Every year, I pick a word as a mental homebase. A reminder, a guide post, a mantra that keeps me on track. Last year’s word was mountain. And boy, was 2024 a climb. It wasn’t my most joyful year, though not my most sorrowful either. It was a year where I was anticipating a lotContinue reading “My Word for 2025”
Category Archives: inspiration
Start the New Year WRITE!
Happy New Year! Are you looking to level up your writing in 2025? Now is the time! Start the year write with The Write Time Summit! Coaching colleagues over at Writer’s Harvest Book Coaching have put together an amazing summit of more than a dozen guest speakers for presentations to inspire, teach, and encourage comingContinue reading “Start the New Year WRITE!”
What I Learned About Writing From My Son’s Track Meet
My youngest and a group of his pals decided to try out for the track team this spring. Despite having an uncle for a track coach, my knowledge of the sport is limited to whatever I happen to soak in during the summer Olympics and is quickly forgotten for four years until the next round. Continue reading “What I Learned About Writing From My Son’s Track Meet”
Ten Tips for Generating New Story Ideas
Some writers have nothing but ideas. They may be barely halfway through drafting a story when new ideas are plaguing them, new characters vying for attention, new worlds springing to life. For others, like me, the writing is the easy(ier) part, the idea generation is a whole different beast. For me, I need more thanContinue reading “Ten Tips for Generating New Story Ideas”
Reconnecting With Your Writer’s Muse During a Global Pandemic
Back in January, I started work on a brand new manuscript. I took out my calendar and counted the available days between January and May, excluding weekends and my kids’ school breaks (they attend year round school so every nine weeks they have a three week break – there would be one in late February/earlyContinue reading “Reconnecting With Your Writer’s Muse During a Global Pandemic”
Listening for the Muse’s Whisper
I recently finished the novel that has taken me two years to write (two years, two houses, two states, endless revisions). It’s done. Or as done as I can make it right now. I sent it out to a few interested agents and am waiting. Ugh. The waiting. Waiting for the feedback. Waiting for theContinue reading “Listening for the Muse’s Whisper”
The Story of the Shells
On the left hand corner of my desk in a small, glossy, eggshell-colored bowl, rest a pile of shells. These shells are remnants, pieces of larger shells, worn down fragments that tumbled and swirled along the ocean floor for months, years, decades maybe. They are flattened like Play-Doh, smooth like stones. They are striped inContinue reading “The Story of the Shells”
The Maybe of Muses
On July 28th, I went to the NC Museum of Art. The kids were back at school. We were 21 days post move. I needed to recenter. To come back to my creative self. The months of March through July were so tumultuous and busy and mind numbing that I was afraid I would needContinue reading “The Maybe of Muses”
Creative Re-Entry
Back in March, my second novel took a turn. Or, more accurately, I set it free to make room for what was a better story. I was digging in on research and finding my way through this new, much more daunting idea, getting to know my new protagonist and trying to fill in her life aContinue reading “Creative Re-Entry”
Three Hours
Three hours. Every weekday I drop the little dude off at preschool, come home and have three hours before pick-up. Three hours to spend focused on those adult-only tasks that are done so much more productively without interruption or carousing children running about the house. Three hours for writing. Three hours to take care of busy work.Continue reading “Three Hours”