I recently read This Great Article on John Steinbeck, and this quote stuck out to me. “I’m not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself and other people." He scribbled it in his journal while he wrote The Grapes of Wrath. Pretty much one of the best books ever written. We haven't touched on imposture syndrome... Continue Reading →
Unlucky 13? An Ancient Smear campaign
It's Friday the 13th! Hide under your beds! Lock your black cat in the basement and stay away from mirrors! Don't step on any cracks, walk under any ladders, or say Bloody Mary three times in the mirror because... because why? Thirteen is unlucky! Why? Umm... Well, I've heard it's unlucky because Judas was he... Continue Reading →
Portrait of the Artist as a (very) Young woman
My parents are moving out of the home I grew up in. That means that I am acquiring many childhood artifacts that I am not ready to throw away.My dollhouse, my art portfolio from high school have now been crammed into my basement and I get to pick over a stash of excellent books. I... Continue Reading →
Writing Childbirth and New Mothers: You’re doing it wrong
Last night my crit group reviewed a chapter I wrote where the MC gave birth and adjusted to new motherhood. I've never ever had more polarized opinions of the accuracy of my work. What was fascinating is that when I went home and read over notes they fell into two distinct groups. Parents and Not... Continue Reading →
Do you believe in ghosts?
Tis the season to freak yourself out. In my house, ghost stories were a family tradition. Every time we gathered with our grandparents we would beg to hear their accounts that they couldn't quite explain. In fifth grade, when we were assigned our first research report on any subject, other kids in my class did... Continue Reading →
Fuck addiction
Here's an old poem of mine that needs to be posted today The Devil’s Games Most of us have flirted, caught a whiff of his cologne, maybe even dwelling in his gardens for a spell But the devil, he’s tricky, and his potions are tempting. The higher you fly the closer you come to hell.... Continue Reading →
Just a day
My baby is two. Not really a baby any more, but she still lets me hold her, still wraps her little self around me and sticks her thumb in her mouth, a perfect sense of comfort and trust. I will never have another child as tiny as she is today. She will only continue to... Continue Reading →
Better get started now
I see it frequently. I lived it myself. People toil away at their jobs they hate and clutch to their dreams, keeping them tucked away secret and safe. They imagine a day when things will just fall into place, someone will stumble across their work and give them the career they want. So years pass... Continue Reading →
#WQWWC – Writers Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge – Memories
"Take care of all your memories. For you cannot relive them." - Bob Dylan This quote is engraved into a silver picture frame containing a photo of my wedding. Our whole wedding party is there. My best friends. My brother. My nephews. My husband. People I treasured eight years ago and still treasure today. One... Continue Reading →
#WQWWC – Writers Quote Wednesday Writers Challenge – “Faith”
“Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.” ― Martin Luther King Jr. Whenever the issue of faith comes up I think back to a scene in the show "Lost", a conflict between Jack and Locke. Locke is begging Jack to have faith he asks Jack why he... Continue Reading →