Some professions are more taxing than others. No matter how much we adore what we do, any career will leave us emotionally and physically spent if we don’t take a break from time to time. For those of us who write, all work and no play can also be creativity-killers. I know from my own experience, spending endless days planted …
Today I wanted to tackle a subject that’s almost a non-issue in the general fiction market today: intimate relationships outside of marriage. One quick click-through our television channels and we’ve no doubt what grabs the highest ratings. It’s everywhere. From the popular tween series to adult nighttime soap operas, the sanctity of marriage and all that it stands for is sorely tested, and sometimes, …
Think back to your favorite characters in a well-loved movie or novel. What is it that you remember most about them? The way they dressed? How they spoke? Their personality traits–the essence of who they were and what made them unique? Granted, the story was probably the first thing that captured your attention, but without characters there wouldn’t have been a …
When I began blogging sometime ago, I did so with the desire to connect. I knew little about social media and even less about blog posts. What I did know—I liked writing, I adored reading, and I enjoyed mingling with like-minded people. I’d studied other folks’ blogs, and I began to subscribe to a few of my favorites. Topics that interested …
It always blesses me when I observe fellow wordsmiths recognizing each other. The way one tiny seed of kindness is sown and then watered by so many wonderful gardeners is nothing short of inspiring. It’s like a snowball effect. When more folks tend the garden, it’s a given; the garden prospers and grows. It becomes a thing of beauty and something we want …
Over the years, I’ve attended various writers’ meetings and conferences. It’s always fun to dish about the writing craft and make new friends along the way. I have to admit…it’s interesting who gets noticed in a good way and who gets noticed in a (ahem…) not so good way. Today I thought I’d take a lighthearted look at some real-life observations. Enjoy! …
As a teenager, I once overheard two church members commiserating. “That’s all he ever does is preach the same, old messages over and over again,” whispered the one. “And what about the choir? Their music is about as dry as our Sunday sermons,” mumbled the other. The two matrons’ tones grew hushed when they realized I was still within earshot …
Today I wanted to talk a little about balance. Whether you write or not, more than likely you spend much of the day wearing several hats and juggling many balls. There may be fires to put out and others to start. There are appointments to keep, deadlines to meet, places to be, and e-mails to answer. Now, if …
This is a re-post from several months ago. The long-ago memory is still bittersweet… It wasn’t anything especially fancy–a simple, two-story, native-stone home, bedecked by majestic scotch pines. Stone pillars stood at each corner of the property, as if guarding the inanimate, century-old gem. As the auctioneer took his place on the flatbed trailer, he nodded toward a silver-haired gentleman …
As a child, who didn’t watch The Wizard of Oz? Do you remember the scene where Dorothy and her friends are traveling the yellow brick road to meet the great Wizard, and along that road they encounter a gorgeous field of poppies? Well, the poppies are a nasty ol’ trick devised by the Wicked Witch of the West. The mean one intends to put a halt to Dorothy’s …
