My Upcoming Writing Conference (the good, the bad, and the ugly): The PNWA Writing Conference happens in less than a week in Seattle. This is a good news-bad news event for me. As eager as I am to soak in all the learning presented and meet other authors and writers, I still consider myself new in this writing world, and to be honest, I’m intimidated. Thankfully, my whole writing class […]
Summer Slows into a Rainbow of Light: September’s Poetry Celebration Summer is slowing. I can already feel the heat against my back on this first day of September. But there is much to appreciate in these last rays of light. It’s the first Sunday of a new month, so that means we celebrate poetry here at Steps in Between. Today is even more colorful, though, as I have a rainbow […]
Friends know I submit a lot because I talk about it a lot. Now maybe five* more friends, (THANKS, READERS!) who live farther away, and don’t talk with me as much, will know too. I’ve mentioned that my rejections have been improving lately. Each nice rejection thrills and disappoints me. Here’s the June-mid-August tally: 30 […]
Please read the article above from writer friend and published author, Pamela Hobart Carter. She shares the ups and downs…but ultimately ups in this writing lifestyle we vulnerably wade through. She is an inspiration to me, and I hope she’ll become an inspiration to you.
Happy Sunday and Happy Writing (because at least you’re writing),
Celaine Charles, August 25, 2019
Live a Little, Write a Lot! Story bits and poem parts bombard my thoughts on a regular basis…but only when I escape my writing desk and explore the world around, do they grow into full-fledged ideas. Part of my writing regime is getting out from behind the work and living. I used to believe I had to escape from life to write, an arduous task when I teach by day […]
I tend to write alone, as most writers do. But, sometimes we need each other. Artists, Edgar Degas and Edouard Manet, were friends. Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso were also friends…encouraging and pushing each other along in their creative paths. Poets, Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath were friends. Lord Byron and Mary Shelley were friends. J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S.Lewis? Friends. Celebrating friendship in the arts, especially the isolating art of […]
The first Sunday of every month is a poetry celebration here at Steps In Between. https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ In fact, later this month, I will continue the party by adding another round of poems to my Poetry Friends page. This will be the third edition, as it inspires me to surround myself with greatness. I am eager to introduce some new artists and new pieces coming soon. For now, as always on […]
A short and sweet Sunday post today. Summer is that time of year where schedules get highjacked for either fun vacation-y reasons, or even lazy lounging ones. I am leaving on vacation in a few short days, but I also have some exciting news to share. Therefore, this post will be a little different than usual. Don’t worry, there is still some quick writing advice at the bottom. So, take […]
My mind wandered this morning, like an early summer sun leisurely seeks a cheek to warm; I cannot write today. I gave it my best effort, sitting down at my desk. A few lines for a poem emerged…then sank to the shaded parts of my creativity. I looked over a scene in my fiction novel, but the words blurred into nonsense. So, I made a cup of coffee, decaf, as […]
A few days ago, I hiked Twin Falls with a friend. As breathtaking as it was escaping my writing desk to the great outdoors, I realized writing is like a waterfall. Of course, there’s the beauty of it: flowery words that drop like metaphors in brilliant sprays. But there’s also a powerful force that tempts my soul as much as it frightens. Let me explain… For me, writing begins with […]
The first Sunday of each month is always a poetry celebration. And today, with a summer breeze, come two dancing souls ready to delight. I happened upon these western tiger swallowtail butterflies in my yard this afternoon and couldn’t resist the inspiration. Enjoy the poem below along with my Wednesday Whims of Poetry page: https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ Courtship to One Hundred (Dance of the Western Tiger Swallowtail) Courtship sways on blossom-stained breeze, […]
I have found chocolate. Chocolate for people, like me, who are allergic to everything. This new chocolate tastes more divine than the typical chocolate I’ve devoured in past years. And now it’s the carrot to my writing. I’ve dealt with autoimmune issues for the last five years. After giving up a majority of enjoyable foods, rediscovering chocolate has been an unexpected gift. Unbelievably, it’s helped my writing in all kinds […]
I love to read. I revel at finding new books, and love everything about bookstores. The excitement of a new story waiting behind each glossy cover, competing for my attention, is an adventure. I love the wooden bookshelves, and the overstuffed chairs often found at the end of an aisle. I love posters about books, the book trailers I see online, the hype of a new series in conversation. Books […]
https://stepsinbetween.com/2018/07/29/writers-in-training/ Above is a link to a THROW-BACK post from last July, Writers… in Training. It just seems to fit with my writing mood today. Sore, but in a good way. The enormous weight of writing (internally and externally) can be trying, but somehow pushing through brings hope. It must have something to do with the unpredictable balance of exercise, discipline, and life. Take a look at the post, then […]
