Tag Archives: the writing life

The Least I Can Do

Posted on November 16, 2019 by

Writing can be overwhelming. It’s like any other huge job. Getting a college or advanced degree. Cleaning out the garage. Getting your affairs in order, for when you die. All the advice books tell you to break it all down … Continue reading →

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Distraction Subtraction

Posted on November 5, 2019 by

“A definite purpose, like blinders on a horse, inevitably narrows its possessor’s point of view.” Robert Frost Horses have their eyes on the sides of the heads. They wear blinders to keep them focused on the task at hand, and not startled … Continue reading →

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Didja Ever Notice?

Posted on October 28, 2019 by

The Pasadena (Ca.) choice for the 2020 One Book One City event is The Secrets We Kept, by Lara Prescott. (It looks terrific!) One of the local branches of the Pasadena Public Library set up a display table with a … Continue reading →

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Process: The Short Story

Posted on October 21, 2019 by

I can only speak about how it works for me. I am impelled to start a story in several ways. The first way is that a story just springs to mind, something I have to write, or perhaps a character … Continue reading →

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Respect

Posted on October 14, 2019 by

I’ve played the guitar for decades. Well, sort of. I know lots of chords and chord progressions in several keys. But basically I’ve just plunked along, self taught, or with tips from people who were better than I. A few … Continue reading →

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The Words That Kill My Writing

Posted on October 6, 2019 by

Lots of words and phrases put my writing and my writing career in grave danger. Some come from inside myself. Well, actually most of them these days come from within myself, even if they originally came from outside sources. These … Continue reading →

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Gosh, Thanks!

Posted on October 4, 2019 by

Last evening, I went to Vroman’s, my favorite independent bookstore, for the monthly Trivia contest. While there, I picked up the latest copy of Mystery Scene Magazine. I am a faithful reader. I love the articles on historic figures or events … Continue reading →

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We Are Not Alone!

Posted on July 31, 2019 by

No I’m not referring to extraterrestrials. I’m referring to the hurdles we face in getting published, getting accepted, getting read. I recently saw an article in my local paper titled “The Odds of Getting Hired,” by Angela Copeland. It stated … Continue reading →

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Better. Just better.

Posted on July 12, 2019 by

Have you ever found one of your old, old stories or essays or poems, one of your earliest attempts to be a serious writer? Do you laugh gently to yourself about how bad it was? Me, too. In fact, I’m … Continue reading →

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Just What I Need. . .

Posted on July 5, 2019 by

. . . more rabbit holes. Sheesh. Okay, we all know what happens when we sit down to write. We see some irresistible click bait. We think it will only be a few seconds of surfing. A half hour later, … Continue reading →

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