One of the biggest reasons I hesitated to publish my novel Hope in a Time of Dying was because it was inspired by real life, and several of my family members play recognizable roles in the story. I worried that readers would assume the characters were exact portraits of my loved ones, and that every…
Tag: writing tips
Similes Gone Wrong (and Right)
I know, I know—a deep dive into similes isn’t what most people rush to read. Dear Lord, you might think, just how wacked-out has this poor woman gotten that she is now worrying herself silly about the difficulty of a simple figure of speech? Dear, dear, the poor thing needs a vacation where there is…
11 Tips for Creativity
I found the following list in an old 2013 writing file tonight. I apologize to the author. I did not write down your name, website address, or any identifying information. I tried typing in the title “11 Tips for Creativity ” and found several articles, but none had this content. I’m so sorry. I will…
Some Sage Advice from Some Very Successful Writers
I’ve posted this before, but it is hard to beat the advice presented here. Just had to reshare from an article a few years back from The Guardian. Even if you don’t write, you might find yourself having a good laugh or two. Happy first day of Daylight Saving Time! Sage Advice from Those Who…
Some Excellent Writing Advise
Below is a short article that contains wonderful writing advice the author received from Knopf’s Charles Elliott. A variation on this advice came from a teacher I’ve worked with but I cannot recall which teacher. His/her advice was, “Pretend you have a camera on your shoulder and let the reader see exactly what the camera…
The Success of SCN’s “20-Minutes-a-Day” Writing Challenge
I just concluded hosting Story Circle Network’s “20 Minutes a Day” January writing challenge. We had 44 participants who committed to writing for 20 minutes a day from January 2 until today, January 30th. Here’s to your success, writing participants! Daughter Liz Beaty, SCN’s program director, and I created this program a few years ago. This…
20 Things I’d Like to Get Better At in 2024
I would like to tackle this list in 2024. These are in no particular order and this is certainly not a conclusive list. Just the first 20 things I could think of with grandkids at the top. 1) Spend quality time with my grandkids. 2) Get down to Mexico to enjoy time in Ensenada. 3) Develop a…
Welcome to My Blog
Writing. What can I say? This topic takes up most of my time as a writer, writing teacher, and editor. I love everything related to writing – the physical act of handwriting or typing, the pleasant calm of reading, the pure fun of sharing writing with others. Hence this blog. A way for me to…
20 Minutes a Day 