This Advent season has impacted me in small yet profound ways. Parts of me that have become dormant because of the business of life have been awoken, and they have found an audience for their longing in my heart, a listening ear bent toward their pleas. I have been mulling on the concept of waiting… Continue reading { punctuate : waiting }
“You became a word none of us had ever heard . . .”
—Taylor Leonhardt
“Diamonds”
from her album River House
You might think the hardest part of writing a story of any length is getting it out of your head and onto the page. But I’m here to suggest that the hardest part is everything that comes after the first draft is completed—the revision process. Don’t get me wrong: writing the first draft is hard! Some… Continue reading { punctuate : revisions }
Christa Wells, one of my favorite indie singer-songwriters, recently released a new EP, which as one of her Patreon supporters I had early access to and have been enjoying for a few weeks now. (If you want in on future perks like this, you can support her here!) The title song, “Hatteras,” is one she… Continue reading { punctuate : scenery }
When I left for work yesterday, I was feeling the need for some soul soothing, so I decided to listen to another episode of the STORY Podcast, which never fails to provide positive nourishment for my mind, creativity, and spirit. Before they launched into the pre-recorded interview with writer, artist, and speaker Amber Rae, podcast… Continue reading { punctuate : dancing with fear }
Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 She didn’t know how long she’s laid there. She didn’t really care, either. All that mattered was that the river no longer raged—well, not like it had in the rapids. She was aware, though, that the current was moving much faster than it had before, and she… Continue reading { story time : “untethered” }
“There have been times when for me the act of writing has been a little act of faith, a spit in the eye of despair . . . Writing is not life, but I think that sometimes it can be a way back to life. That was something I found out in the summer of 1999, when a man driving a blue van almost killed me . . .
“Writing did not save my life—Dr. David Brown’s skill and my wife’s loving care did that—but it has continued to do what it always has done: it makes my life a brighter and more pleasant place.
“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy. Some of this book—perhaps too much—has been about how I learned to do it. Much of it has been about how you can do it better. The rest of it—and perhaps the best of it—is a permission slip: you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will. Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.
“Drink and be filled up.”
—Stephen King
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
pp. 249, 269–70
In his book On Writing, Stephen King says that when talking about writing he often tells his audiences that the prime rule is Write a lot and read a lot. Exploring writing is a fairly new endeavor for me, so I’m still working on being able to write a lot. But reading a lot shouldn’t be… Continue reading { punctuate : reading }
Life is cyclical. Excuse me for stating the obvious, but sometimes it bears repeating. Otherwise, I lose sight of the significance of that fact. I think Solomon said it best: What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun. Nothing new… Continue reading { punctuate : cycles }
I haven’t written here for quite a while—almost six months, actually. Between the holidays, editing, transitions with my nanny work, and the continuing emotional journey, words have been awfully difficult to nail down, even when I did have ideas of things to post about. Writing really is the best and the hardest thing for me… Continue reading { poetry : “runaways” }
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