In Masaru Emoto’s Hidden Messages in Water, he explains the way water crystals change in reaction to what’s being said or thought. When exposed to negative emotions or words, the crystals in the water actually change, becoming erratic and jagged. I remember Emoto’s story every time I receive a rejection, and in the writing world, we all receive them regularly—even those who have been on the bestseller lists. As a writer, I’ve built a career based on dozens of books, hundreds of articles, reviews, short stories, and poems. People consider me successful, and if success isn’t defined by a huge paycheck, I suppose I am, but not everything I have…

I had no idea what to call this blog post. I thought about Writing What You Don’t Know or Writing Taboo or Racial Writing, but nothing quite fit. I had an idea after hearing a piece on NPR that vaguely referred to the stigma some authors face when writing about a race or culture with which they’re not familiar. The topic is one that’s been part of my personal writing conversation for many years, starting with my first non-fiction book on African-American art and collectibles. I’ve thought about it a lot, talked about the topic with my writer friends (of all races, genders, and nationalities) and continue to battle the…

Pablo Picasso said that, “Every child is an artist. The problem is staying an artist when you grow up.” Is it age that nullifies our artistic tendency, or is it the acceptance we desire for that which we create? I’ve always believed that creatives are not creative in only one genre. I do believe that creative people weave that ability into every aspect of their lives. I met a pianist who works in an art gallery, and when he travels on the road to deliver his music to people all over the world, he incorporates other arts into his performances (i.e., ballet, art, video). That urge to create has spilled…

So, this happened. About a month ago, I received a surprising email in the middle of an otherwise lackluster day. The email was a goodbye from my editor. I sat at the laptop and shook my head a little. She left? What the hell. She didn’t say anything a few days before when we’d talked about my new book, You Are the Divine Feminine. Now what? The company sent out an email, reassuring all of us who’d been working with her that everything would be fine, and that we’d be working with someone else for the rest of the project. I was happy to be re-assigned to work with my…

Thanks for visiting the official website of author/editor/writing coach Dawn Reno Langley. A Fulbright scholar, Langley holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies (The Union Institute and University), an MFA in Fiction (Vermont College), and is a writer published in every genre except screenplays. Learn about her new books, check out where she’ll be appearing, and hire her for upcoming projects!

Every once in a while, I need to get away from home and work on my creative projects. One of my favorite places to write is the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities in Southern Pines, NC. It seems the world could go by and this place would still exist (complete with its resident ghosts). I always feel the spirit of the other writers sitting on my shoulder, encouraging me to continue.