Blog

Photo by Viva Luna Studios on Unsplash Tarot for Writers author Corrine Kenner got my attention when she wrote that writers are fortunetellers. I had never thought much about it, but when I read that famous authors like Stephen King and John Steinbeck brainstormed with tarot cards, I decided to try it myself. I had hit a snag with Seaglass Christmas . There was a gaping hole at the end of the manuscript where it is explained why the antagonist did what he did. The problem? I

Photo by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash Let me establish from the get-go that I love love candles. They create a relaxing ambience in any room and there’s nothing so romantic as a dinner with tall, flickering tapers, even if the meal is a boring plate of baked beans. I’ve read that famous Victorian authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens wrote by candlelight, as did Mark Twain and other writers who grew up without the luxury of electricity. Surprisingly, even 20th centur

Dear Santa, Guess where I am? I know you’re busy, so I’ll tell you. I’m at the Candy Cane Writing Workshop at Faith Camp Meeting Grounds and we’re actually writing with real candy canes. Well, not actually. I can’t lie to Santa. They’re really pens that look like candy canes. They were inside the red and white velvet stockings they gave us at the door. Well, maybe they’re not real velvet. Nobody’s told me one way or the other. That is the beginning of a letter that 8-year old

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could just open your medicine cabinet and find a quick fix for Fear, Low Self-Esteem, Rejection, Time Wasting, and Writer’s Block? Keep in mind that I am not a doctor, but I am a writing muse, which grants me an automatic “license” to share what has worked for me: Fear Like writing good stories, courage is an ability that all writers must develop. It takes courage to study the world and write what you see and hear. It takes courage to follow y

There’s a famous scene in the movie, Mary Poppins , where Mary, Bert, and the children jump into one of Bert’s chalk paintings on the sidewalk, resulting in a jolly holiday with the magical nanny. Wouldn’t you love to do that? In my imagination I can, but reality is a different matter. (I guess I need a magical parrot head umbrella.) Still, I’ve found Art to be an amazing tool for writing, one that helps stimulate ideas and improve my observation skills. Getting creative I’m

If you’ve read my book, Write Awake: A Conscious Path to Creativity and Change , you know that I did not follow the "traditional" path to becoming a writer. I was a professional singer until I was about 23 years old and I always thought singing would be my career for the rest of my life. When I think about it, I doubt I’ve ever done anything traditionally. For example: I didn’t go to college immediately after high school. I didn’t marry until I was nearly forty and I didn't w