Earlier this month, before the coronavirus shut everything down, I traveled to St. Petersburg for a freelance writing conference. Besides teaching at a state college in Fort Myers, I also make ends meet by writing for clients. A few hours before the conference started, I had the unique experience of visiting the Salvador Dalí Museum. Not that I’m an expert in fine art or possess the ability to paint something absolutely earth-shattering, but when I have time in a new … Read More »

What is more disappointing than reading a good book—maybe even a first-rate page-turner—and then having the ending fall flat? I recently had that unpleasant experience with a work of a quite renowned author. The result was that I was left with an unsatisfied taste in my mouth as my final memory of the book, which otherwise I would have recommended. Think of an Olympic gymnast: she may perform like an aerial pixie, but if she stumbles on the landing, her … Read More »

In the writing game, sentences are our baseballs. Although not every sentence is a home run, isn’t our goal to hit at least one out of the park? Moving sentences like that requires aim and power. “The sentence is where we must start if we hope to understand why some writing captivates us and other writing leaves us unmoved.” This sound advice is from University of Iowa Professor Dr. Brooks Landon. Just as home runs move fans to stand up … Read More »

February is the month of love – Valentine’s Day and all. I overheard a mother telling me she had to deliver valentines for the entire class at her daughter’s school. That got me to thinking about my own school days and the fact that we didn’t give valentines to everyone. It was a life lesson in anticipation, expectation, and disappointment. The grown-up emotions associated with those days (who knew?) inevitably found a way into my writing. Reciprocated? Oh, the joy! … Read More »

I once wrote something pretty far out there. Actually, a lot more than once. One online reviewer found that particular tale entertaining but criticized its “supernatural” elements. That left me scratching my head. What supernatural elements? I had taken pains to explain the farfetched stuff with real-world underpinnings. Science, you know. Sure, I was asking the reader to suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride, but every little detail was possible within current scientific theory, if not practicability. So let me … Read More »

Grappling with trauma through writing is the hardest, but most rewarding thing any survivor can do. Whether they are processing the horrors of war, an abusive relationship or a devastating diagnosis, writers often employ coping mechanisms in their work to aid in searching for their own truth and inner peace. On February 13, the German people recognized the 75th anniversary of the Dresden firebombing, often obscured in the history books but undoubtedly one of the deadliest attacks of World War … Read More »