Monthly Archives: October 2026

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”   Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde is a favorite of mine and today. October 16, is his birthday. I love and admire his amazing range: He could go from 0 to 60 in a heartbeat, … 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 →

« There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. «  W. Somerset Maugham Ah, the adverb! Why among all the parts of speech is it so criticized? Why have writers from Nathaniel Hawthorne to Stephen … Continue reading →

Writers tend to be a wandering bunch of souls — we often seem to find inspiration and relaxation in places that have drinks instead of desks, cocktail hours instead of club chairs. A fun round-up of some of the places … Continue reading →

In the spirit of Columbus Day, words of wisdom about discovery and adventure: “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” Sir Edmund Hillary “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes but in having new … Continue reading →

Delicious autumn!My very soul is wedded to it,and I were a bird I would flyabout the earth seeking thesuccessive autumns. George Eliot Autumn The morns are meeker than they were,The nuts are getting brown;The berry’s cheek is plumper,The rose is … Continue reading →

“Yet somehow I did get my act together and, although I can’t explain how or why, slowly and imperceptibly a sort of magic began to happen. Change took a little time and I must admit, at first I struggled to … Continue reading →

“Never, never, never give up.”Winston Churchill Some time soon all of us are going face some tough challenge in our writing life. We’re going to be feeling frustrated, fearful, and faint-hearted. We’re going to feel like throwing in the towel … Continue reading →

Remember Remember me when I am gone away,Gone far away into the silent land;When you can no more hold me by the hand,Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.Remember me when no more, day by day,You tell me … Continue reading →

“Persistence beats brains any day. Nothing is more important than persistence. The best idea in the world is useless unless someone pursues it.” Ed Smith When you hit a rough patch in your writing life, how do you handle it? … Continue reading →