SOS – Save my Synopsis, by Celaine Charles, June 9, 2019 I cannot write a synopsis to save my life! Summing up the most important and magnificent pieces of my three-hundred-plus-page story, in one to two pages, has been a wrecking point. Two years ago (when I believed my manuscript to be done), I took a workshop class at a writing conference and wrote what I thought was a good […]
June Poetry Celebration ~ Letting Words Live, by Celaine Charles The first Sunday of June welcomes with a poetry celebration. Beginning this ritual in March of 2018 has become my own monthly therapy check in. As you know, I post a new poem every Wednesday to my “Wednesday Whims of Poetry” page. What do I like about this page? It’s me. It’s raw. It’s whatever is on my mind at […]
A friend wrote about admiring my “…patience and attitude in this labor of love.” Her response to a celebratory post I’d made about completing my final revisions, before handing my manuscript over to my editor. She ended by reminding me, “It’s worth it.” I wonder about that. When I think of the five precious years I’ve worked on this story, all I can see is my heart brush-stroked across each […]
As I near the end of my novel rewrite, filled with ravenous revisions, I find myself delirious, and so alliterations may absentmindedly find their way to the page. At the same time, I am wondering how much creativity and craft is possible to crunch into one’s mind. Deadlines at my doorstep demand my absolute attention. And as my heart is soaring with perseverance and dedication to complete my projects, I […]
I hope to find you as relieved as I am in the warming of Spring, and as well, you are reveling in its reboot. First Sunday of the Month Poetry Celebration: https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ The month of April brought new hope, although for me, it accompanied a million things to tackle all at once. I’m not sure how I tend to forget the busyness of spring time. As a teacher, the end […]
I’m in the heat of it now. The mantle-sludge of revisions sucking me closer to the core. Deadlines loom, clocks tick, and crankiness overwhelms. The excitement of publishing drives me onward, but not without the glumness of the work still needed. It could be the black hole of revision that pulls me in. I sometimes wonder if I revise a scene over and over until it’s back to its original […]
As inspiration stirred for this weekly post, my spirit also fell on the importance of Easter. I’m not going to discuss my personal ties to Christianity today, but suffice to know the layering of interpretations and meaningful significance in the two, for me, are great. Here’s the definition of ekphrastic from Poets.org: “Ekphrasis (also spelled “ecphrasis”) is a direct transcription from the Greek ek, “out of,” and phrasis, “speech” or “expression.” It’s […]
Sometimes I come home from a long day at work d-r-a-g-g-i-n-g. I crawl up to my writing desk and pray for a spark of motivation to do my writing. But on other work days, just as long and grueling, I somehow catch a second wind. Those days take me by surprise, and always I am fortunate to accept and appreciate them. The commonality between both examples above? I put myself […]
Surprising poetry inspiration first, with a little GOOD NEWS in the end… Read on! It’s the first Sunday of a new month, and that means celebrating poetry: https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ The irony? My need… task… burden… joy… every tiny piece of my heart… needed to complete my novel rewrite has replaced my inspiration to write poetry. How did I solve this dilemma when posting new poems each week to my poetry page, […]
Spring’s relief; we can throw up our windows and sweep out the floors. In writing terms, we can clean out all those old projects and let the light touch them once again. I see it as a Revel, with fairies stirring up all kinds of dust, yet only reminding us of what we already have. * Enjoy these lovely fairy pictures from Cicely Mary Barker throughout my post today * […]
I am beginning to learn even my multi-tasking mind has limits, or at least seasons. While in some seasons I carry out several great feats, in others, I slow down to refine only one. Writing projects are unfolding for me like this. And it feels good to acknowledge that it’s okay. Typically, I can focus on a multitude of projects at one time, nurturing them as I would each seed […]
Please follow this link: https://stepsinbetween.com/2018/03/18/a-little-luck-without-the-salt/ Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s a “Throw-Back ” Sunday for me for two reasons: 1) It’s my father’s and son’s birthday today (yes, on St. Patrick’s Day). A very festive time in our family. 2) My original post on the idea of luck (one year ago) is a dang good one. Rereading it, I realized that luck did, in fact, find me after focusing on Sadie Holloway’s […]
Docked here in the middle of my novel rewrite, I’m reminded of a l-o-n-g boat ride up Washington’s Lake Roosevelt. My family often boated, but this trip from Fort Spokane to Grand Coulee was quite the adventure. I always enjoyed the anticipation of boating somewhere beautiful, taking in surprise vistas and stops along the way. On this particular trip we popped a tent and spent the night with family friends. […]
It’s the first Sunday in March and the sun is up, shining hope through cold winter air. I put on a sweater and throw open my windows. I can’t help myself after the long snow-filled February. And then I realize, February is the shortest month of the year. This year it passed like John Green’s line in his book, The Fault in our Stars, “I fell in love the way […]
