Sometimes a writer needs a quiet space, a place to escape the constant barrage of technology and uproar that make up a big part of our lives. It’s a chance to break away from the toxic blocks that sabotage us when the work isn’t going well. As much as we love our work, (most of … Continue reading A Quiet Space
Reading on the patio - photo by J.G. Chayko
Today I am praising my paper shredder. All hail the paper shredder! Without it, you might find me, weeks later, buried under a pile of balled up paper. For several weeks (okay months) I have been diligently editing and rewriting a short story. I find short stories challenging to write. While novels tend to follow … Continue reading Short Stories: A Moment in Time
In the spring of 2020, the world was flipped upside down. We never saw it coming. We never could have guessed a virus would alter our lives in the worst kind of story - one without a hero to swoop in and save us from our fate. The change in our world upset our circadian … Continue reading The Year of Pandemic Writing
I was a poet once, or at least I wrote poems. I sent them to my grandmother in thank-you cards, I scribbled them in my diary, I wrote them in notebooks to exorcise my adolescent feelings. I wrote poetry to heal, to discover beauty, but mostly I liked to play with words and see what … Continue reading Poetry: Breathing New Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lf-1W2SBuc I’ve been self-isolating now, as most of us have, for about three weeks. I’m fortunate to be able to work at home and have a beautiful little patio so I don’t feel so boxed into the city apartment my fiancé and I share. I am finding happiness in little things, staying busy, developing my … Continue reading A Virtual Reading
Writers are known for self-isolation. We have carved out a space in our homes tailored especially for our creative work. Most writers have day jobs in another place and can usually leave the day job behind when they come home, separating it from their creative space. In March 2020 the Covid 19 pandemic shut down … Continue reading The New Balance
I’ve been away from the desk for a few weeks, first taking a well-deserved break after a long rewarding year with The Writer’s Studio, and then battling a nasty virus in the first couple weeks of 2020 - but now I’m ready to get back to work. I checked my social media and my email … Continue reading The Book Launch: Emerge 19
“It’s not good enough” … “No one will read it…” “No one will like it…” “I’m not a real writer…” “Someone walked out in the middle of my reading…” “I got a bad review” … These are the nightmares writers have - the haunting doubts that wake us in the middle of the night, questioning … Continue reading Nightmares Writers Have
Summer has finally arrived on the west coast - after a stormy beginning, the cool overcast mornings have given way to clear skies and sultry twilights. It’s a time to sit back and breathe, maybe take some vacation time, and slow down from the rush of work and school. After six months of surviving workshops, … Continue reading Break Your Chains: Write Everywhere
