A B Tuell

Perfectionism

  • Find the Fun #11

    Sometimes, composing beautiful, elegant, precise sentences is like carving intricate designs into rock with nothing but your two hands and a toothpick: difficult, frustrating, time-consuming, seemingly impossible. Experiment #11: Write the silly version Whether this is your first draft or… Read more

  • Short Little Life

    I am the last person people want to ask what I’ve been up to this summer. Not only am I not kayaking or swimming or hiking or whatever outdoorsy people are doing in Colorado this time of year, much of… Read more

  • First Drafts and Freedom

    When I was in high school and undergrad, I often wished that I had the option to write an essay instead of taking a test. When I was regularly writing essays, I could sneeze most of them into existence. Essays… Read more

  • It’s Not Just a Phase

    Last week, I wrote about resistance, some of the many ways it can show up in the writing life, and some tactics for resisting resistance. Recently, I’ve been dealing with a lot of it, and not just when I try… Read more

  • Resisting Resistance

    Writing brings me a lot of joy. It’s one of my favorite activities. I love telling stories and exploring what could be. I love building effective, clear, precise, simple sentences. I love writing about writing. And yet, that doesn’t mean… Read more

  • Good Things

    When I looked back on May 2026 to find my Theme of the Month, at first I struggled to see beyond a recent disappointment in my hockey world that had me asking “Is it October yet?” After exiting the regular… Read more