Author | Editor | Story Coach
On Thursday, June 6th, I received a notification from WordPress that I had my 100th follower. It surprised me that I didn’t do a bigger happy dance. Since reading Kristen Lamb’s book Are you there Blog? It’s me, Writer in August 2012, I had set some goals for my blog. One goal was to have …
Dewy cedar mingles with brisk pine as I inhale deeply the fragrant woods. A familiar path stretches before me, yet the mist that hovers near the ground lends a mysterious, unknown quality to the hard-packed dirt track under my feet. Light from the rising sun filters through the treetops, a slight breeze sends the branches overhead into …
“Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it,” Clint Eastwood’s character says in Heartbreak Ridge. A few weeks ago, I was flattered and honored when a writer (and editor) whose work I deeply admire and respect offered to read five pages after I commented on her blog that getting worthwhile critiques seemed …
In the many years since I first began to form my thoughts into stories (age 9) and poetry (age 12), I’ve often vacillated between considering myself a writer – or not. When I check out dictionary.com, I see there are five separate definitions for the word: writ·er [rahy-ter] Show IPA noun 1. a person engaged …
After spending nearly 33,000 words to begin a tale that in my mind spans a trilogy of epic adventures, I’m finding motivation to continue investing time and talent elusive. From successful writers (unlike me), I’m learning that this malady commonly strikes writers when they reach the middle of a story. It’s frustrating to me because …
Embarking on yet another eight week tidal wave of mental expansion, I can’t help but smile. My beaming face dwarfs the sun. Of course, since I live in the rainy Northwest, it isn’t hard to eclipse that brilliant star. This time of year, the clouds do a fine job of it. Both of my classes …
Even if I’m not really going to college in my sons’ minds, they still manage to use me as an editorial service. If they want a B or better on a paper, it undergoes Mom’s red pen before it gets turned in. (I love that I can actually mark everything in red just by selecting …
Words well within me, an unquenchable passion, until my fingers transfer them to the page. Writing, flying for my soul and spirit, frees me like nothing else. Penning a play – especially one that must be performed within ten minutes – just doesn’t offer the same joyful release. Two Problems Story line: Really, what sort …
Words A mighty deluge swelling Untold tales beg telling Phrases unwritten compelling Imagination dispelling Exuberant phrases propelling A pencil to engage in spelling Verbiage continually welling Until spilled on the page. Stories Expand in the soul Burning a yearning hole Fiery phrases, a mole, Burrowing to a creative goal Amplified brilliance, a coal Igniting, …
Isn’t it ironic that my first post of 2013 to deal with writing and resolving to write more regularly should be posted a day late? Saturday’s chores fell upon me. I delved into the syllabi for my next term in college (come back on Wednesday for more on this). The Shakespearean textbook alone was enough …