One of the best blogging classes for writers: this is my favorite blogging class to learn the nitty gritty of writing!

It’s back-to-school time! Meaning that it’s time to check in on those 2018 goals and light a fire under your buns to get them checked off.

One of my goals last year was to take a copywriting class, because even though I’ve been writing copy for books for nearly a decade, I’d never been formally trained.

And there’s something about “formal training” that’s more fun and effective than just cobbling tips together from online articles, right?

So last year, I took Kelly Holmes’s Sticky Blogging class and learned a crazy amount. I will admit that I was a little doubtful that I would learn that much—Smug, Annoying Maria thought she was already pretty good at copywriting.

But NOPE. Smug, Annoying Maria is also Perpetually Wrong Maria.

I was really surprised by how much I learned in Kelly’s class, and how it made me rethink so much of the writing I was doing. I loved that her process helps you get off the hamster wheel of chasing page views so you can build true fans for your work. But I also I realized that basically everything I learned in her class also applied to writing more effective and persuasive book proposals, book descriptions, cover copy, etc.

It’s essentially a masterclass in making readers feel things. And isn’t that what we’re all here for?

It’s easily one of the best blogging classes I’ve taken, and the checklists and worksheets are also primo for making sure you don’t forget what you just learned. I still look at Kelly’s Brainstorming checklist nearly every time I sit down to write anything, and I have once or ten times shoved it in Jarrett’s face when he’s writing. (That’s luv.)

Unfortunately, Kelly is only opening up her class to new students one time this year, so if it sounds interesting to you, this is your chance!

You can sign up for the free intro workshop, How To Get More Traffic with Fewer Posts, here, and there are several time slots to choose from.

And if you end up registering for the class, I’d love to hear what you think of it!

Click here to register!

5 quick reads for the week

1. Ever read a full page and forgotten it all? (Gulp.) Here’s how to retain more.
2. They’re really stepping up the door prizes for raffles in the small Welsh town of Cardigan.
3. 10 Instagram tips for writers (plus one more from me: follow this account!)
4. Nonfiction is all about niche.
5. Anne Bogel of Modern Mrs. Darcy and I had THE most fun conversation about cookbooks and fiction on her podcast, What Should I Read Next. (And what a unique horror it is to hear your own voice played back to you. 🙉)

What we’re eating this week

You know those complicated weeks when you have oddly timed and unavoidable events at dinnertime, and you can’t for the life of you figure out what you could possibly cook? We’re having one of those weeks our life is one of those weeks, which is why I was SO excited to finally get a finished copy of my author Tiffany’s book, Eat at Home Tonight.

It’s organized by obstacles that stand in the way of dinner, and it’s literally the book I’ve needed all my life. See?

Here’s how it works in real life:

Monday: We’re volunteering at 7, so we’re cooking Eggs Run Through the Garden from the “I Only Have 15 Minutes Tonight” chapter. And you won’t believe this, but it really did only take 15 minutes, and it really did taste better than if you had left me alone with a cartoon of eggs and my own brain. Praise hands up!

Tuesday: We are maybe-ish fishing with a friend after work but definitely-ish low on groceries, so we’re making Black Bean Burgers from the “My Fridge is Empty Tonight” chapter. (Does anyone else feel outnumbered by the cans of black beans in their pantry? I can’t stop buying them, and it makes no sense.)  

Wednesday: Out! I think? Or maybe we’re in? I’d like to opt out of Wednesday from now on, please.

Thursday: Some nights I actually have time to cook a big batch of something, but then I want it to magically not be the same boring thing the next day. Hence, the “I Want to Cook For Tonight and Tomorrow” chapter. So Greek Soup tonight becomes…

Friday: Greek Nachos that I barely did any work for, because: Friday! 🙌🏻

Cheers!