The first week in February, I was in fun, funky Astoria, Oregon to co-lead a writing workshop. Fabulous week with marvelous writers. The only downside was that after a mild winter, snow suddenly loomed in the forecast, so we left a couple days early—but not before finishing the workshop. There were eight of us, and […]
As you read this on Sunday morning, I’ll be in Astoria, gearing up for the welcome dinner for the Feast of the Senses writing workshop. I’ll be thinking about the workshop, and how best to make sure it is useful and inspiring for participants. And I’ll be thinking about my writing—my current WIP, a rewrite […]
A couple of mornings ago, Friday to be exact, I woke early, as I do, grabbed a huge travel mug of coffee, and headed to my office to write. I’ve been on a pretty good roll, working on my next novel. I have a loose outline in place and so far most of the time […]
Last week amongst the flood of junk interesting emails in my inbox, I had two that stood out. Each one caught my attention separately, but since they were variations on a theme, their messages really caught my attention. The first was from prolific author Chris Fox. His message? You don’t have priorities, you have one […]
I have long held the belief that the practice of writing involves two tracks: the writer’s craft and the writer’s ethos, or mindset. And, honestly? In many ways, the ethos is more important. Here’s a definition of ethos for you: the distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution. […]
(Warning—this has turned into a loooong letter. But I hope it has some helpful tidbits in it.) It’s 2019 and this is your year! You’re going to write that novel, finish that memoir. You start out with the best of intentions, fresh-faced and eager. You’re ready to go! But then things start popping up to […]
One of the best things you can do for yourself if refill your writing well. (I am rebelling against using the term self-care, because itis overworked to the point of meaninglessness.) There are many ways to refill the well, and only you can decide what works best for you. Some suggestions: –Reading –Walking –Gardening (at […]
It’s two days before Christmas, and whether you celebrate or not, odds are good you are caught up in a swirl of festivities. So, I will keep this missive simple. I’ve been thinking about writing letters. Recently, after my surgery, I wrote thank you notes to people who had sent me flowers or care packages, […]
Last weekend, I hit a creative wall. It wasn’t full-blown writer’s block, mind you, but a wall. Maybe a half-wall. I’d been working steadily and strongly all week on a couple of chapters and finished them. That got me to a natural stopping place before the next action began. Only problem was, I wasn’t sure […]
As you might have guessed, I am home from France. Jet lag has not been terrible this time. We got home Tuesday evening and as I write this on Friday, I’m feeling pretty good. Which gives me time to dig into all the things that got put on hold while I was gone. And, boy, […]
