Somehow August has arrived, with sunshine and summer in tow. It felt so far away, back in March, when isolation started. But here we are. And after a long lull in my poetry inspiration, I’m back to writing more fluently again! Last month I wrote three poems for my Wednesday Whims page, plus a couple online workshop pieces, and a few others to hopefully send out for submissions (so I […]
The world may seem to be spiraling, as of late, out of the grasp of creativity. But writers persevere. It’s been a while since my last interview, yet today, I have someone special to share. As unconventional and encouraging as ever, CC’s Interview Series is happy to welcome author of Earth Gospel, college professor, and one of my poetry mentors, Dr. Tamara Miles! I say unconventional interview because typically I […]
This morning arrived with joyful poetry play! Thank You to poet, author, and playwright, Pamela Hobart Carter for her most recent blog post, Make a Poem at Home: Poetry Lessons for Covid Times. (https://playwrightpam.wordpress.com/make-a-poem-at-home-poetry-lessons-for-covid-times/#like-841) As a fellow teacher of young children and a writer myself, I found encouragement and fun following her three creative ideas for writing poetry with young ones. I find these lessons appropriate for all ages! As […]
Oh, the possibilities of accomplishment in the extra hours of house arrest, due to COVID-19…or so it seems. I thought for sure I would be further along in my new book draft. I would submit poetry for publication every day. I would catch up on quality family time, organize my closet, spring clean my house…all in a Mary Poppins sort of way. With our world home-bound in mandated isolation, why […]
Poem in your Pocket Day is April 30th this year, and the perfect send off to an unforgettable National Poetry Month. In some ways, perhaps more poetry was shared due to our isolation with Corona Virus. My hope, with all the sadness and anxiety, with the unfortunate souls lost to this pandemic, is that some how we manage to find reason and comfort within a string of words. This is […]
With April abloom, we are more than midway through National Poetry Month. If you have been following along with Steps In Between, you know we are reveling in this event by sharing poetry from writers all over the world. Their names are listed below, but read on for a quick bit of well-filling inspiration… POETS below in alphabetical order, their poems can be found at this link: https://stepsinbetween.com/2020/04/05/let-the-words-roam-national-poetry-month-april-2020/ Yvonne Brewer (Spring Sends […]
Intentionally, I took a day off from writing. Yes, it was Valentine’s Day, international day of love, but also, my Anniversary. With a double holiday (as I like to call it), I always take the whole day off from every other thing vying for my attention. The next day, I felt refreshed and ready to write! Whatever day works for you, be it a holiday or just a typical Tuesday, […]
I am thankful for a December look-back. The first Sunday of a new month is an invitation to visit my poetry page, Wednesday Whims of Poetry. It’s that beginning of a new month where I encourage reflection from the month before…before it’s gone. Time moves like a sleepless night. It flows whether we’re caught up or ready, and tirelessly we move forward because it’s the only direction to go. But […]
Beholden, grateful, obliged, and bound…how many other words might describe the thankfulness in my heart. This is the season where I wind down, follow that trickle of thought from mind to heart. That gleaming light from purpose to fingertips because when creating, that’s where things get done. I’ve found the writing side of who I am, depicted this way, as I’m certain it’s been with me my whole life. I […]
I was at a loss as to what to write today, especially with Veteran’s Day tomorrow. I am from a military family, so Veteran’s Day always reminds me of them. My mom and dad, my sister and brother-in-law, my uncle, my in-laws, my extended family and friends…I know so many people who have served to preserve our country. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! A common thread […]
I am thrilled to kick off my new “CC’s Interview Series” with poet friend and 2017 Pushcart nominee, Ann Christine Tabaka. Although she lives across the nation from me, in Delaware, it feels as if we are sitting together in a warm and cozy coffee shop. The scent of cappuccino fills the air as our poet’s inspiration and experience weave an intricate story. Please, pull up a chair, fill your […]
A few hours ago, with exhaustion pooling at my ankles, I arrived home from the PNWA Writing Conference. My mind is still swimming with information, inspiration, and a little apprehension (although not enough to pull me under). Just last week I posted the good, the bad, and the ugly of this anticipated event, yet happily I can report it was all positive and worthwhile. First of all, I had a […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 * […]
