I love this. Here is what the author said about loneliness: “Writing can be a lonely business. But gradually your characters, or the scenes and people from your past, begin to rise up around you, and you find yourself writing your way out of loneliness, writing your own company. And you’ll find yourself at dinner some evening telling your family or friends, “Well, Natalie really made a mess of things today” or “I can’t believe what John said about Kathryn’s dog.” And everyone will look at you … [Read more...]
Day 116: Why Writers Get Scared
As writers we have to be willing to pour ourselves into our writing. It’s what makes a good story. I think the reason why my daughter’s hospital story has touched so many is because the words written came directly from my heart. I didn’t hold anything back. At the time I only thought of them as updates for friends and family. But over time they have become so much more. Some of the comments I’ve received have been such a blessing for me. (To read the comments others have left, click on “Her … [Read more...]
Day 111: Authors on Pedestals
I really like this. As writers we have so much at our disposal to write about. Every life today is different from someone else’s life. Think about it. We all have our own unique way of looking at things. We can look at two people and think they are living the exact same life. However, if you were to step into the shoes of each one you’d find out that while there are some similarities their lives are different. Think about identical twins. When I was growing up my mom became friends with a … [Read more...]
Day 68: Making Use of Fear
In life there are so many things we can be fearful of. Some seem irrational like small spaces, loud noises like fireworks shows, or even the little itty-bitty spiders that to some say, "it's more afraid of you than you of it." I think my granny (noises) and my mom (spiders) would beg to differ. When it comes to writing, fear can grind us to a halt. We are afraid of what some might say about our writing. Or we won't ever find an agent or publisher so why try. Or sometimes the strongest fears … [Read more...]
K is for Kindred Spirit
Because Mari's kindred spirit infiltrated every pore in our bodies. When I think of kindred spirits I always think of the Anne of Green Gables movies. Anne Shirley always talked about how her friends were her bosom friends and that they were kindred spirits. I think Mari was a kindred spirit and that is why she will always be so fondly remembered. For me, she's the one who organically or naturally through no selfish desire showed those around her what love is supposed to look like. So … [Read more...]
Day 62: Feast or Famine: Part 1
This is a two-day posting. For today's topic it's about the "feast" in writing. Have you ever sat down to write something and story after is sitting there ready to write. In fact, you have so many of them you're overwhelmed with were to start. This is like the feast. As writers we have to discern what we need to write about. A great place to start would be to pray asking for God's help in knowing what should be written about first. So discernment is the key. We need to listen closely what our … [Read more...]
19 Years Today
It's hard to believe that nineteen years ago today my husband, Keith, and I went to the justice of the peace with our friends Tina Davis, Michael Brooks and his wife Courtney. They watched us as we took our vows and became husband and wife that day. The last nineteen years have been fraught with ups, down and one tragedy. Most marriages would have ended by now, probably ten times over. But each and every time we have persevered through it all. Do I or Keith take credit for this? No. It is … [Read more...]
It’s been 4 years…
The month of July can mean so many different things to so many different people. The first thing that comes to mind for most Americans is our Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, we truly became an independent nation. There have been many struggles, hardships, good times and excitement but it is on this day that we celebrate our independence as a nation for the freedoms that have been given to us. For some this month is the end of Summer break as so many get ready to start a new school year … [Read more...]
Starting to work on Mari’s book again
I think many of you know I had put off writing Mari's book for a little while but I may not have gone into why I did so. Through different writing forums I became apart of I found out the book I had completed would be a great one for family and friends as long as that is where it ended. But if I wanted it to be read by more than just people I knew then it needed to be done in a completely different way. One thing I kept being told is I needed to add fiction elements to her book. At first … [Read more...]
Pursuing true happiness, I mean joy
When I look at those around us and the hustle and bustle that is constantly going on around us, it seems like everyone is in the pursuit of true happiness. Some think their pursuit of money will bring them their desired happiness. Yet, at the end of the day, it never brings anyone happiness. In fact, it only seems to make people more miserable and unhappy as the inanimate object of money can do nothing for them. Some think their pursuit of making and finding new friends will bring them … [Read more...]
