My daughters are readers, and Evelyn, my youngest girl, has been my special reading buddy these last couple of summers she’s been home from college. She’s as serious as I am about used book fair shopping and if we’re ever at a loss for what to talk about (we’re not), one of us can just…
Whenever the world feels particularly cruel, when the news cycle is at its harshest, people often turn to novels for comfort or escape. It’s not a bad way to show yourself some kindness. Many years ago I suffered an early miscarriage and stayed in bed for days reading The Chronicles of Narnia. Although I’m a…
If you’re just starting to submit to literary magazines, congratulations! This is an exciting time and you should be proud of yourself for doing the hard work of writing and the brave work of putting yourself out there for appraisal by strangers. It’s gutsy and worthwhile. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t think writers need…
I’ve got a list for you that’s got all sorts of writing success strategies in it. But here’s the thing, no list of how-to’s and what-to-do’s will help you reach your writing goals if you don’t do them. It seems obvious, but this gets at the heart of accountability. The writing accountability items on this…
There is something intimate and special about handwriting. It’s as unique and individual as a fingerprint. It takes more effort than typing, and at some point, each handwritten note will convey the physical presence of someone who’s passed on. In the words of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe— Letters are among the most significant memorial a…