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olw 2012

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Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Matthew 5:13 (MSG) I knew I wanted a noun for my One Little Word this year. I knew I wanted a word that would teach me. I was surprised when SALT found me. LIGHT I could have understood. STORY was what I yearned for (but it’s already so much a part of the… Read more olw 2012 →

hello 2012

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Hello 2012, It’s nice to meet you. I’ve felt you coming, noticing changes stirring inside of me. Now that you’re here, though, I’m left wondering how your friend 2011 just vanished. I’m left with these glimpses through words + photos + fuzzy memories of the good stuff of 2011. Although, I can’t say I’ll miss the whole of 2011 any more than I’ve missed 2010, 2009, and 2008. I’ve realized sometimes years can be tough. There are tough patches in life, difficult times, moments that become months, turning into years, where… Read more hello 2012 →

hacking

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Not cutting. Not pruning. Not deleting. Hacking. It is brutal. And it is essential to the life of a writer. I’m not sure I’ve truly understood this before this month. I’ve always known cutting as a viable revision option. It’s one I’ve used for years. It’s never hurt before. Maybe that’s because I haven’t done it right. Recently I revised the beginning of my first novel by hacking. Since I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve revised the lead (although I’m sure it is over a trillion), it’s… Read more hacking →

writing group

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It’s been more than a month since my writing group met and I’m beginning to feel the kinks that come from missing a workout. We were supposed to meet last Friday, but due to conflicts, changed our meeting to Wednesday, December 21. (You do realize that’s four days before Christmas, Tam pointed out. We didn’t care, though, because we had to meet.) I’ve been thinking about my writing group a lot since the hardest revision ever, which I think is a funny name because the next time I’m faced with… Read more writing group →

mission STORY

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Too many irons in the fire. This is a phrase I’ve heard most of my life. I started hearing it as a child. My mom’s voice has stayed with me and, now, decades later, I still hear her voice. Too many irons in the fire.I hear it when I think about my writing life. I play with many different writing projects. I like to think of it as playing. I don’t have to be serious. Writing isn’t my livelihood. I write for fun. I write for me and for them and for… Read more mission STORY →