I’m taking a day. Breathing in the fresh air, exhaling the stale. Resting my mind and body from the busyness of things. It’s not in my nature. I’m trying to close my eyes for a while. Just breathe while everything around me presses on. I have so many joys in life and have never imagined choosing between them… or reconfiguring them each to fit just right. I want it […]
Can we skip the sad chapters in life? The heavy-laden story arcs that need developed for substance? The crucial contradictions to the good parts of a lifespan … in order to appreciate all we have… is more than distressing. I choose not to read sad stories. I refuse to watch depressing movies. I protect myself and my heart from breaking as much as humanly possible. Surrounding myself with everything […]
I awoke early this morning, gifting me the time to read before officially starting my day. Lately, I’ve been tossing around the concept of time. It could be that I have a significant birthday nudging at my back. But the drive to create something new has become a morbid kind of motivation. The call to finish my writing projects is strong, before it’s too late. It may be that I […]
I’ve written my opening lines again. It’s not the first time, or the second, or third, or fifteenth, or twenty-seventh… although each time I rewrite the first pages of my novel, I find new layers I hadn’t known were there. This latest rewrite, due to an exercise in a writing class, caused me to think about pace. Something I’m sure we’ll go over in upcoming classes, but as I read […]
January has wrapped me up, and instead of snuggling down for my typical renewal time (see: https://stepsinbetween.com/2018/01/07/january-renewal-dont-resist/), it feels as if I’m spinning round and round in constant motion. This year’s cocoon isn’t for rest; it’s for growth. I happened upon a book from Priscilla Long, The Writer’s Portable Mentor, a while back (see: https://stepsinbetween.com/2018/11/11/creativity-and-age-inspiration-from-author-priscilla-long/) and recently began diving into her words of wisdom. At the same time, I signed […]
It’s not only the first Sunday of a new month, it’s the first Sunday in a new year. As always with Steps in Between, this is the time in my writing journey I share my poetry. I reach out to test my footing, to see how far I’ve come. If I can’t continue to grow in my craft, then am I here at all? Are these ghost hands simply scribing empty thoughts? […]
The weather is surely cold outside. The end of December is hardly the time to put away the winter-wear. Although metaphorically it’s the perfect time. January, still winter, still cold, marks the beginning of a new year. A fresh start waiting to resurface the playing field. It’s an opportunity to begin again regardless of life’s happenings in the year before. I see it as a wool overcoat, houndstooth. With only […]
I’m coming to you at another unscheduled time (Saturday of all days) to report back good news: https://channillo.com/2018-channillo-awards/ Thanks to you, my amazing readers and followers, I have won in all three of my nominated categories at Channillo. My “Colors” poetry series has won BEST ONGOING SERIES, BEST NEW SERIES, and BEST POETRY SERIES. I couldn’t be more thrilled… yet at the same time, humbled and grateful for the growth I’ve […]
Living a simple, stress-free life is something I always strive for, though continually fail at… miserably. I read articles and buy into the latest organization techniques, but always end up where I began, frazzled and let-down. Then comes the holiday season, and my need for a perfect, memorable experience throws my inner longings for nostalgia and order into chaos. Toss in my discombobulated focus in writing time, I pretty much […]
I took a walk down memory lane in my “STEPS IN BETWEEN” blog to discover my own advice from a post last December. I believe it is still valuable and worthy of reading today. My hope for all creators is to continue soul-searching, finding strength, and using everything they’ve got for the good of their craft. Happy Holidays! My December 2017 Post: https://stepsinbetween.com/2017/12/17/a-holiday-ticket-to-writing/ Writing Advice: Throw-Back Third Sunday of the Month – Time To […]
