I’ve finally reached the place where editing is an almost pleasant experience.  I seem to have evolved past the feeling of panic and hopelessness that plagued me on earlier drafts.  I’m done questioning whether or not my story has merit.  The piles of drafts on the floor under my desk will soon be shredded, along with my doubts. I feel relaxed and comfortable with this final edit. I turn the pages, one at a time, to see what suggestions my … Read More »

It was written. Or so I thought. I went to bed the night of Monday, Nov. 25, 2013, reveling in the satisfaction that I had completed a lengthy—and key—passage in my work in progress. I was satisfied I addressed everything that was necessary to the story, that I found the right words, devised the right ideas, and while editing was still needed, the meat of it was there. I could move on. The next day I talked up my triumph … Read More »

Productivity. Does that word bring to mind a Ford factory line churning out hundreds of perfectly identical Model Ts? Does Henry Ford’s famous (mis-)quote, “You can have any color, as long as it’s black,” give you—a creative writer—hives? Welcome to the club. I was once a member of that club. Creativity inspired my writing, and I would write as much (or as little) as creativity demanded. Productivity I reserved for my corporate America career—delivering projects as efficiently and effectively as … Read More »

Asking a writer why he or she writes is like asking Peyton Manning why he throws a football or Wynton Marsalis why he blows the trumpet. We do it because we’ve found it to be the best way to express ourselves—and we’re good at it. In a way, writing is an obsessive-compulsive behavior. We write because we don’t have a choice. Those of us attempting to put words on paper in a meaningful way are miserable when we’re not writing, … Read More »

Sometimes I run out of steam. Sometimes I run out of ideas. Sometimes I run out of time. Sometimes I just plain get stuck. Whatever the reason that forces me to stop writing, I make sure I won’t have to face “blank screen syndrome” when I settle back into my chair (not completely, anyway). Before I shut my computer down, I like to have some specifics of where the story is headed upon my return. My mind will keep exploring … Read More »

It was with some hesitation that I volunteered to take over for the St. Pete Writers Group in January 2015. Observing other leaders fearlessly advance their Florida Writers Association Writers Groups with clever ideas, a seemingly endless resource of quality speakers, and high meeting turnouts made me wonder if I was cut out to be a Writers Group Leader. As a critique group leader, it’s a different set of challenges, but a fairly simple process. In my mind, nothing compared to … Read More »