It’s something I’ve seen a thousand times. I can recite every line, with the right cadence and pauses no less. I’ve caught every little joke and Easter egg one might miss on the first three watches. Yet, like clockwork, I’ll turn it on without hesitation when the season rolls around. I’m talking about Hocus Pocus, of course, but this applies to most Halloween movies. The Addams Family, Beetlejuice, Casper. They’re all on my annual rewatch list. Maybe you’ve got a movie like this. Or a story...

A few days ago, I received one of the nicest emails anyone has ever sent me about my book. There was just one problem. I haven’t written a book. The email came from someone who had recently finished Performance Psychology for Dancers. He wrote several thoughtful paragraphs about what he appreciated, then asked a question about how I’d approached writing it. I knew immediately what had happened. There’s another Erin Sanchez—one who actually does work in the dance world—and thanks to our shared...

For a long time, my writing happened on an island. Not literally, unfortunately. There were no palm trees involved. I mean that I worked mostly by myself. Sure, I had clients, friends, and family I could talk to about my work, but what I didn't have was a circle of other professional writers. Early in my career, I'd read books and blogs by writers who talked about the referrals they'd gotten from writer friends, the advice they'd exchanged, and the projects and opportunities that came from...