In an article titled A sprig of verbena and the gifts of a great teacher, Kathleen Parker of the Washington Posts Writers Group wrote about light master teachers who “hit the light switch and change one’s life.” For Kathleen it was James Gasque, an 11th grade English teacher, who stood up for her in class when her […]
For Writers
Steinbeck and His Journal of a Novel
Did you know that John Steinbeck kept a journal while writing East of Eden and that it is available in book form? For writers who struggle with such things as self-doubt, writer’s block, and guilt, John Steinbeck’s Journal of a Novel is balm to a wound. He wrote it in the form of letters to his editor at Viking Press, calling it his way […]
Are You An Accidental Plagiarist?
The idea of plagiarism scares me, as it should. I am a writer of fiction and of a blog, so I need to be careful in how I do research and pass it on, so I don’t use other people’s words as my own. When I don’t know about a subject (which is often), I defer to experts. I use quotes, and […]
Journal Treasures – Writing a Book
While scavenging through old journals for inspiration, I came across an entry I’d written January 1, 2003 about writing a book. Writing a Book A new year begins. A fresh start. Many hopes. Many dreams. One of my wildest dreams is to complete my first novel. I finished writing it a year ago, but it isn’t complete. I’ve […]
The Absolute Truth
I was more or less told by at least three sources to get my act together and start sharing something about my journey as a writer on this blog. Their logic: “That’s what your blog is about, right?” “Tell us about you,” one said. “Share some of your work,” said another. Okay. Okay. I get the […]
Twelve Essential Writer Tools for Life and Sanity
All authors need writer tools (Or should I say crutches?) to give them a boost when their writing is not going well. In my case, make that twelve. Twelve little crutches to support me as I limp through “The Between,” from creating to publishing my work. Morning Journal. First thing every morning, I write in my […]