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 […]
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) […]
Happy Anniversary! It’s been exactly one year since I began posting about my writing journey in this blog, Steps in Between. I have succeeded in some of my goals, reworked a few others, and still have a handful waiting for retrieval. But what I’m most excited about… YOU! Blessings are overflowing when I think of the writing community I’ve been fortunate enough to interact with. I’ve written before about the […]
Sometimes I feel at the will of my inspiration. Could it be that this abstract part of me is more in control than originally thought? It’s my creative side that links itself to motivation. It’s my motivation that gets things done. But it’s the reality of those finished works (and sometimes unfinished) that seem to define me. Or do they? I think, in all honestly, I allow myself to be […]
I find myself surrounded by inspirational people. Most I have never met. I follow and read the works of poets from past and present (from all over the world) and hope to catch a glimmer of their talent. My goal, to appreciate the beauty from other walks of life, and if I am fortunate enough, to portray their bits of insight within my own pieces. Sometimes I am lucky enough […]
Time – I have written so many posts on time. It must be something I’m dealing with on various levels. According to the Internet a ridiculous number of people are stressed about not having enough time. There are numerous articles about the topic, and a hundred different lists of what to do about it. Just google it. But how do I define time for my writing? We all need to […]
Technically it’s still summer until the middle of the month. But there’s something about September that puts me in the mood for warm cider by the fireplace, football games, and crockpot dinners. The name September comes from the Latin root, septem- meaning seven. I read in Dictionary.com that in the original Roman republican calendar, September was the seventh month of a ten-month year until perhaps 153 BC. Of course, today […]
Time is elusive. It doesn’t matter that there is sixty seconds in every minute, or sixty minutes in every hour, or twenty-four hours in every day… I could go on to weeks and months and years, and so on. Time is measurable until it gets to the value of time, hence how we spend the time we’re gifted. This is how something perfectly calculable becomes ambiguous. And when it comes […]
Happy First’s ~ August is Six Months of Wednesday Whims of Poetry! It’s my six-month anniversary of “Poetry-First’s,” meaning six months ago I began dedicating the first Sunday of every month to my poetry page at this same Steps in Between site. The page is entitled, Wednesday Whims of Poetry. Since I don’t post each poem as an official blog-post, then once a month I like to pull your attention […]
I awoke this morning to write when hidden muscle groups protested. It took only a moment to remember the cause of my discomfort. The lingering consequences of good health. My son has set me on a training-regime to sculpt and strengthen by body. And it hit me, not unlike the intensity of reigning ten-pound battle ropes for what felt like a million intervals, writing is a work out. This conclusion […]
First summer post of 2018 feels like a blank canvas. I stand back eyeing it from different angles, adjusting the blinds to allow in the right amount of light, afraid to choose a color, a medium, a subject. Hanging over my mental awareness is the fear that whatever I choose begins the process. The spiraling journey down to Autumn, to the end of this short-tempered season of energy and possibility. […]
Inspiration comes from others. I am often inspired by a tree or a sunset, but I wonder if it’s really just the tree or an experience the tree reminds me of. Sunsets shine in colors representational of past times, events where I’ve felt something. Still these feelings are typically about someone. For me, inspiration must come from the interactions with others in our world. And if I want to […]
The gift of writing can feel like a burden at times. The weight of creativity overwhelms if there’s a deadline looming, or writer’s block has kicked in. I used to wait… a long time for my passion to find me. When days turned into weeks, or months, or more, I knew I had to take charge. This is when the concept of “writing on demand” was reborn in my mindset. […]
A Season of Poetry There are seasons for writers, and although I am still working on rewriting my fiction story, I seem to find myself in a season of poetry. In honor of the first Sunday in June, I invite you to visit my poetry page: https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ There are times when the characters in my novel speak to me in my sleep. I awaken with renewed motivation to jump into […]
