Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

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August 10, 2015 4 Comments

First Time Camping – Tomorrow Night, Marshmallows

When my childhood friend returned home from vacation, I’d run to her house and ask about the trip. She hiked in the mountains and slept in a tent and fell asleep to night sounds of crickets and tree frogs and hooting owls. They cooked meals wrapped in foil and roasted marshmallows on sticks. Fascinated, I asked my parents one night, “Can we go camping?” It was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, travel Tagged With: camping, first-time camping, tent camping

December 24, 2014 10 Comments

The Christmas Clown

My mom would tie a garland of plastic holly to the stair railing and pull out a ball of fake mistletoe that she’d have Dad hang from the ceiling light in the hallway. We’d plug in plastic molded candelabras with orange bulbs and place them in the sunroom windows. We’d drive into town and pick out a tree from the Methodist Church lot set up on Main Street and haul it … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, life Tagged With: Christmas Clown, Christmas tradition, Nativity set

November 3, 2014 31 Comments

On Being a Writer – Surprise!

A week ago, I accompanied my dad to several appointments, muting my phone to comply with the doctors' office rules. To stay focused I left it muted all day long, so from 8:00 in the morning until 8:00 at night I was only vaguely aware of texts and notifications. I'd glance at the phone when I was able, to identify the person and level of urgency. I let calls go to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: life, writer, writers, writing, writing and editing, Writing in the Midst of Motherhood Series Tagged With: book release, On Being a Writer, unconventional book release party, virtual book release

August 6, 2014 16 Comments

Book Response: Forgiving Our Fathers and Mothers by Leslie Leyland Fields

Forgiving our Fathers and Mothers Leslie Leyland Fields

When I picture my two college-aged daughters at their universities, sometimes I imagine them lying across their bed or in the hallway of their dorm, discussing their peculiar childhood and frustrating parents. After all, the college years mark the first time most young adults have moved away and gained some distance and perspective. It's when they can think back over their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: life

July 3, 2014 2 Comments

Tomorrow Night, Marshmallows

When my childhood friend returned home from vacation, I’d run to her house and ask about the trip. She hiked in the mountains and slept in a tent and fell asleep to night sounds of crickets and tree frogs and hooting owls. They cooked meals wrapped in foil and roasted marshmallows on sticks. Fascinated, I asked my parents one night, “Can we go camping?” It was … [Read more...]

Filed Under: travel

June 13, 2014 3 Comments

Pursuing Your God-Given Dreams

Pursuing Your God-Given Dreams

As a boy, my father-in-law, Clement (also known by his English nickname, "Bud"), accompanied his dad to some remote African villages where they planned to distribute a small quantity of leaflets with a message of the Bible in French. The family served as missionaries in what was then known as Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC), where Bud was born and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: taking risks Tagged With: Congo Open Heart, God-given talents and dreams, pursue your God-given dreams, pursuing your God given dreams, Talents and Dreams

March 26, 2014 2 Comments

Not So Fast at Soul Stops, Pt. 2

Sunset Kids LOVE Not So Fast AnnKroeker.com

If you're moving a little too fast today, feeling rushed and stressed, I encourage you to take two minutes to listen to the following song. I suspect you'll be grinning by the time the Smothers Brothers step in to help with the ending, and you'll feel far more relaxed, even groovy: [youtube_sc url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBQxG0Z72qM"] When you've settled … [Read more...]

Filed Under: family, life, Not So Fast, Slow Movement, slowing Tagged With: Not So Fast, Slow Movement

March 24, 2014 7 Comments

Not So Fast at Soul Stops

Not So Fast book balanced on van

I overheard one of my daughters talking with her sister on the phone: "Well, hurry up," she said, "but don't break any laws." Despite over a decade of committing to a slower, more sustainable pace, "hurry up" has crept into our family's vocabulary. Then again, perhaps it is our more relaxed pace that prompts this call to speed things up a bit? I wrote a book about … [Read more...]

Filed Under: life

March 15, 2014 29 Comments

How to Form a Daily Habit: Don’t Break the Chain

Seinfeld Calendar January

My junior year in college, I started scribbling each day's to-do list the night before. I'd always include "wake up" so I would have the pleasure of marking off one item first thing in the morning: a visual sign of accomplishment. I've always joked about how pathetic it was to include "wake up," but I needed to see that I made progress. Decades later, I want to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: life, writer, writers, writing, writing and editing Tagged With: Don't Break the Chain, how to establish a daily habit, how to form a daily habit, how to form a daily writing habit, how to form daily habits, Jerry Seinfeld's Productivity Secret, Jerry Seinfeld's Secret, Seinfeld Secret

February 5, 2014 4 Comments

Simplify Life with Habits

habit routines rut to run in

“You need a rut to run in.” When I read that years ago in a book about home education, I bristled. A rut? People get stuck in ruts and never change, never take risks, never explore new possibilities. Ruts feel like tedium. Monotony. Boredom. Ruts seem unimaginative and unattractive. Everything in me yearned to break out of any rut I might run the risk of tumbling … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: establishing habits, habits, habits and routines, life, routines

December 30, 2013 11 Comments

Need Inspiration? Don’t Just Sit There – Do Something!

Whatever your profession—writer, designer, editor, entrepreneur, writing coach, consultant, educator, farmer, parent—the turn of the new year reminds us we're looking at a fresh calendar full of possibilities. How do we make the most of it if we're lacking creative inspiration? Stefan Mumaw, creative director at Callahan Creek and author of Creative Boot Camp, said in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

August 22, 2013 2 Comments

Developing a Writing Life: Five Writing Strengths

five writing strengths

Writing well requires a range of skills and strengths. Hopefully, I have developed many strengths over these 25 years as a professional writer. For fun, I shall explore only five that contributed to my developing a writing life. Five Writing Strengths 1. The ability to sit still for long stretches of time. Not everyone can do this, you know. Some people get … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

August 1, 2013 5 Comments

Food on Fridays: Douwe Egberts Coffee

For the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes. When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the button to include with your post. It ties us together visually. Then … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food on Fridays, Uncategorized Tagged With: coffee, Douwe Egberts

July 30, 2013 19 Comments

RV Trip West: Grand Canyon

Though we’ve been back for a while, I’ll write about most of our trip in present tense. It’s more lively that way. Pretend I was sending back postcards and letters that got lost in the mail and arrive long after we’ve returned home. We arrive late afternoon at the Grand Canyon, just in time for lovely lighting. The overlook with protective railings … [Read more...]

Filed Under: RV Trip West, travel Tagged With: family, Grand Canyon, RV travel, RV travel Grand Canyon

July 25, 2013 18 Comments

RV Trip West: Winslow, Arizona (Standin’ on a Corner)

Though we’ve been back for a while, I’ll write about most of our trip in present tense. It’s more lively that way. Pretend I was sending back postcards and letters that got lost in the mail and arrive long after we’ve returned home. "Hey," I say to my husband as we leave Petrified Forest National Park, "Winslow, Arizona, is just down the road. Can we stop? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: RV Trip West, travel Tagged With: Eagles, Standin on the Corner, Take It Easy, Winslow, Winslow Arizona

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Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

Providing you with resources and inspiration to be more curious, creative, and productive.

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Make Your Sentences Sing: 7 Sentence Openers to Add Music to Your Prose (Mini Course from Ann Kroeker.Teachable.com)
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