Melissa Westemeier

When I feel lost or overwhelmed, sometimes I sit still, refuse to move, and get really depressed. Sometimes I pour all my energy into...

I rarely feature household pets in our annual Christmas letter, but this year I mentioned Rose and Poppy. A week after mailing the...

I left you with an offer on the table for my books, but I forgot to mention how the actual writing of books was going. During the query...

By January, Small and Graff gave me some valuable feedback on my murder mystery and I rolled up my sleeves. Writing requires juggling a...

I've been cryptic about my writing on this site over the past year, partly because I've been in the dark myself, partly because I've been...

I love helping people with their writing and reading. Featured workshops include: Injecting Humor into Your Writing You wrote it. Now...

Much has been written and much more has been said about parenting styles and while my oldest would beg to differ at times (specifically...

I've been a fan of the Sunday puzzle on NPR for years. When the boys were little, we'd play it together on the way to church, shouting...

When I was growing up we had a poster in our basement play area that showed two kids playing and the caption from Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,...

I'm excited to share that I've signed on with Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency! My next project is a murder mystery involving a...

My youngest offspring has always needed to move. He runs, jumps, flips, spins, and throws with dexterity and speed. Sport is as essential...

I haven't written much here lately, but trust me, I have been writing. A few times a week I hike at a local nature preserve, a habit that...

It's a sultry 76 degrees this morning and I started a fire in our backyard pit. (Disclosure: I hate fires. When people are all, "Hey,...

Smörgåsbord is one of those Swedish words that sounds suggestive of its meaning. Smörgåsbord has a rich and satisfying sound, filling the...

Acts of kindness that I still reflect on: When I was sixteen I was riding my bike to the public library on a very rainy day. Somehow (I...

Monday started a new term and the first writing assignment I give my students involves crafting some flash nonfiction. I guide them...

I haven't been to the ocean in two years until this past week. For me that's a big deal. There's something specifically restorative about...

For just over five years we have had the sweetest cat. He turned up one summer evening in our back yard. The boys were playing outside...

For years I've enjoyed the pleasures of a nature center up the road from my house. Purdy offers plenty of trails with hills, prairie and...

I keep thinking of this song by Semisonic called "Closing Time" with the lyrics "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's...