Summer is here, and I have to admit — I’ve been a bit nervous about its arrival. Last year, I pretty much gave up writing for the summer. What with kids underfoot and their perpetual, “Iwantasnack! Let’sgosomewhere! Hehitme! Canwegotothepark…” I assumed I would never be able to organize my thoughts. (Reminds me of an earlier post … Read More
Last night I was deeply touched by the PBS documentary, Perilous Fight: America’s World War II in Color. Normally, I do not watch war documentaries. But the color images drew me — and the stories swept me away. Historical documentaries have recently become less about teaching facts and more about telling stories. I was entranced by narrators reading letters from soldiers and … Read More
Last night I lay awake — tossing and turning — my mind and heart tortured by anxiety. And what got me in such a state? Well, it’s a little embarassing to admit. It’s so stupid. I was anxious about “stuff.” More precisely — too much stuff. A family in our church has been selling off their … Read More
Memorial Day Weekend has arrived (just in case you hadn’t noticed all the store ads) and with this unofficial beginning to the summer season, I’m hoping you find a few lazy hours for reading. If you’re looking for some great reading material, I’d encourage you to try the new release, Code Blue: Prescription for Trouble written by Richard … Read More
Once again, television has brought us to a cultural standstill with the long-awaited final episode of LOST. Over the past six years, I must admit to a love/hate relationship with this show. I was fascinated by the writing and the characters, but I hated the in-your-face violence and the story that seemed to twist so … Read More
Tension headaches, tension in relationships, tense meetings, tense conversations — we all hate it. Right? Can tension be good? A tense fishing line means a good catch. I know my seldom-used sewing machine has a tension adjustment knob — I’m not sure what it does, but it must be important. Tension is not only good in story-writing — it … Read More
Today I will continue my series on Common Writing Mistakes Made by New Writers (Like me) with “Beginning with Chapter One.” If you want to catch up on the other posts (in no particular order), read Back Up the Dump Truck, Battling Backstory, Talking to Yourself, and Couch Potato Characters. Today’s common writing mistake is … Read More
Springtime in the Pacific Northwest is rollercoaster at its worst. Plants are dressing in their finery — apple and cherry blossoms, pink dogwoods, azaleas, rhodies, tulips, daffodils — you name it. At the same time, weeds and moss are rearing their ugly heads. (Does moss have a head?) Our Spring weather is insane. One moment its glorious sunshine and … Read More
Friday is here! Finally — right? Are you looking for a great way to relax this weekend? Try Mona Hodgson‘s new book, Two Brides Too Many. It’s a fun read about two Eastern girls who answer ads for mail order brides and arrive in Colorado only to find their expected husbands are missing. Finding their … Read More
Welcome back to my series: Common Mistakes Made By New Writers (Like Me). This is part four: Couch Potato Characters or Characters Who Never Move. Feel free to read back through previous posts to read about information dumps, battling backstory and characters who talk to themselves. It’s not necessary to read these posts in any particular … Read More