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 →
This week I was out walking and a character popped into my mind. I walk past this farm many times each week. It’s been showing up in my notebook a lot lately, and I’ve been thinking about the kinds of people who could live on a farm like the one I walk past. I’ve been asking myself What if…What if…What if… So I began to dream about the kinds of people who may live there. I walked and thought. Walked some more and said What if…some more. When I returned… Read more {discover.play.build.} take a walk. →
Being a writer is mostly about developing a habit. Talk to any writer and then another and you’ll find those habits are all different. Some write in the morning. Others write through the night. Some write daily. Others take breaks. But all writers have habits. Writing a slice on Tuesdays is one of my writing habits. There are occasional Tuesdays when it doesn’t happen…but those are usually for unpredictable reasons. On a regular Tuesday, I slice. Even if it’s not an official Slice of Life Tuesday. I’m excited to know there are… Read more i’ve gotta slice (soLs) →
