Muse, I’m over here!
I’m showing up for my muse in 2022 in a way I’ve never attempted before. It’s simple, but a bit ritualistic. Maybe I need that. Do you need to try something new too?
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Writer Unthawed
I lost all my writing mojo after the 2016 election. It was impossible for me to write while the world was burning. But that all changed last Saturday. Words started to flow again. Come see what I have planned.
Ambivert Navigates Spotlight
Growing up, when I wanted to be in the spotlight, I was. Through dance, music, theater, and more, I put myself square in the middle of the stage and relished it. Attention was the nature of the “job” if you will, especially when I was first chair trumpet, section leader in choir, starring in the musical, and the team captain of danceline. It was expected, and I loved it when I chose it. How very extroverted of me. When I didn’t want to be in the middle of it all, I hung back. A lot! I was happy to blend in, to see how something was done before I took…
Writer’s Block & Trust
This week, I’m trusting the process. The writing process, that is. Doubt has been my white noise for a few years. Always there, even if I wasn’t cognizant of it. Grating. Grinding. Stopping me in my tracks before I had a chance to get started. And I’ve been dangling from the ledge for far too long. Something had to change. On Sunday night as I flipped to a new week in my planner, I wrote words I needed to be reminded of. Trust the process. All of it. My goal this week was to just give in and follow where I was led. When writing, or at least drafting, the…
And then he spoke…
So this happened. The other day I was lying down after a long bath, just savoring the warmth and relaxation, and my mind wondered to Leo from Naked Organics. I’ve been trying to get into his head and to understand his motivation for a long time, but he’s been reluctant to talk to me. I always feel foolish when I say stuff like this, that characters talk or don’t talk to me, but that’s how it works. So who am I to question it? Out of the blue Leo started telling me the true fears behind his motivations. This is what I’ve been waiting for . . . well, for years.…
North Star Rerelease ~ What’s Different?
As I offered advance review copies of Spark to reviewers, I’ve had a few people ask me if this was much different than the original release. The answer is truly, that depends on who you ask. Ask me, and I’m going to say it’s vastly different. Ask a reader, and they’ll likely not notice a ton of difference unless they pull out the original and compare it to the second edition, which I do below. I show how the opening scene in Spark has changed to give you a taste of how the narration has tightened. I also discuss a few other changes. But first, why am I treating this like a…
Careers, Spotlights, & Dreams
Growing up, my dream was to be a singer. I went to college on a vocal performance scholarship but quickly realized I disliked the constant competition and auditioning. I saw that pinning my hopes and dreams on someone else’s opinion was a quick path to not being able to put food on the table. So halfway through my freshman year, I dropped my vocal performance major with little idea what I wanted to do with my life. I took career assessments to see where my skills and interests met up. I’d taken these tests in the past, and I’ve taken them since. One thing I can say, I’m fairly consistent.…
I’m Still Standing
I’ve taken on a new challenge, completely self-imposed. I seem to have a greater chance of succeeding on those rather than external challenges. Writing is a notoriously sedentary job. All the hours getting stories down on the page, reading and editing, and then doing the promotion to sell those stories takes a toll. My upper back (just above bra strap land) has been crying out in pain for months. When that happens I get headaches, my arms go oddly numb, and every so often I get light headed. When I had to abandon my editing to care for my mother post-surgery, I got off my butt and walked around a…
Open Project(s)
I’m writing a novella, and I have a short story that I have waiting in the wings. But first I need to finish this novella. I am one of those writers who needs things completed before they can move on, and it drives me a little (a lot) nuts. So, today I will be scheming how to finish this story up. I got to a place where I thought I was done, but then realized I really wasn’t. So I need to write a few new scenes and the new ending today so I can work on my short story. Am I the only author out there who can’t move…
Writing Because of Tears
The last time I absolutely had to write or else my brain would explode was in June. I’d watched something and I truly needed to write about it in order to process it. Let me put it this way, someone died in a horrific way. I watched this show on a Sunday night, and then all day Monday, I took my mom to many doctor appointments. We ended up at the hospital for her final appointment. We’d taken the shuttle over and had some time to kill, and she was excited to look around the gift shop. See, her husband was in the intensive care unit there after his bile…
