This is my 75th, my diamond, my brilliant, sparkling, exquisitely-valuable blog post! I’ve been blogging for a year now. Thanks for coming to my Jubilee Celebration. I’m still in shock over the tragedy in neighboring Boston, and I can barely imagine the depth of pain of the families and friends of the injured and lost… …
I’ve been told that repeating the same ritual twice makes it a tradition. Today we visited Conimicut Point in Rhode Island, making it our new tradition to spend Easter listening to the crash of waves. Here’s the poem I wrote when we spent Easter morning in Rockport, Massachusetts. Toward Daylight We face the sun we cannot …
After great pain a formal feeling comes– (to read Emily Dickinson’s entire poem, click here). The day before my birthday in January, we buried my grandmother. On that same day, January 30th, my granddaughter was born. For more than fifty years, I have been my grandmother’s only granddaughter. It is difficult to explain what a …
You have a story to tell. Just write your story. I appreciate the dedication of hardworking career writers, those who have spent decades studying and practicing the art and craft of writing. I love literature. I wish everyone could write it; but it takes talent and dedication to write literature. You don’t need to write …
Making a story is a process. It is built in stages, just like constructing anything from a quilt to a bookshelf to a house. Stories do not just roll out of pens’ tips or spill from keyboard-tapping fingers. Stories are drafted and then edited and then revised and revised until the right words and right …
How to turn a memory into a plot for your memoir Read More »
This week I led a workshop sponsored by our local library, called “Share Your Story.” When asked whether I would teach an ongoing course, I regretfully declined. But the class’s 26 participants have inspired me to re-invent my blog. I have a passion for helping other people write and publish their stories, because I believe …
Reading “The Art of Travel” by Alain de Botton has re-introduced me to the thought-provoking and inspiring writings of John Ruskin (1819-1900). He has got me thinking again about something I can never seem to explain-why I blog and post; and why I read your blog or your posts (you whose blog and/or facebook posts …
I’ve learned to listen to the weather report daily. I’ve also learned to consult my priorities frequently. I have to know what is, and what is not absolutely essential for living a good life. I have to always ask, whether this thing I’m doing or planning to do is essential. When I involve myself in the inessentials, it turns …
Weather and Seasons are Changeable, so are Priorities Read More »
Always, always keep learning. Hooray for author Rachael Hanel, who learned to swim at age 35. Check out her blog post, and consider learning something new this year. My plan is to learn how to write songs with Mac’s “Garage Band” program–songwriting fits in with the novel I’m writing. Music has always been part …
Don’t give up. Keep writing and revising. Keep knocking on doors and learning. Keep thinking about exactly who your audience is and what they care about. And keep connecting with peers and mentors who can help you improve your writing (because growing as a writer is like growing in compassion, it’s a never-ending process). Published …
While they’re not (yet) begging for your book, perfect your pie crust Read More »