By stepping into a new pair of writing shoes – taking on the fiction writing challenge called NaNoWriMo with the goal of completing writing a novel this month – I begin to experience the world differently.
The Writing Life
Writers think differently. Our thoughts on living the writer's life, from creative inspiration to technique to attending conferences.
Choosing the Light
I spent this week on the road in the typical whirlwind of updating a guidebook. As I drove home, I reached a fork in the road, a decision point. And I took it. Yogi Berra would be proud.
A Million Micro-Decisions
Dealing with masses of files and papers? Coping with clutter means millions of micro-decisions. It’s that accumulata of life that gets in the way of living.
Auto Maintenance for Writers
There is a Zen-like quality to the time spent waiting for your mechanic to work on your car. If it’s a few hours, it’s an ideal time to nourish creativity.
Okeechobee Inspiration
On the Big O Hike, I can unplug. No computer tether for ten days, no cell phone til afternoons, awakening before dawn every morning to enjoy the zen of walking.
First Impressions of Taos
What is the desert of New Mexico really like? Not what I imagined, at all. An excerpt from a writing exercise, “First Impressions,” at the Lama Institute, Taos.
Madison’s Invisible Woman
Wandering down State Street in Madison, Wisconsin, I came across this scene while I was in search of lunch. These are not my shoes. What happened here?
My Cousin, the Novelist
In Taos, my novelist cousin Sean Murphy and his wife, author Tania Casselle, live the writer’s life that I’ve always dreamed, writing and teaching writing
At the Governor’s Mansion
Mom told me she’d read an article about how the Governor’s Mansion now had a library devoted to Florida authors. “You should be in there!” she said. Now I am. I learned what fourth graders think about authors, too.
In Patagonia
Serendipity touched my sendoff to Patagonia. In the lobby, Tim Cahill was also waiting for his adventure, and I listened to his advice on Patagonia over coffee.
Conference in Chile
Today has been spent immersed in my first SATW conference, with one of my favorite writers, Tim Cahill, as the keynote speaker at our convention in Santiago, Chile
Arrival in Santiago
On my first trip to South America, I’m here for the Society of American Travel Writers Annual Conference, also my first. I’ll share some photos and notes as I can.
