DAY 8 – Friday “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 Somehow, I woke out of a deep dream in time to get my son to school. Another full day ahead and a birthday on Saturday (my youngest turned 13) – I realized writing time would be minimal. Yet, I was feeling better than ever — really good actually! I was excited and felt confident
Read More
When Failure is Part of God’s Plan
Failure according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary: 1a: omission of occurrence or performance; specifically: a failing to perform a duty or expected action b (1) : a state of inability to perform a normal function c: a fracturing or giving way under stress 2a: lack of success b: a failing in business 3a: a falling short (deterioration or decay) 4 : one that has failed Is it just me, or is the concept of failure taboo these days? Why do we avoid
Read More
Finding the Story by Finding the Reason
How my analysis of daily life helps me to discover plot and character traits. Lately, my own personality quirks have afflicted me. How can I be the practical, rational, and organized working woman/mother/friend/wife while also being the creative, expressive, unique writer? I have stewed for weeks about how I will ever find a rhythm between my daily life and my writing journey. How and when can I express myself accordingly. Who cares?
Read More
Writing This Is Like Giving Birth Without Pain Meds!
I gave birth to my first three children without pain medication. My first labor lasted 27 hours, so by the time I could push, I was utterly exhausted. No matter how prepared I thought I was for the process of labor, there was no way to fully know what I was getting into. However, somehow I remained very calm through the process–I even slept during the majority of transition, sometimes
Read More
Crossing Over: Reflections on Getting to the Place Where I Can Write Fiction Again!
Changes at my day job and a sudden change in character in my husband have left me floating between uncertainty and relief. Is all this happening in order to bring me to a place where I can finally write the stories that have been buried in my heart for so long? With the New Year I realized I have formed some bad habits since our move to California. In my