A little redemption goes a long way

I’ve found over the years that my writing life has ups and downs. Specifically, there are times when I feel like I can climb the literary Everest without one of those sherpa guides, and others I feel like I need to trash-can the whole idea of being a writer. Today, my writer friend Tom reminded [...]

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Writers aren’t old dogs

Learning is about more than simply acquiring new knowledge and insights; it is also crucial to unlearn old knowledge that has outlived its relevance. Thus, forgetting is probably at least as important as learning. –Gary Ryan Blair ( Mind Munchies: A Delicious Assortment of Brain Snacks!) I spent the weekend at Context 22, a science [...]

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Thinking outside the traditional writer’s box

There’s a big debate going on over at Pennwriters right now between those who have been published traditionally and those who aren’t about which writers “should” do. The old guard insists that if you want to write novels you must get them to one of the five big houses, get the publicity machine and promotion. [...]

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Dancing along the walk

As the children trooped dutifully back to school today, I realized some of my very first posts in this blog were about the return to routine and the comforts inherent therein when your family deals with autism. That means I’ve been on this blog journey for a year. Unbelievable. This walkabout has taken me many [...]

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Just write it

I’m a lucky writer. I participate in two writing groups that are very supportive, both at meeting time and after. One is based in a Unitarian church, and the small group is well-meaning and cheerful, though the members aren’t regularly published; it’s mostly people who like to write for themselves. The other is part of [...]

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Serendipity and blessings

There is no feeling like the one you get when you experience a gathering, be it conference, revival or reunion, where everyone is excited about a topic and all the energy flows in one direction. Can I get an Amen? I had expected the Pennwriters shindig this weekend would be exciting; to be surrounded by [...]

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Still walking those streets

“Writing is like prostitution. First you do it for love, and then for a few close friends, and then for money.” — Moliere After the joy that was NaNoWriMo last November, when my family and I agreed I could throw everything into those 30 days and write a novel, I’ve worked on many writing projects, [...]

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The write stuff

Next month, I’m going to the Pennwriters’ annual Writing Conference. It’s a fairly big deal, some 450 writers, editors and others, our keynote speaker being Joyce Carol Oates, and agents and editors falling out the cracks to find their Next Big Thing. Of course, I’ve signed up to pitch an editor, attend the critique sessions [...]

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