I’m dedicating this blog post to the amazing mothers I know, starting with my own. Every fall when I was a child my mother and I waited for the aspens to turn into tiny golden fans trembling in the breeze. Then we drove an hour from Denver into the mountains searching for the perfect spot…
Month: May 2020
Filled with Gratitude
I’m feeling a great deal of gratitude this morning. First, I chatted with my critique group last night (or at least the person most keen on keeping the rules) and I understand his point of view and the reason for the rules much better now. We figured out a way to work allowing me to…
Writing into the Dark and Critiques
I really like having a critique group and the one I’m in is excellent. Nice people and deeply invested in really critiquing and learning on their own as well. I’m learning a lot and improving just by being there. Last night, one of the members of the group pointed out to me that the group’s…
Writing Six Feet Apart
I suspect that many of the changes we are seeing are the unsteady steps to a new world. Many of us long for the quiet stability (with all its faults) of the old normal. I know that I do as well. One of my little writerly secrets is that I love crowds. I love disappearing…
Health – A New Hope
It’s been a sleepy week so far. I suspect that I am working off a serious sleep debt. I fall asleep each afternoon for a few hours. I wake up in the morning still tired. Which means that the new plan for May, once the last story is in to Dean, is rest and recovery…
Countdown: One Story Left
I turned in my latest story, another time travel piece called “Alexander the Great’s Kitten.” It came hard this week and I’ve realized something. The weeks where it comes hard are either down to my own demons of self-doubt or exhaustion. Both things I should have some control over. External problems I’m pretty good at…
Forging Onward
It’s been something of a struggle to get this week’s story written. Each time I tried to write I fell asleep, bonked my head on my desk, and dreamt of my story. When I woke I tried to get a few words down, and fell asleep again. Here I am today, the story is due,…
Finding My Way to a Novel Topic
You may recall that I am trying to decide on a fast, fun novel to write into the dark and I’ve made progress on this. Here are the books I’m trying to decide between, what I’ve learned, and what I’ve decided: Thule – A magical Viking land set in 932 AD with Magnihild the Lightning Scarred…
Challenges
Yesterday I finally announced to Memphis Writers that I would be stepping away from my role as meeting facilitator for the Thursday night meetings. Memphis will open back up to business on May 4, but unfortunately the virus is still floating around and is a danger to Steve. Since I can’t risk bringing the virus…