On Tuesday afternoon I plopped down on a swivel chair at a vaguely familiar salon and smiled at my hairstylist. She smiled back and said it had been awhile. I agreed and, just so she wouldn't think I'd been disloyal, pointed out that she'd been the … [Continue reading]
Fall Break
Posted on October 11, 2013 ·
I'm taking a vacation from blogging this week--my kids are out for Fall Break, and we're enjoying the cooler weather (okay fine, we're also playing a lot of Super Mario Galaxy). :) I hope you're having a good October, and that you're getting ready … [Continue reading]
Just Enjoy It
Posted on October 4, 2013 ·
Last week I finished reading a book that left my head spinning. From the first line to the last, I was held captive by the author’s voice. Every sentence felt right. The story was unique, and the characters stayed true. You could tell this writer … [Continue reading]
Why So Serious?
Posted on September 27, 2013 ·
I admit it—my writing usually hovers on the Dark Side. I’ve written about a lonely old man caught in an earthquake, realizing he’s prepared to die, about a destitute single mother whose vision is so clouded by guilt she imagines her daughter’s … [Continue reading]
When Writing Hurts
Posted on September 20, 2013 ·
It doesn’t matter if you’re writing fiction or poetry, memoir or a diary—sometimes writing hurts. In fiction, a good writer does more than manufacture characters—he breathes life into them, he makes their hearts beat, he hears their voices when … [Continue reading]
800 Reasons to Submit Your Writing
Posted on September 13, 2013 ·
The writing part is hard enough. By the time you’ve crafted your essay, poem, or short story, you’ve been through countless revisions. Triumph and frustration. You’re exhausted, but ecstatic—because you’re done. Yay! Only, if your goal is to … [Continue reading]
Seeing Red? How to Respond to Your Editor
Posted on September 6, 2013 ·
First, breathe. It’s not easy being edited. When you first view your work with an editor's changes/comments/criticisms, there will be a moment when your heart freezes, and then it will start to burn. This is normal. Do not respond. Throughout … [Continue reading]
How to Trick Yourself into Writing
Posted on August 23, 2013 ·
Once, when I was about five, my mother tried convincing me to color a picture so she could get some housework done. She laid out a coloring book and a handful of bright crayons sure to tempt any little girl into 30 minutes of quiet, non-disruptive … [Continue reading]
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