9, 2013. My September class fills up quickly — I suppose it’s that need to go back to school we all feel around this time of year! — so if you’re serious about signing up, do so earlier rather than later. I’ll probably run the class again in October and perhaps November before taking a break for the holidays.

You can sign up here. Once you pay through PayPal, you’ll get a message acknowledging your payment and I typically send a personal e-mail within the day. That said, I try to unplug myself from the computer in August so it may take me a little longer to respond to you. Gotta take advantage of the waning days of summer in these parts.

Greetings! I’ve gotten a fair number of requests to post my fall teaching schedule, so here it is … for September anyway. I’ll be starting my next Become an Idea Machine workshop on Monday, September 9, 2013. My September class fills up quickly — I suppose it’s that need to go back to school we all feel around this time of year! — so if you’re serious about signing up, do so earlier rather than later. I’ll probably run the class again in October and perhaps November before taking a break for the holidays.

You can sign up here. Once you pay through PayPal, you’ll get a message acknowledging your payment and I typically send a personal e-mail within the day. That said, I try to unplug myself from the computer in August so it may take me a little longer to respond to you. Gotta take advantage of the waning days of summer in these parts.

Due to some vacation schedule changes and lots of interest from students, I am going to offer my Become an Idea Machine class in July. The class will start on Monday, July 8, 2013 and run for three weeks. I anticipate this class will sell out so sign up as soon as you can as I’m limiting the class to ten students this session.

Hope to see you there!

Due to some vacation schedule changes and lots of interest from students, I am going to offer my Become an Idea Machine class in July. The class will start on Monday, July 8, 2013 and run for three weeks. I anticipate this class will sell out so sign up as soon as you can as I’m limiting the class to ten students this session.

Hope to see you there!

Well, not quite.

I have a busy group of students in my May Become an Idea Machine class, but then once that’s over, I’m taking the summer off from teaching to work on a couple book projects after a successful launch of my first book with the Renegade Writer Press, Rock-Solid Queries: The 10 Surprising Reasons Why Magazine Editors Reject Your Ideas … and How to Write Queries That Get More Acceptances Today. It’s getting great reviews and at only $2.99, you’ll learn a few secrets to beating the submissions game with editors. That’s less than a cup of coffee!

I’m releasing my book The Writer’s Guide to Pseudonyms early this summer, and with lots of interviewing and writing ahead of me, I need to focus to make this deadline. Then it’s back to work on my fiction projects. Yes, I write fiction under a pseudonym, thus why I’m writing a nonfiction book on the subject.

If you’d be interested in taking the idea class this July, however, please drop me a line at dianaburrell at gmail dot com. If there’s enough interest and my schedule frees up, I could be convinced to run a summer class. Plus, y’all know how much I love to write.

Well, not quite.

I have a busy group of students in my May Become an Idea Machine class, but then once that’s over, I’m taking the summer off from teaching to work on a couple book projects after a successful launch of my first book with the Renegade Writer Press, Rock-Solid Queries: The 10 Surprising Reasons Why Magazine Editors Reject Your Ideas … and How to Write Queries That Get More Acceptances Today. It’s getting great reviews and at only $2.99, you’ll learn a few secrets to beating the submissions game with editors. That’s less than a cup of coffee!

I’m releasing my book The Writer’s Guide to Pseudonyms early this summer, and with lots of interviewing and writing ahead of me, I need to focus to make this deadline. Then it’s back to work on my fiction projects. Yes, I write fiction under a pseudonym, thus why I’m writing a nonfiction book on the subject.

If you’d be interested in taking the idea class this July, however, please drop me a line at dianaburrell at gmail dot com. If there’s enough interest and my schedule frees up, I could be convinced to run a summer class. Plus, y’all know how much I love to write.

I’m taking the summer off from teaching to work on book projects, so if you’re wanting to get a jump on idea generation before the fall, note that I’ve got only a few spaces left in my May class. My April class sold out the week before class started.

If you’re interested in the September class, e-mail me at dianaburrell at gmail dot com and I’ll e-mail you in early August when I have the dates set.

I’m taking the summer off from teaching to work on book projects, so if you’re wanting to get a jump on idea generation before the fall, note that I’ve got only a few spaces left in my May class. My April class sold out the week before class started.

