Thoughts for the Writing Life
I’ve got the back-from-vacation blues. Even after being home for a week, all I want to do is go back to the beach. Life is great at the beach. No responsibilities. Very little clothing. Quiet waves rolling in and out. Throw in a cocktail and good book, and it’s just about perfect. Why would anyone…
How are you? No, really. How. Are. You? Not a simple question to answer, especially when it is asked in passing as a pleasantry rather than a real inquiry. Generally, our response ranges from good to well, demanding on where we reside on the grammar scale – by the way, Grammar Girl states it’s okay…
Two weeks from today I will hop on an Airbus A340-600 and head across the pond. First stop London. I will finally see my daughter, who I haven’t seen since the beginning of January. And after a quick three-day tour of London, my family and I will begin our five country, fourteen-day tour. A bit…
One perk of being married to someone in construction management is getting to witness the different phases of building a building. I have been to ground breakings, looked down gigantic holes at poured footings and walked through completed buildings noting unfinished punch-list items before the final walk-through. All the while learning the lingo and gaining…
It’s been one hundred and eleven days since the election. Thirty-eight since the inauguration. It’s important to note because three plus months of active resistance is exhausting. I’ve marched. Made phone calls. Written emails. Huddled. Visited my senator and knocked on doors. I’m tired and tempted to give up. A week ago a family member told…
It’s been four weeks since I posted a blog. I could go into a long explanation about how busy I’ve been. As executive editor of Minerva Rising Press, I had to prepare for the 2017 AWP Conference, finalize the latest Minerva Rising issue – Fathers, and manage day-to-day operations. All necessary activities, but none require day and…
Like many, I was devastated by the election. Not because my party didn’t win, but because it seemed to be referendum for hate. I worried about the safety and security of my African-American family and friends. I worried about people losing their healthcare. I imagined mothers and fathers being ripped away from their children and…
Imagine this scene . . . It’s ten in the morning. A woman sits at her desk with a cup of tea. She turns on her computer and opens a Word document. With fingers hovering over the keyboard, she ponders what to type. Just an hour or so earlier all sorts of idea floated through…
Always we begin again – St Benedict I received a rejection in my email yesterday. It was particularly difficult because a few days before Christmas I had a telephone conversation with the editor of the press where she told me how much she wanted to see my book in the world. We talked briefly about…
It’s December 31st and I have successfully completed the December Writing Challenge. I have blogged every day for this month. Although there were a few days that I didn’t meet the word count or the posting time, I did meet the goal of writing every day. And through the process I have learned three valuable…
