Shannon Geher

Why seemingly unimportant details are what often intrigues a reader most in any story

A quirky realization I had today about how I edit I’m currently working on taking an award-winning nonfiction self-help book that is focused on managing the stress of modern parenting, and editing it to speak to overwhelmed people at work (not…

My inspiring husband recently wrote about why forgiveness is difficult from an evolutionary psychology perspective. This got me thinking about the phrase, “Forgive and Forget.” We’ve all heard the benefits of letting past aggressions go. Internal…

Uncovering the mysteries of why we say certain phrases like, "I'm sicker than a dog," "It's raining cats and dogs," and "Head over heels." Let me know what phrases you think are weird and want me to find out why we say it! By registering you agree to…

Words on writing, and writing on words. It's a Writer's Life! It's a writer's life! By registering you agree to Substack's Terms of Service, our Privacy Policy, and our Information Collection Notice

While my clients come to me for writing help, they teach me even more I sat on a fold-out chair with my high school best friend in the middle of an intimate Zibby’s Bookshop on Montana Blvd in Santa Monica. Hugged by hundreds of artistic covers of…

Stressed-out parents will love these five ways to break free from overwhelm There’s nothing like getting to see a book so needed and with so much heart get released into the world! Happy launch week to Chaos to Calm: Five Ways Busy Parents Can Break…

Sharing your writing can be terrifying, and workshops can be costly, so should you take one? I carefully parallel-parked between two garbage cans on a precariously steep hill off of Laurel Canyon Blvd in Hollywood. Was this L.A. or San Francisco? I…

Hint: Kenny Rogers was involved There I was, in a fancy Calabassas living room, with my dislocated rib and a notepad filled with questions on my lap. I had to take shallow breaths because of my rib pain. Somehow, and I think I get this skill from my…

While all three can be helpful, there are important variances in the use of each (in writing, and in life). I’ve been thinking a lot about the differences between empathy, sympathy and compassion. These three words are often interchanged, but they…

How poetry can make you a better writer, communicator, thinker, and feeler There are few styles of writing that can capture the depth of the human experience as eloquently, cleverly, and concisely as poetry. My love of poetry began as I wallpapered…

After reading dozens of books on writing, I go back to these again and again I love hearing about other writers’ habits, rituals, and techniques. Legend has it Agatha Christie ate apples in the bath while developing her murder mystery plots. My…

Every writer has their go-to tools for productivity and inspiration; here are a handful of mine! Many things make me a better writer. A great cup of coffee (right now it’s Vanilla Cream Puff flavored coffee with a dash of vanilla creamer) or glass of…

What I wish I'd known about ghostwriting, before I started! I found it hard to breathe as I pulled off to the side of the road. I had just had my rib displaced by an overly-enthusiastic chiropractor, and I had a healthy dose of anxiety about the…