If you’re interested in the September class, e-mail me at dianaburrell at gmail dot com and I’ll e-mail you in early August when I have the dates set.

I’ve received requests to offer a May class, so here it is folks, starting on May 6. The next time I’ll be teaching this class is September since I need June, July and August free to work on some book projects. My April class filled up fast; it closed the week before the class started and not everyone on the waiting list got a spot.

Whether you’ve been feeling ho-hum about the ideas you’re pitching to editors or you’re a new writer who’s floundering in a sea of insecurity about the quality of your stories, this workshop can help. For $149, you’ll get access to a weekly web-based workshop, complete with idea-generating exercises, that will help you build up the quantity and develop the quality of your story ideas. In addition, you have three weeks of e-mail support where I’ll answer your questions, help you shape ideas, suggest possible markets for your stories, and give you the confidence to go forth and conquer your fears about querying.

Who does best in this workshop? The dividing line isn’t between those who have previous freelancing experience and those who have zero or few clips. The students who shine are those who are extremely self-motivated, who aren’t afraid to push through the hard work of the first week. Moreover, my successful students are the ones who ask the most questions and who aren’t shy about participating. You know that saying, “You get what you put into it”? That’s definitely true for my workshop, because no matter how much I reach out to you, you’re not going to walk away with an arsenal of ideas if you don’t put forth the effort required. And I’m not kidding you — it’s hard work.

But the hard work is worth it. The students I’ve worked with who’ve given the workshop their all have gone on to sell stories they developed in this class to outlets like Woman’s Day, Parenting, Saveur, New Scientist, Yankee, Health, the Washington Post, the Vancouver Sun, the Boston Globe (two students), and the New York Times (actually three of my students have sold four major stories to the NYT!). And while some of my students were established freelancers, several were not. They were highly motivated students with good writing skills who, despite their fears and insecurities, made the leap from unpublished to published by pushing themselves harder than they thought they could and by following my advice.

Want to learn more? Download my FAQ, and if you’re ready to take your freelancing career to a new level in 2013, sign up here. If you need some extra hand-holding, I also offer this class with phone support. For an additional $150, you get three :30 minute phone sessions that you can spread out over three weeks so we can talk through your ideas over the phone.

Sign up today to ensure your spot!

I’ve received requests to offer a May class, so here it is folks, starting on May 6. The next time I’ll be teaching this class is September since I need June, July and August free to work on some book projects. My April class filled up fast; it closed the week before the class started and not everyone on the waiting list got a spot.

Whether you’ve been feeling ho-hum about the ideas you’re pitching to editors or you’re a new writer who’s floundering in a sea of insecurity about the quality of your stories, this workshop can help. For $149, you’ll get access to a weekly web-based workshop, complete with idea-generating exercises, that will help you build up the quantity and develop the quality of your story ideas. In addition, you have three weeks of e-mail support where I’ll answer your questions, help you shape ideas, suggest possible markets for your stories, and give you the confidence to go forth and conquer your fears about querying.

Who does best in this workshop? The dividing line isn’t between those who have previous freelancing experience and those who have zero or few clips. The students who shine are those who are extremely self-motivated, who aren’t afraid to push through the hard work of the first week. Moreover, my successful students are the ones who ask the most questions and who aren’t shy about participating. You know that saying, “You get what you put into it”? That’s definitely true for my workshop, because no matter how much I reach out to you, you’re not going to walk away with an arsenal of ideas if you don’t put forth the effort required. And I’m not kidding you — it’s hard work.

But the hard work is worth it. The students I’ve worked with who’ve given the workshop their all have gone on to sell stories they developed in this class to outlets like Woman’s Day, Parenting, Saveur, New Scientist, Yankee, Health, the Washington Post, the Vancouver Sun, the Boston Globe (two students), and the New York Times (actually three of my students have sold four major stories to the NYT!). And while some of my students were established freelancers, several were not. They were highly motivated students with good writing skills who, despite their fears and insecurities, made the leap from unpublished to published by pushing themselves harder than they thought they could and by following my advice.

