One hundred years ago, in January, 1920, Woodrow Wilson was President. World War I was two years in the past. The 18th Amendment, prohibiting “intoxicating liquors,” was the law of the land. The 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, lay eight months in the future. Seems like ancient history, but there are people alive today who were alive then. The world was on the cusp of the new. The quill had given way to the typewriter, which would … Read More »

Writing is an essentially solitary task. We sit a table or a desk or with a laptop in our—well, lap—and we think hard. We’re silent. We relive past emotions. We imagine things in technicolor. We have imaginary friends. Nobody can do it for us. And yet I would like to suggest that one of the best New Year’s resolutions any writer can make is to become involved with a writers’ group. These loose associations of like-minded people offer two extremely … Read More »

Here we are in mid-January, 2020—holiday celebrations are behind us and another year, another decade is open before us! If you are feeling any after-holiday blues, my message is, “Cheer up.” We are writers. We know a secret to ridding ourselves of the blues. What is it? Start writing. Write what you really feel, smell, see, hear, and touch. No one is watching. You’re free to lose yourself in some messy sentences, brainstorm new characters, or experiment with adjectives you … Read More »

New Year’s resolutions have been around forever, it seems. A fresh start. A clean slate. A new chance to get it right. I have my own, personal resolutions but I thought it would be fun to think about resolutions for me, the writer. Perhaps they’ll strike a chord with you. Give Your Story a Home I always have a story I’m working on and one that is swirling around in my head, impatiently waiting for its turn on the page. … Read More »

My town, Maitland, is not large. Neither is Maitland Public Library. But it’s our library and it’s a treasure, a beating heart of community fabric from the get-go. And in this season of giving thanks, it occurs to me that a ridiculously high number of my most satisfying experiences as a writer have taken place within its venerable walls, and within those of other public libraries as well. Maitland Public launched with 360 books donated by Clara Dommerich in 1896, … Read More »

At the many writing conferences and workshops I’ve attended over the years, I’ve heard about writers who collaborate on a variety of projects, and I always wondered how it worked. It seemed to be a rare, hushed process that took place under mysterious, obscure conditions. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d have the opportunity to work with another gifted writer and produce something that was the pairing of two separate, creative minds. Would It Work? Every … Read More »