Monthly Archives: November 2020

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” Epictetus On the wings of Thanksgiving, it seems right to spend some time today reflecting on those people who lift us up … Continue reading →

As we launch our holiday weekend, may your life be filled with joy and gratitude, now and always! God’s WorldEdna St. Vincent Millay “O world, I cannot hold thee close enough!Thy winds, thy wide gray skies!Thy mists, that roll and … Continue reading →

“Amateurs wait for inspiration. The rest of us get up and go to work.” Chuck Close Chuck is a highly respected painter and photographer. I have his statement tacked up on the wall in my office, because it really grabbed … Continue reading →

In a speech called “A Way of Life,” which Sir William Osler, a famous Canadian physician, gave at Yale University more than 100 years ago, he explained a simple yet powerful technique he’d adopted: “living for the day only, and … Continue reading →

From a Railway Carriage by Robert Louis Stevenson Faster than fairies, faster than witches, Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches; And charging along like troops in a battle All through the meadows the horses and cattle: All of the sights … Continue reading →

As we all move forward into frostier days, it seems like the perfect time to pull out some stories we love, polish them and submit them. With this in mind, here are details of  a Writer’s Digest Short Short Story … Continue reading →

Sustaining momentum, both in writing a draft and from a reader’s perspective, is one of the keys to creating energy on the page. How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction by Persia Woolley, a successful trilogy author, offers some helpful advice on … Continue reading →

“I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life’s greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. “This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must … Continue reading →

Robert Louis Stevenson came up with the plot for the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde during a dream. Paul McCartney discovered the tune foe his hit song “Yesterday” in a dream.  Mary Shelley’s dream at Lord Byron’s villa inspired … Continue reading →

“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Failure — probably not the easiest or happiest topic to kickoff a week of writing. And yet. And yet. And yet. … Continue reading →