Want to learn more? Download my FAQ, and if you’re ready to take your freelancing career to a new level in 2013, sign up here. If you need some extra hand-holding, I also offer this class with phone support. For an additional $150, you get three :30 minute phone sessions that you can spread out over three weeks so we can talk through your ideas over the phone.

Sign up today to ensure your spot!

I’ve closed registration for my April Become an Idea Machine class, but it looks like enough writers are interested in a May class so I’ll be posting dates here within the next couple weeks. I won’t be teaching again until September so I can focus on some book projects, so if you’re interested in this class, check back often.

Wow, I guess spring has made everyone want to dig into their idea files! This last week saw a rush of signups for my Become an Idea Machine class starting April 8, and when I just counted my students I saw that I had two spots left. So if you want one, sign up fast. I usually get most of my signups the week before a class starts, fwiw.

I’ve received a number of requests for a May class, so next week I’ll post the dates. Then I’ll be taking the rest of the spring and summer off to work on my own writing.

Ooops, in the craziness of yesterday I forgot to mention that I had a post on the Renegade Writer website, “If You Love Writing, Should You Still Get Paid for It?” It’s not often I can say this, but I actually had fun writing this one. It’s also gratifying that it hit a nerve with a lot of writers so I’ve been getting a lot of fan mail, which is always nice. I think what a lot of writers are missing, though, is this is not a rant against sites asking for writers to write for free, but more a declaration that I don’t give a fig what people think about my job or how I run my business. I look at my work like the IRS does — an entity that makes income for which I have to pay taxes. It’s just what I do because, frankly, I’m ill-equipped for anything else.

But I’m still a little happy people like what I’ve written.

Last night I made a couple revisions to my FAQ … actually, my whole blog now that I look at it! I’ve been getting a lot of e-mails from writers who want to know how I got freelancing work with Cook’s Illustrated and can I share some tips for landing an assignment. Were it that easy! So if your dream assignment is writing for Cook’s Illustrated, go read what I have to say about it here.

Also, if you’re an expert or author in search of a co-author or ghostwriter for your next project, I’m no longer in the market for those opportunities. Last year my co-author Linda Formichelli and I started our own publishing company to support our Renegade Writer brand. With two books of my own to develop, write, and produce, plus editing Linda’s books, I just don’t have room for any more projects on my plate right now and for the foreseeable future.

Speaking of those two books: I released ROCK-SOLID QUERIES earlier this month. I just checked Amazon.com and it’s currently ranked #5 on Kindle’s bestsellers list for journalism. Nice! Thanks to all of you who’ve bought a copy. If you liked it, I hope you will leave a nice review for it.

And right now I’m hard at work on this book, The Writer’s Guide to Pseudonyms, which I plan to release later this spring. I bet many of you don’t know that Diana Burrell isn’t my legal name. Technically, it’s my maiden name and not technically a pseudonym because I don’t use it to disguise my identity as a journalist. But what most people don’t know–including most of my friends and family–is that I write fiction under a pseudonym/pen name/nom de plume. For various reasons that I’ll explain in the book, I do not want people knowing that I’m the person behind my pseudonym. (And please don’t ask me to tell you: I haven’t even told my own husband, mother, and best friend what it is.)

I’ve learned a lot in my years working as a journalist, nonfiction writer, and fiction author, so this book will be filled with valuable tips and advice on everything from deciding to use a pseudonym for the right reasons (and how some of the wrong reasons can bite you in the behind!), how to choose an appropriate name, how to set up accounts ranging from bank and PayPal accounts to Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon’s Kindle Direct Program, and so much more.

Stay tuned for more details!

Lastly, my April class is filling up fast. I was thinking of taking the rest of the spring and summer off and start teaching again in September, but there is a small chance I may teach one last class in May, then hang my hat up for awhile. If you’re interested in a May class, please leave a comment below or e-mail me at dianaburrell[at]gmail[dot]com.

The next Become an Idea Machine workshop has been scheduled to start on Monday, April 8, 2013. (BTW, I may not be teaching until September to focus on book projects, so if you’re on the fence …)

Whether you’ve been feeling ho-hum about the ideas you’re pitching to editors or you’re a new writer who’s floundering in a sea of insecurity about the quality of your stories, this workshop can help. For $149, you’ll get access to a weekly web-based workshop, complete with idea-generating exercises, that will help you build up the quantity and develop the quality of your story ideas. In addition, you have three weeks of e-mail support where I’ll answer your questions, help you shape ideas, suggest possible markets for your stories, and give you the confidence to go forth and conquer your fears about querying.

