There was a theme of risking and failing; succeeding and doubting; creating and producing throughout the All-Write 2013 Conference last week. It was almost eerie the way each session and… Read more {secure} #allwrite13 reflection →
Purple SandpiperSource: Wikipedia(Click on the image.) As Deb and I were walking out to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse today we noticed two men with binoculars. Curious about their conversation, I… Read more purple sandpiper →
I can’t believe I’m writing this post. You must know this. On the second Christmas Andy and I were married, I gave him a coffee maker. I attached a heartfelt note to the handle. It read: Only for use in the basement. His smile revealed that this was indeed the best gift ever. For over two years he didn’t brew coffee in our home. I detested the smell. Others thought I was awful for placing such a stipulation on a Christmas gift. Andy thought I was wonderful. Sometimes I attempted… Read more coffee →
I promised myself I wouldn’t let exercise be one of the things I let go when we adopted our new son. I promised myself I would give myself permission to… Read more snowy walk →
I used to think of my life as this big plate and everything was piled on top. I knew when life was too busy because things began falling off the… Read more choosing the moments →
Living + Writing + Documenting + Sharing This is how I will shine. My story is sacrificed when I don’t write the mess and the giggles and the magic on the screen.… Read more adding it up →
It’s subtle but powerful. A little goes a long way. It’s always available. Its taste is predictable. It goes with everything — sweet and sultry. It brings out other flavors.… Read more what SALT taught me →
As a writer, I often “prune” my words. As Ralph Fletcher taught in one of his early books, it is often by cutting back the extra, wild, or dead parts that a flower flourishes. The same is true for our words. I like to share this idea with students too. Young writers are often consumed with adding words. It’s a big shift to consider cutting back. Yet, writing well is just as much about what you don’t say as what you do say. Revising is just as much about adding… Read more cutting back (soLs) →
Oh my! Can I just say I am now a huge believer in writing retreats? I wasn’t sure if it would make that big of a difference in my writing life. I have a solid writing habit, and I feel productive as a writer. I wasn’t sure if it was worth juggling schedules, hiring babysitters, and packing a suitcase. I couldn’t have been more wrong. My list was ambitious. Although I didn’t complete it all, there were many unexpected ways my writing life was nourished. So a little recap. (Well,… Read more writing life update →
Ruth Ayres Writes 