Coach Marla Beck

Productive Writing via Fun (Not Force)

by Marla Beck

in brilliant creativity, brilliant productivity

The late afternoon light’s been more golden and gorgeous than ever, now that it’s early fall in Northern California. The other day I brought in groceries from the car, and instead of rushing through the patch of sunlight on the deck I stopped and stood perfectly still, positioning my body right in the heart of […]

Should I Take My Computer on Vacation?

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Are you traveling over the holidays? Wondering if you should try to write or not over your break? “Ask the Writing Coach: Should I Take My Computer on Vacation?” Catherine, a freelance writer, asks, “I leave town for two weeks tomorrow and I’m debating:  should I pack the laptop?  How do I decide if I […]

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Staying Grounded in What Matters Most

When life gets very busy and we fall into habits of distraction and reaction, it’s important to approach flightiness and unfocused energy with deliberate and kind attention. Why?  Because we become what we do. And we lose our perspective — that part of us that imagines and executes brilliant things — when we simply react […]

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2 Lessons I Learned from Breaking My Shoulder

Writing Support Writing Support

You haven’t heard from me in awhile because, truthfully, it’s been challenging to type. I fractured my shoulder six weeks ago, while ice skating with my daughter. My injury is healing well, but wow… it did hurt. A word about the ice skating… Seems that I found a true, new passion a few months ago. […]

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Think You Don’t Need a Coach?

Writing Coach Writing Coach

I recently welcomed a vibrant, ambitious writer to my practice. During her complimentary “Get Acquainted” Call with me, she mentioned she’d been following me for a few years online –  reading my blog, etc. “What took you so long to get in touch, then?” I asked her. She replied, “I really didn’t think I needed […]

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Finish What You Write – Here’s a Postcard from Your Future

Writing Habit Writing Habit

How does it feel to achieve a big writing goal?   When you discipline your writing habits and finish what you write, you feel elated. Energized! Eager to pursue your next project and move your writing career forward. Pleased with yourself and your capacity to focus, persist and COMPLETE a writing project that may have […]

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When “I’m Not Writing” No Longer Works

Writing Life Writing Life

It’s a warm spring day here in Northern California, with wild poppies, purple lupine and cultivated daffodils blanketing hillsides and yards and roadside medians with pops of gorgeous color. After months underground, the flowers are everywhere – unapologetically vibrant. Unapologetically alive!   Today, I invite you to consider your writing life in this fresh light […]

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Ignoring the Writing You’ve Started?

Writing Writing

Even smart people believe stuff that’s not actually true. Take, for example, our culture’s love affair with striving. If you’ve ever worked hard to do life “right,” then you know what I mean. You may have worked hard, long hours, and then faulted yourself when your body rebelled against the stress. You may have baked the cookies, […]

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Thoughts on Integrating Writing with the Rest of Your Life

Life-quake Life-quake

Perhaps the years have brought you a “life-quake” or two – an experience that dramatically ruptured the plot of life as you once knew it. Suddenly, your world is peppered with daunting new characters, settings or conflicts. Suddenly, you’re required to become something different or new, in order to survive and thrive. My version of […]

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Like You, I’m Very Happy (When I’m Consistently Creative)

Consistently Creative Consistently Creative

Every day, I help writers step through the painful struggles that hold them back from creating fulfilling writing habits and careers. And every day – as a vocalist, musician and writer, I am traveling on this path, too. This weekend I found an old journal and I discovered a very clear intention I’d set, at […]

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Tidy Up Your Writing Habits — 4 Essentials

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I’m a late-adopter when it comes to media. (Case in point: my husband and I waited until 2014 to “discover” The West Wing — a full eight years after the series ended.) So imagine my surprise when I found myself binge-watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix this past week. Have you watched it? […]

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Reclaim Your Aliveness as a Writer (My Clients’ Stories)

Thumbnail image for Reclaim Your Aliveness as a Writer (My Clients’ Stories) Women Warriors

I’ve been happy this month, watching my clients grow and thrive as writers and busy, passionate people in the world! There have been big wins. For instance, Pamela Toler, a woman who’s authored more than a few books to-date, just published an important book, one that’s infused with her wit and voice and squarely centered […]

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Your Writer Self is Calling

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Behind the fabric of your busy days, dwells your most truthful self. It’s that writing part of you – always watching, thinking, feeling, sensing, saying. Sometimes you feel it as a rush of fresh language or ideas in your head. Sometimes, your heart aches with an untold story you long to give form to. Other […]

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On Creative Courage (I Can’t Believe I Said “YES”)

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  It’s not easy to be courageously creative.  Breaking through resistance is absolutely worth it though. Here’s a recent story from my own creative life. I hope it fires you up to be more brave and committed to your writing. A few months ago, I began surrendering to my passion for music. As my daughter began her new school […]

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Courage on a Deadline

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This Thanksgiving, I gave my 11-year-old daughter a gift I’ve been dreaming of giving her for years. I didn’t give a pony, a fancy trip or a camera. I gave her a song. After studying a songwriter I admire, I composed a bit of new music at the piano one day.  I liked it, and […]

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