Who does best in this workshop? The dividing line isn’t between those who have previous freelancing experience and those who have zero or few clips. The students who shine are those who are extremely self-motivated, who aren’t afraid to push through the hard work of the first week. Moreover, my successful students are the ones who ask the most questions and who aren’t shy about participating. You know that saying, “You get what you put into it”? That’s definitely true for my workshop, because no matter how much I reach out to you, you’re not going to walk away with an arsenal of ideas if you don’t put forth the effort required. And I’m not kidding you — it’s hard work.

But the hard work is worth it. The students I’ve worked with who’ve given the workshop their all have gone on to sell stories they developed in this class to outlets like Woman’s Day, Parenting, Saveur, New Scientist, Yankee, Health, the Washington Post, the Vancouver Sun, the Boston Globe (two students), and the New York Times (actually three of my students have sold four major stories to the NYT!). And while some of my students were established freelancers, several were not. They were highly motivated students with good writing skills who, despite their fears and insecurities, made the leap from unpublished to published by pushing themselves harder than they thought they could and by following my advice.

Want to learn more? Download my FAQ, and if you’re ready to take your freelancing career to a new level in 2013, sign up here. If you need some extra hand-holding, I also offer this class with phone support. For an additional $150, you get three :30 minute phone sessions that you can spread out over three weeks so we can talk through your ideas over the phone.

Sign up today to ensure your spot!

The next Become an Idea Machine workshop has been scheduled to start on Monday, February 11, 2013.

Whether you’ve been feeling ho-hum about the ideas you’re pitching to editors or you’re a new writer who’s floundering in a sea of insecurity about the quality of your stories, this workshop can help. For $149, you’ll get access to a weekly web-based workshop, complete with idea-generating exercises, that will help you build up the quantity and develop the quality of your story ideas. In addition, you have three weeks of e-mail support where I’ll answer your questions, help you shape ideas, suggest possible markets for your stories, and give you the confidence to go forth and conquer your fears about querying.

Who does best in this workshop? The dividing line isn’t between those who have previous freelancing experience and those who have zero or few clips. The students who shine are those who are extremely self-motivated, who aren’t afraid to push through the hard work of the first week. Moreover, my successful students are the ones who ask the most questions and who aren’t shy about participating. You know that saying, “You get what you put into it”? That’s definitely true for my workshop, because no matter how much I reach out to you, you’re not going to walk away with an arsenal of ideas if you don’t put forth the effort required. And I’m not kidding you — it’s hard work.

But the hard work is worth it. The students I’ve worked with who’ve given the workshop their all have gone on to sell stories they developed in this class to outlets like Women’s Day, Parenting, Saveur, New Scientist, Yankee, Health, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the New York Times (actually three of my students have sold four major stories to the NYT!). And while some of my students were established freelancers, several were not. They were highly motivated students with good writing skills who, despite their fears and insecurities, made the leap from unpublished to published by pushing themselves harder than they thought they could and by following my advice.

Want to learn more? Download my FAQ, and if you’re ready to take your freelancing career to a new level in 2013, sign up here. If you need some extra hand-holding, I also offer this class with phone support. For an additional $150, you get three :30 minute phone sessions that you can spread out over three weeks so we can talk through your ideas over the phone.

Sign up today to ensure your spot!

I’ve got a post up at The Renegade Writer site about why waiting for your life to be perfect is a surefire prescription for derailing a budding freelance career. Read it here.

My November 2012 Become an Idea Machine workshop is officially filled to the max and closed and my next class will start the second week of January. I’m thinking this one will sell out too, so if you’re interested, don’t wait too long!

Weirdly enough, I’ve had a lot of signups for my November Become an Idea Machine workshop and I have only two spaces one space left. Usually my November class doesn’t fill because of the Thanksgiving holiday, but I guess a lot of freelancers want to work this year instead of eat turkey. So if you’re thinking of signing up you might want to do so now — otherwise you’ll have to wait till 2013.

