After publishing many books on writing for a variety of publishers, I decided to launch Writing It Real.com, an online magazine for those who write from personal experience. I have been publishing the magazine weekly since October, 2002, as well as facilitating others' writing in online classes, phone and email consults, and manuscript evaluations. I also offer help through alliances with IAJW.org, Writers.com, Women on Writing and Story Circle Network and through in-person seminars across the US. Most recently, I've enjoyed teaching for the Whidbey Island Writers' Conference, the Field's End Writer's Conference, the Write on the Sound Conference, Centrum Foundation's Writer's Conference, and the annual Writing It Real conference I do with Meg Files and Jack Heffron. I offer in-person classes regularly at literary centers like The Writers' Workhoppe in Port Townsend, WA and Writer's Ink in San Diego. In addition to the instructional books I write, I have a memoir out, A New Theology: Turning to Poetry in a Time of Grief. It took seven years to write about the five months following the death of my son in a snow boarding accident. I can think of no better way to heal while grieving than by reading poems and personal essays and stories by others who have suffered similar losses. When we have lost someone dear to us, we must live our lives double, for them and for us, to honor them. Writing toward discovery, as we do in writing poems and memoir, helps us live in this way and brings us energy. That is why I also published Sorrow's Words: Writing Exercises to Heal Grief.I received my Master's Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Washington where I studied with David Wagoner, Nelson Bentley, William Matthews, Stephen Dunn, Stanley Plumly, Colleen McElroy and other fine poets. I went on to also master the art of prose, and I enjoy each instructional book and article I write as I am constantly learning and sharing that learning with others. I hope you'll visit my website as well as my Facebook fan pages on which I publish inspirational and informative messages. On Facebook and Twitter look for Writing It Real and A New Theology.