Last week, I settled into my table at the library. My table—and woe to anyone else who takes my spot! Another week day romp through my latest novel. This one — a coming-of-age story of a young girl in the 1950s in Oklahoma. Although my main character is NOT myself, she does experience many of …
When creativity nudges a book idea, strange things can happen. Writers usually begin with the germ of an idea, maybe a “What if” question such as: “What if a young girl from Kansas ends up in the land of Oz?” Sometimes these creative nudges become a puff of wind. They fly away, and the writer forgets …
The visual was perfect. For each grief experienced, the group leader added another Lego to the crystal bowl. Griefs piled up as various women listed them: miscarriage, deaths, loss of a dream, divorce, infertility, unemployment, sexual assault, moving, rejection, feeling misunderstood, loneliness, the aging process, a husband’s infidelity, the illness of a child, et cetera. …
While my son was in surgery, I planned to write several blog posts, work on a newspaper column, maybe read a bit. My bag was filled with pens, paper, books. Any activity to forget my precious son was lying on a sterile table in a brightly-lit operating room. But the waiting room was so loud …
A few weeks ago, I finished reading “Loud and Clear” – a compilation of columns by Anna Quindlen. She was my favorite journalist for many years – a writer who could force us to think yet remain approachable. With each column, I reminded myself – I should have been a journalist like Anna. I should …
July Fourth is such a fun holiday. Whether it’s family picnics, iced tea with lemon, a favorite swimming hole or watching fireworks – everything about July Fourth seems fun. But a serious side of the topic also presents itself. In our family, this date is a reminder of how fragile life can become. My son, …
Stuck. Between the third and fourth chapter of the gazillionth revision of my novel. Somewhere a segue exists but currently – I can’t find it. I know it will come – somewhere over the rainbow. But the frustration of the moment calls for a break from writing and a massive piece of comfort chocolate. As I …
One of the joys of coaching writers happens when I watch clients succeed. We brainstorm a title idea together and the a-ha lights our faces. The perfect cover dresses the front of the book while a teasing blurb fills the back. But oh the best – is the content that soars from an initial idea …
I love to find something that has been discarded and repurpose it. Sometimes it’s a piece of furniture from a dumpster find, a pot made from an old bowl or a scarf that becomes a wall hanging. My repurposing gift probably stems from growing up on a farm and “making do” with whatever we had. DIY …
Most of my reflecting time is spent in the solitude of my home study. But occasionally, I venture into the world of people for a cuppa Joe. I often bring a journal, a book to read, paper and pen to write ideas or work on a blog post – such as this one. As I …