Maybe you remember Arachne as that sassy girl from Greek mythology who wove such pretty tapestries that she pissed Athena off and got turned into a spider. That one always hit a little close to home for me. (And not just because I hate spiders. *shudder*) I mean, it wasn’t her fault she was a natural. What did she really do to deserve that fate? Got a little cocky? Rumbled with the wrong diva? Eh. Depending on the version you read, maybe she needed a little smackdown.

But I’m a “what if?” kind of girl.

So…what if Arachne’s story wasn’t a cautionary tale about foolish pride?

What if we rewrote it as an invitation for modern women?

To dig deeper into your craft.

To work smarter not harder toward your goals.

To embrace your creative life, exactly as it is. Messy and beautiful and mysterious.

What if, in our version, Arachne and Athena actually appreciated each other’s handiwork, shared magical loom tips over coffee, and agreed to meet up for dinner and a ginormous margarita at the next trade show?

Honestly, being a creative woman trying to make a living isn’t for wimps, and writing is no exception. We all need some help and support and an extra two or three hours in a day from time to time. It makes sense to gather together more.

This is your invitation.

The Arachne Project is all about writing fiction: the inspiration, the craft, the commitment, and the writing life. When you subscribe to the mailing list, you’ll get notified as soon as a new Arachne article is posted, about once a week. You’ll also be notified of any new offerings I add, such as coaching groups, webinars, or workshops.

Articles are focused on four categories: READ, WRITE, REVISE, and RENEW.

READ. Reading widely makes us better writers–we know this instinctively. But that means not only reading as much as we can within the genres we write, it also means exploring other genres. I try to read a book a week, and I’ll challenge you to set your own reading intentions. Let’s read as writers, examining what we liked and why.

WRITE. Writing regularly doesn’t just build good habits, it builds confidence that there are more words where that last 500 came from. If you keep it up, you’ll have a whole book soon enough. That said, I don’t write every day, and you don’t have to either. You get to figure out what “regularly” means to you. I’ll bring the craft articles. You bring your laptop and timer app. It’s all good.

REVISE. Revision is what separates the amateurs from professionals. Are you lost when revising? Have you ever torn a story apart and cried when you couldn’t put it back together? Grad school helped me with that, and I’ll share what I learned with you. Revision is the hard part, but it’s also the part where you learn what you’re really capable of.

RENEW. Renewal is what happens when you’re not writing, and it’s every bit as important to your success as showing up to the page. But sometimes it’s the hardest part of this gig. I know what it’s like to have to split your energy between your family, your friends, your job, and your passion. It’s no wonder so many good writers quit before they ever taste success. I’m not going to blow sunshine up your skirt. Daily affirmations will only take you so far. A lot of this is grit and determination. But that shouldn’t mean you’re always exhausted or hurting. This is about knowing who you are and owning it. It’s about accepting that you can’t control everything, but you can control yourself. It’s about saying yes to life, and staying the course through the times when life is less shiny. It’s about believing that something better is right around the corner.

Welcome, sisters and friends. I see you. I’m so happy you’re here.