Building momentum about yourself is not a comfortable experience. But, as a creator, you have to put yourself out there. I have a new series beginning on Channillo, June 1st, and my readers have been hearing about it for the last several weeks. Do I keep talking about it? I must! https://channillo.com/series/colors/ If you are a writer like me, you have a day job that pays the bills. And even […]
Writing for a new project always takes a bit of research, or bounds of it, depending on the content and type of project. Since this blog, “Steps in Between,” is my journey through writing, I wanted to share the research and preparation steps I have taken for my upcoming poetry project, “Colors.” To be honest, I have to start pretty far back… to the backseat of my parent’s suburban. My […]
MOM Mountains of wisdom Offered across time Marginalized until the last light falls Welcome to a little mixed-up mom-time filled with a poem, a memory, and some excerpts from the stack of books on my nightstand. There’s writing advice too. Of course, I wrote an acrostic poem about my mom. It’s Mother’s Day. And the older I grow, the more I hear my mother’s voice in the back of my mind. […]
May Poetry ~ A Masterpiece, A Dance, And A Little Fallen Rain Intrigued? Come visit my poetry page: https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ It’s the first Sunday of the month, so time to throw on the stage lights to the poetry side of my life. As you know I write all kinds of things, presently reworking my fiction novel. Though poetry is something I began writing seriously several years ago and once the floodgates […]
I celebrated National Poetry Month as a writer, teacher, and reader this year. What a thrilling April 2018 it has been. Between two of my own poems published in honor of this whimsical month, and my third-grade students blowing me away with their abilities for our “Poem in your Pocket” day at school, my heart was full. My poems are at the bottom, but first, I would love to share […]
I find that I grow as a writer by surrounding myself with writers. The problem is when I first recognized myself as a writer, I secluded myself. I told no one. I wrote in secret. Three years later (and after many self-sabotaging conversations with myself) I took a wild leap before I could change my mind. Bam! Now, I have this blog, I have joined several online writing groups, and […]
It’s the first Sunday in a new month, so that means I’m promoting my poetry page. https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ However, it’s also the first Sunday in April 2018, which means it’s Easter… and April Fool’s Day. What a day! April Fool’s Easter Is it not remarkable to spend this day, the day He is risen, on a day where doubt sneaks and creeps around corners and behind doors? Where pranks are […]
A Little Luck, Without the Salt, by Celaine Charles The old lore about spilled salt has its place in many cultures. A pinch of salt tossed over your left shoulder can rid you of bad luck, although be careful to use your right hand, and not your right shoulder, or you can bring upon bad luck. Regardless, you must still sweep up the floor. You might find a little Irish […]
The ebb and flow of writing momentum breathes in life through my lungs like a parasite. Dictionary.com defines a parasite as an organism that lives on or in an organism of another species, known as the host, from the body of which it obtains nutriment. I have the desire to write coursing through my veins. Due to that constant pulse, my heart is not my own. The space in […]
March has arrived, and with its freshness comes a new hope for growth and possibilities. Hope that’s stirred from under melting pools of winter ice and glowed from behind thinning veils of cloud cover. And it’s ready to burst. In honor of celebrating the new upcoming season, I want to share my poetry page. As you know, I am a writer of more than fiction, and more than journaling though all the steps in […]
I have learned to become a list-maker. If you find this news completely boring and overly organized… keep reading. As always, I have a fun piece of writing advice at the end. Writers (as well as non-writers) have many things to think about. These things might be about writing, and they might not… but they are there regardless, filling up our minds until we do something with them. Sometimes a […]
“I think a person permeates a spot, and a lost presence makes the environment timeless to me, keeps an area alive.” ~Andrew Wyeth Over the holidays I visited the Seattle Art Museum, and was fortunate enough to take in “Andrew Wyeth In Retrospect.” This diverse collection celebrated the painter’s life over seventy-five years. Many of his pieces I knew, and they spoke to me, although there were a few that stirred my […]
Steps In Between 