Lisa Tener
Book Writing Coach
8 Writing Prompts to Welcome in the New Year 2026! I’ve revised my New Year’s Writing prompts for 2026. You may recognize a few of my classics and some new ones as well. I hope they inspire you today and serve as a catalyst for a magical and fulfilling year for you! Choose one writing…
I send you my wishes for a joyful holiday season. In the Northern Hemisphere, just after the Winter Solstice, it seems a perfect time to remind ourselves that after the darkest day of the year, the light has begun its slow and steady return. While the dark time of year (and cold, too, in many…
Some Important Notes for Transformational Storytelling This post serves as part II of The Powerful Role of Transformation in Storytelling. It’s helpful to read that post first as it deals directly with: What transformation in storytelling is and why it’s important The science behind storytelling and what the transformation story does for your reader An…
The scene: In just over an hour, I’d be leading a breakout group with brilliant Harvard alumni entrepreneurs, tasked with teaching them about the role of transformation in story, a session I’d volunteered—yes, volunteered—to direct. What had I been thinking? What did I have to teach these learned professionals? I’d been selected to serve as…
Building a vibrant community for your writing We authors dream of building a vibrant community of writers and readers, yet it often feels impossible with so many voices online and the challenge of getting people to show up in person. Let me introduce you to someone who makes it look easy. Meet Robin Kall When…
As we enter this holiday season as a time for gratitude, I think of how grateful I am for this community—and for you, in particular. Thank you, Creative One! Whatever is going on in the world, you are choosing to write, to create, to hold a vision and intention. You are, I hope, prioritizing your…
In a recent Get Your Writing Done session, Louisa Willcox shared how a conversation with a colleague woke her up to a perspective she hadn’t considered in the book she’s been writing about protecting Grizzly Bears. Louisa’s Book Insights The conversation had led her to do some research, and she realized that for fifty years,…
I censored myself in a blog post a few months back. Then I started second-guessing the move. Here’s what happened. I’ll let you be the judge. I use the Yoast plugin for WordPress to make sure my posts are SEO friendly. Yoast has done well by me and my website gets thousands of visits a…
Maybe you’ve heard? My next book, slated for 2026 is a book of poetry. And right now, after much revision, I’m working with my wonderful poetry mentor Nadia Colburn, to choose the poems and create order and flow and meaning from…well…what feels like chaos. Here’s a poem I’m quite fond of. Maybe fond is a…
Boundaries recently came up as a challenge for several writers in my Get Your Writing Done program earlier this summer. Coincidentally, this was the same day I sent out an email about Maya Stokely’s interview with Victoria Priya about her new book, Boundaries for Dummies! More on that below! Boundaries are one of the most…
Perhaps you’ve heard me mention that this year I am working with a mentor-editor on my poetry with a goal of creating a poetry book for publication in 2026. Journals and journals of unedited poetry! I’ve written poetry since childhood but have never submitted my poems to journals or figured out quite what to do…
Many authors worry that building their author platform takes too much time and competes with working and writing a book. Sure, that can be the case. Yet, if you approach it correctly, platform building can become a superpower, providing your business with the boost it needs, especially during economically challenging times. When I saw this…
As part of the Nonfiction Writers Conference a few months ago, in addition to co-presenting how to “Become a Better Writer,” I enjoyed consulting with nine aspiring authors on their books and book concepts. The book concept is an especially creative and fun aspect of book coaching. Afterwards, I thought a “perch on my shoulder”…
Are you wondering how to write a great blog post? Perhaps you’re new to blogging or looking to breathe new life into your current—or lapsed—blog. Blogging remains one of the most effective ways to generate organic traffic to your website through search engines. It can help with getting listed in both AI results and the…
“You just won a top business award for your book. What’s your advice on how to win book awards?” The question came from a past National Speakers Association, New England chapter president. I’ll share my answer and advice, but first, the big news… Two Exciting Book Awards! Yes, Breathe. Write. Breathe. was just announced as…
I hear variations on this question frequently, “Do I need to write daily to be a successful writer?” “Must I write every day to call myself a writer?” “To write well?” Many writers beat themselves up over not writing daily and I want to dispel the myth that this is the only way to write….
Yes, I have a poetry Substack. And I’m thrilled to share it with you. Why I love poetry I’ve been writing poetry since second grade, when I wrote a poem about blueberries tumbling down a hill. We had to use the vocabulary word “myriad” that day. So it was a myriad of blueberries that did…
“I want to see more author platforms.” This is the gist of feedback on a Zoom meeting with my client, Pam Oatis, MD, myself and a top literary agent I’d met through Harvard Medical School’s CME publishing course (where we both served on the faculty). The agent was interested in taking on the project—and said…
“Which book should I write?” This was one of the primary questions a client asked on a recent book concept consultation call. And I get this question often. Perhaps you’re wondering which book to write. Maybe both books are similar but with a different audience or angle. Or perhaps you have several book ideas calling…
After writing and publishing Breathe. Write. Breathe.: 18 Energizing Practices to Spark Your Writing and Free Your Voice, several entrepreneurs have asked me some form of the question, “How do I get unblocked or inspired with my business writing?” Today’s post offers three of my favorite solutions. 3 Easy Practices to Inspire Business Writing and…
