Harriet Klassen

May 6, 1939-November 26, 2026

I said my final goodbye to my mother last Saturday.

If you noticed the Power Writers Report hasn’t landed in your email box over the last month, it’s because I was doing a little self-care after my mother passed away on November 26. My best intentions were to keep the momentum going but my heart said otherwise. We held her memorial service on January 17. 

So in order to get back in the groove, I thought I would dedicate the first installment of the 2026 Power Writers Report to my mother, Harriet Klassen.

Without her influence, I doubt I would be a writer or publisher.

In today's Power Writers Report, I'm going to share what my mother taught me about writing.

Let’s go!

She Wasn't a Writer But That Didn't Matter

My mother wasn’t a great author or poet. I don’t remember reading much written material from her, apart from the handmade cards she began giving her kids and grandkids later in life. I think I saved every one she gave me.

But her approach to life shaped me into the man I am today. Her influence was pretty significant because my father traveled three weeks a month for business.

Here’s what my mother taught me:

My mother encouraged me to read.

At an early age, my mother encouraged me and my sisters to read. Back in the day, my parents purchased two sets of encyclopedias, which were expensive.

And you know what? I read every page of both sets and their ginormous dictionary by the time I was ten—which explains why I’m still unbeaten at trivial pursuit.

Every Saturday morning, my mom sat us down at the table and told us we needed to read our Bibles before turning on the television to watch cartoons. At that time, there was only one translation of the Bible—the 1611 King James version. By the end of the fourth grade, I read it cover to cover.

That same year, I read Run Baby Run, an adult book about a former gang leader named Nicky Cruz. Not once but three times in a row.

She subscribed to the Denver Post newspaper and read it every day. So I did, too.

Fast forward to 1997, when I landed my first ghostwriting gig. Nobody taught me how to write. My last English class was freshman English in college. 

So when I began ghostwriting the book, I decided I wanted to write in a style that resembled the many, many books I had read.

Keep it clear, concise, interesting, and most of all, conversational. 

The transcripts the publisher gave me to use as my starting point did not include a single story or anecdote. Because the author was extremely busy, the publisher instructed me to leave him alone. 

Remembering the books that kept me engaged,I created twenty to thirty stories, loaded with dialogue, to integrate into the manuscript. I didn’t pass them off as the author’s personal stories; the readers knew they were examples. I even gave names to my imaginary characters. The protagonists were named after my friends. The antagonists were named after people I didn’t like from my past.

The pen is truly mightier than the sword!

My senior editor gave me tips along the way, but after I finished the final manuscript, she said, “You know, you have the ability to become a professional writer.”

And the book sold 40,000 copies.

Here’s the takeaway: good writers begin as good readers.

READ. THAT. AGAIN!!

If you don’t read, don’t expect your writing to improve.

READ. THAT. AGAIN. TOO!!

I’m astonished at the number of manuscripts I read that are written as if the writer had never read a book.

Endless blocks of text that go on for pages and pages.

No chapter delineations.

Nonfiction manuscripts lacking any stories.

Stories lacking any dialogue.

Whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction, take a close look at current bestselling books in your genre and learn from them.

And no, you're not the exception to the rule.

My mother expected a commitment to perfection excellence.

Mom held high hopes for all of us kids. At times she required perfection out of us, but over time, she softened.

Growing up playing violin, she never let me take my foot of the gas during practice. 

True story: I loved reading so much, I often propped an open book on my music stand while practicing and read while I playing AND SHE COULD TELL! I usually practiced in a room over our garage where nobody could hear me. But we had an intercom system and she would turn it on to listen to me practice. 

If I turned off the intercom, she’d yell up the stairs, “Turn on the intercom!”

If I read a book while practicing my scales, she’d yell, “Stop reading!”

“I want vibrato on every note,” she told me repeatedly, which any violinist knows is impossible.

But her commitment to my excellence paid off later when I was named an all-state violinist every year high school with multiple college violin scholarship offers.

But she didn’t stop with the violin.

When I vacuumed the carpet, she expected it to be done well. I’m now the best vacuum-er in my family. The same goes with ironing my shirts.

So when I commenced my writing career, I determined to direct my energies toward the same level of excellence.

I'm not a perfectionist, you might be saying to yourself. Neither am I.

Again, we're talking about excellence (writing to the best of your abilities) rather than perfection.

My mother spoke the truth in love.

Mom was pretty direct in her assessment of my work. If I did a shoddy job, she told me. On the very rare occasion that I did a exceptional job, she told me, as well.

In 2008, I signed a contract with a traditional publisher to author a book for readers who were hurt by a particular group of people in the evangelical church (my particular church background). After finishing my manuscript, I emailed it to my mother and asked her to evaluate it.

A week later she called me.

“Michael, I like your manuscript, but it comes across overly negative.”

And she was right!

So, I reworked my manuscript and changed the tone.

She knew how to be brutally honest with me without making it personal. A rare gift.

So thanks, mom, for shaping me into the man I am today. I’m sad to see you leave us—but I look forward to seeing you again.

Every Author Needs An Honest Word

Mom NEVER told me what I wanted to hear. But she knew how to say things without sounding bossy or arrogant. 

That's our commitment to you: speaking the truth in a way you can hear it.

When you're about to release your book to the masses, the last thing you need is to hear what you want to hear.

If you're looking for an honest assessment of your manuscript and you'd like to explore the possibilities of where it can go, click on the link below to schedule a strategy call with me.

👉Schedule your appointment here:

Let’s make this the year your story gets its happy ending.

A story of loss, renewal, and the quiet strength that endures.

George Griesinger's book, The Superior Guardian, is a spiritually charged novel of courage and transformation. Set on the rugged shores of Lake Superior, it follows a determined immigrant boy who dares to confront a powerful mining company polluting the waters he loves. In his stand for truth, he risks everything—his reputation, his accomplishments, and the new-found sense of self he fought to protect.

For anyone who has ever felt lost, silenced, or tested beyond endurance, this story offers a timeless reminder: purpose is born in the struggle, and hope rises from loss.

Here's what I love about George: he is killing it in terms of promotion. Not long ago, he reached out to his friends from high school to promote his book. He's also locating Facebook groups focused on Lake Superior communities.

Congratulations, Georgel!!

Let's bring your book to life!