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Almost everyone lies to aspiring writers
Some writers I coach need me to be a teacher, mentor, or therapist. Others are just looking for someone to ...

Here’s a book I want to write
Postcard from Alaska, 1942 Over the years I’ve learned and lived a lot of Alaska history. As I look at ...

My dad’s big gamble and how he told of it
Eric Wohlforth and his granddaughter Julia share a laugh, November 2023 We’re not particularly good at talking about our feelings ...

How thoughtful stories knit our minds
The decline of literary fiction and serious film has contributed, in part, to America’s current social and political division. These ...

Is a good book a window or a tile?
Bird mosaic by Jean-Michel Folon in front of the Fondation Folon museum (La Hulpe, Belgium) My son Robin was about ...

How permission can lead to more authentic truth
When I went to the Arctic to write a book about Iñupiaq whalers, my invitation had to go to a ...

Who are better writers, the old or young?
From the cover of The Wild Braid by Stanley Kunitz. Young people have more vivid imaginations—there’s neuroscience on that—sharper memories, ...

Why some good books should remain unpublished
George Fischer, his father Louis Fischer, and Vic Fischer. George Fischer wrote 19 autobiographies without ever planning to publish them ...

Charles Wohlforth has written many of his own books, has ghost-written others, and helps many writers find their own way into print. Learn how to work with Charles.
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