Recurring messages have perfect timing. It may not feel like it when we’re flat on our faces, but they do know when to nudge. Growing up with parents who persevered to achieve everything their hearts desired, it’s probably in my bones not to give up. It’s the stubborn side of me that causes the long winding path that eventually gets me there. And, it’s hard work. And, it doesn’t always […]
Time is limiting. Yet, I’m always looking for new ways to organize it, or use it more efficiently. Last week I shared my need to rest. My body demanded a halt in my writing in unflattering, forceful ways. I blame my husband for the virus, but my down time was enlightening. My aging body is changing, and so therefore, my time. Since I can’t sustain the energy to carry out […]
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 […]
As I come to the last month for my “Colors” poetry series (on Channillo.com), I’m tossed between gusts of melancholy (https://channillo.com/series/colors/). Elated joy finding release for that inner light that’s filled my heart for years. Glumness for what to do with the colors that remain? Relief that in some small way my project feels complete. Yet angst about the final poem choices still needing to be made. With only seven […]
The month of December is magical. Whether you celebrate a cultural holiday or not; winter is upon us. There’s something quietly enchanting about that. As always at “Steps In Between,” the first Sunday post of a new month is saved for the celebration of poems. I am honored to share my Wednesday Whims of Poetry with you: (https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/) Please visit, share this page, and stay a while. Let your soul […]
I have never broken my once a week Sunday post before – but I have news to share. As some of you know, I write a poetry series for Channillo.com called “Colors.” It is where I post two poems a week (every Monday and Friday) about the hues of life. I will add my book link below, but here’s the incredible news… I’m up for three AWARDS with your kind VOTE! I’ve been […]
It’s the day after Thanksgiving, the leftovers are abundant, and the Apple Cup is on. I’m drinking white wine (because I’m allergic to everything else) and basking in the warmth of family. I know this is not the picture in everyone’s family. Holiday reunions can be rough. However, I’m soaking this up right now. Just as negative feelings can create powerful writing, so can joy. And so can a little […]
When I was a young girl, my family celebrated Thanksgivings at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. We lived on the eastern side of our pacific northwest state. Almost always it snowed, creating a magical veil to the upcoming wonder waiting on the other side; Winter. My cousins and I would emerge from the basement where we’d spend the afterhours of our celebration playing old 45’s on a record player, board […]
Inspiration rolls in waves at various times in a person’s life. But, is there a peak age inspiration strikes? Can you miss it? Author Priscilla Long doesn’t believe so. She gave a talk on aging and creativity at the Elliott Bay Bookstore in Seattle on Saturday, October 27, 2018. The event was in honor of the second edition release of her book, The Writer’s Portable Mentor (University of New Mexico […]
I think November may be the shortest month in the year. I know this isn’t true technically, but for me, it feels that way mentally, emotionally, even physically. I blame the inspiration that sparks with the coming of fall. My day-job as a teacher starts up, and so of course motivation to work on all my other writing endeavors fights for attention. Busy doesn’t begin to describe… November arrives, beckoning […]
Halloween, early 1970’s, I was always a witch. My mask was made of plastic and attached with a long rubber string tied behind my head. Equally shiny with synthetic materials was my dress, not unlike the mask, tied behind my neck. The designs of the fabric simply printed on, to give the illusion of different fabrics and textures. Illusions. I’m wondering now if the illusions of fright during Halloween time […]
The day I dropped my first daughter off to college was the day I grew smaller. I used to be five feet-seven inches, quite an average height. Now in my forties, the doctors keep measuring me at just over five feet-six inches. Of course, they encouraged calcium supplements and I got serious about my Pilates classes (check out The Balanced Life, by Robin Long, contact below). But I know it’s […]
I’ve discovered my writing mind is never still. It’s either that or the characters and topics I write about live three dimensionally in my head. It gets crowded, so we get out and take a lot of walks. Or at least, this is how if feels. I believe writers are undeniably always thinking. Our minds are on the go even sitting still behind a desk. This makes perfect sense. It’s […]
The first Sunday of the month is where I highlight my poetry page: https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/. Although the first Sunday in October fills me with family. I remember when my babies were little. The energy it took bundling them up with mittens and hats that always multiplied in those moments getting out the door. As each young one pulled off a fuzzy garment piece, one after another, I patiently (and sometimes impatiently) […]
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