An email popped up in my inbox late last week. It referenced a story I wrote long ago. It was a flash fiction story—less than 500 words—that garnered an Honorable Mention, along with $25, in a Whim’s Place contest.Now, two …
A Great Date
I know it isn’t everyone’s definition of perfect, but for Jeff and me, it’s pretty close. This morning (Saturday), we left our kids to fend for themselves (I love teenagers!) while we drove to the local university library so …
Fizzled Party Plans
I’ve always enjoyed a good party. Not parties I’m in charge of. In fact, those are usually dismal failures! But the thought of my only daughter’s16th birthday put me in the party mood. I’ve been mulling it over for the past …
I Love Research!
For the first time since college I’ve immersed myself in scholarly works of history, books dedicated to specific topics and specific time periods. I used to be one of those people who dreamed of documenting the life of an …
Pining for the Classics
I’m a classics girl at heart, but over the past year or so, I’ve forced myself to read more current fiction, stuff published in the last four or five years. I felt this was necessary to my growth as a writer, to understanding …
On Characters
I’m always looking for examples of three-dimensional characters in books. I mean, that’s what the writing books tell you to write, but what do they look like? In the past couple of weeks I’ve read two books that have these …
A Lesson from Moses
I was reading, again, the story of Moses, and I was struck by a profound truth I’ve often overlooked, yet find playing out in my own life and the lives of those around me. The truth is this: sometimes we just have to pay …
To all you writers out there groping in the darkness of your room with only your computer screen for company:GET THEE TO A WRITERS GROUP!!It was just about this time of year 5 years ago that my husband saw a tiny announcement …
The Big Picture
Lots of thoughts about goals and mission statements and such have been floating around my writerly associations since the new year. I’ve been pondering these things. I know that my writing has been a bit haphazard over the …
Directionless
I’m in a quandary over what to do next. In the past six years I have taken two online writing classes through a major university, attended three big writing conferences, finished and submitted various articles and short …