Today guest blogger Dorothy Skarles talks about New Year’s Resolutions. Sound familiar? New Year’s Resolution Have you ever made a quick resolution at the end of a New Years Eve dinner while everyone else drank a tiny-bit more champagne and blew party favors? Then as the waitress came to serve dessert, you quickly waved her away, […]
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Gratitude Just Makes Sense
What better way to start the new year than with a post about GRATITUDE? Gratitude isn’t just about being thankful. Gratitude changes us neurologically, makes our brains stronger, just makes sense. Gratitude burns away the shadow of life’s circumstances, like the sun burns away fog–that empty mode we can lock ourselves into, where we’re unable to […]
Freedom is Choice
I hate losing stuff. I hate losing valuable time. I hate losing friends. I hate losing money. But most of all, I hate losing freedom. I would give up stuff, time, and money for freedom. I’d give up friends who threaten my freedom. Losing my freedom is unacceptable. Pure and simple. But then again, we give […]
Starting to Forget, A Wake Up call?
A Wake Up Call Dorothy Skarles has been one of my critique partners for some time. She has also been a teacher and a great supporter of my writing. Two years ago, she lost her husband, and as a result, her will to write. I considered this a shame and a great loss, not only for herself, but for all […]
Miracles All Around Us / Why I Write Fiction
The December issue of Oprah Magazine has a special feature called Miracles All Around Us. It introduces miracles “easily missed if you’re distracted,” and marvels “hidden in every corner of our lives.” It begins with “The Awe Tour,” which takes you to spots on Earth where you can see, hear, touch, and smell mysteries and curiosities “dreamed up by nature” […]
Complications Worksheet
I’d like to share a plotting worksheet with you that I found very helpful in revising my novel. It was written by Martina Boone, one of the publishers of Adventures in Children’s Publishing. Don’t let the blog’s title, Adventures in Children’s Publishing, fool you. Most of this blog’s content, as well as this worksheet, apply to ALL fiction, not just children’s fiction. Here’s a sampling of Martina’s […]