The next Become an Idea Machine workshop has been scheduled to start on Monday, November 5, 2012. This will be the last workshop I run this year.

Whether you’ve been feeling ho-hum about the ideas you’re pitching to editors or you’re a new writer who’s floundering in a sea of insecurity about the quality of your stories, this workshop can help. For $149, you’ll get access to a weekly web-based workshop, complete with idea-generating exercises, that will help you build up the quantity and develop the quality of your story ideas. In addition, you have three weeks of e-mail support where I’ll answer your questions, help you shape ideas, suggest possible markets for your stories, and give you the confidence to go forth and conquer your fears about querying.

Who does best in this workshop? The dividing line isn’t between those who have previous freelancing experience and those who have zero or few clips. The students who shine are those who are extremely self-motivated, who aren’t afraid to push through the hard work of the first week. Moreover, my successful students are the ones who ask the most questions and who aren’t shy about participating. You know that saying, “You get what you put into it”? That’s definitely true for my workshop, because no matter how much I reach out to you, you’re not going to walk away with an arsenal of ideas if you don’t put forth the effort required. And I’m not kidding you — it’s hard work.

But the hard work is worth it. The students I’ve worked with who’ve given the workshop their all have gone on to sell stories they developed in this class to outlets like Women’s Day, Parenting, Saveur, New Scientist, Yankee, Health, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and the New York Times (actually three of my students have sold four major stories to the NYT!). And while some of my students were established freelancers, several were not. They were highly motivated students with good writing skills who, despite their fears and insecurities, made the leap from unpublished to published by pushing themselves harder than they thought they could and by following my advice.

Want to learn more? Download my FAQ, and if you’re ready to take your freelancing career to a new level in 2012, sign up here. If you need some extra hand-holding, I also offer this class with phone support. For an additional $150, you get three :30 minute phone sessions that you can spread out over three weeks so we can talk through your ideas over the phone.

Sign up today to ensure your spot!

I like to make a confession when I speak at writing conferences.

I hate writing.

Many students who sign up for my class tell me they love to write, they’ve dreamed of writing for magazines or penning a novel since they were children. I’m always slightly jealous of them. I wanted to be a writer my whole life, too, but looking back I’ve never found the actual process of putting my thoughts down on paper remotely pleasurable. Weird, isn’t it?

There are a few things I’m really good at and enjoy doing. In no particular order, I’m good at taking things apart and putting them back together. I can figure out how to get from South Station to I93 north with an uncanny sense of direction. My favorite class in high school wasn’t English, but biology. Give me some flour, water, salt, and yeast, and I can bake you bread that will make you think you’re in Paris. The same sort of thing goes for yarn and knitting needles; give me a week and I can turn out a Fair Isle hat, a pair of socks, or even a sweater, and I’ll do it all with a smile on my face.

So why am I not a mechanic, cab driver, geneticist, baker, or professional knitter but a writer of all things? Why did I choose a career path wherein I dislike the activity it’s built upon?

I think I figured out the answer this afternoon while I was cleaning out the catbox. (Yes, I was avoiding writing. I’ve been known to scrub the seal around my refrigerator door, work on my tax return, or double-dig my garden to avoid a first draft.) It’s this: once the laborious task of nailing down my inchoate thoughts is complete, I can go back and edit them — and editing is fun. I can tinker like a mechanic, plot out how to get from point A to point B faster like a cab driver, find solid evidence to back up my thesis as a biologist would, add new ingredients as bakers do, and make it all look beautiful and effortless, much as a knitter does with her tools. And it’s this part of my job that keeps me in business. Less successful writers refuse to believe the fun of the first draft can be improved upon with some hard work and red ink, or they don’t even bother trying to write because it’s just too difficult to start. Working writers know that good writing is hard work, whether you love it or not. Some writers love writing a first draft, but agonize over edits. Others like me relish a good edit (or five!), but struggle to nail down our thoughts. What kind of writer are you?

Anyway, that’s my ramble for today. I may hate writing, but I do like teaching and my next Become an Idea Machine class will start on Monday, October 8, 2012 (Columbus Day). Whether you love to write — or loathe it — there’s room for you here.