I’m hosting this wonderful event tomorrow. Come join us! Here’s the link: https://www.storycircle.org/virtual-conference-2025/
Author: lenleatherwood
I am a native Texan who has lived for the past 30 years in Southern California. I am a published author of both short memoir and fiction, a two-time Pushcart nominee, a nationally award-winning writing coach, an editor, as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Texas. In addition, I am the mother of three grown daughters of whom I am extremely proud, a grandmother of four darling children and the wife of a man I still love after 44 years.
A Major Reason I Am Excited to Visit Madrid
In just two weeks, I’ll be heading to Spain to host our annual Story Circle Network International Sightseeing Tour and Writing Workshop. While I am always eager to go on these incredible trips, I am especially excited to have the chance this time to see Picasso’s Guernica in person. This extraordinary painting about the atrocities…
25 Lies Writers Tell Themselves (and How to Fight Back)
One of the biggest challenges in writing is quieting the negative self-talk that can paralyze creativity. Below are 25 common thoughts that often surface—followed by a method I’ve discovered that helps combat these discouraging messages. Why I tell myself I shouldn’t write today: How to Combat Negative Self-Talk Set a timer, pick up your notebook…
When Words Take Flight
I have been editing students’ essays and stories today— switching out a word,a phrase,sometimes an entire sentence. Cutting repetitionwhile still honoringthe rhythm of the words. Searching for themes,motifs,tropesthat cast light across the page. Delighting when I stumble uponan apt metaphor,a succinctly stated feeling,a burst of action verbsthat make me want to run,dance,and play. And always…
Lighten Our Darkness
When I was a little girl, my mother came into my room every night before bedtime so we could say our prayers. She would sit on the edge of my twin bed while I lay under the covers with my head on the pillow. “Our Father, who art in heaven,” she would begin, and I…
Vroman’s Book Reading & Signing Today
Today, I read and signed books at the beautiful Vroman’s Independent Bookstore in Pasadena. When I looked out into the audience, I saw all three of my daughters, their husbands/partners, and children, plus a whole slew of close friends who had made the trek from Burbank, Glendale, San Dimas, San Marino, Covina, and even one…
From History to Fiction: The Priest Who Inspired Father Briggs in Hope in a Time of Dying
Father Briggs, the priest in Hope in a Time of Dying, draws inspiration from the life and ministry of the Rev. Carroll Barbour, longtime rector of St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Hollywood. In the 1980s and 1990s, when fear and stigma around HIV and AIDS ran high, Father Barbour opened the doors of St….
Happy Valley: A Crime Drama Worth Every Minute
Happy Valley has earned the distinction of being one of Britain’s best and most critically acclaimed crime dramas. The three-season series—first aired in 2014, followed by 2016, and concluding in 2023—was recently released in the U.S. and Canada in late August 2025. The story centers on Catherine Cawood, a Yorkshire police sergeant played by Sarah…
Flash Fiction: Eyes Wide Open
Stolen innocence. That is what Marsha thought as she stared out the window at her garden below. That’s where it had happened—just two years ago while she was weeding her vegetables, when John stomped over. “You’re a fool!” he’d snorted, waving a paper in his hand. “I told you not to trust her.” Marsha sat…
Best Gingersnap Recipe Ever with an Optional Healthy Twist
Today I modified America’s Test Kitchen’s recipe for gingersnap cookies to fit into my non-refined sugar criteria. That mean basically just substituting white sugar with maple sugar. The results were excellent. The cookies have a real snap and they are filled with freshly ground ginger for a nice little kick. I’m going out on a…
20 Minutes a Day 