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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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) […]
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 […]
Summer Saturday mornings are meant for lazing in bed. Perfection would dictate my husband brings me coffee… but life isn’t always perfect. On a recent Saturday morning, I abandoned my usual write-in-bed routine and turned on the television. After Food Network shows repeated every thirty minutes, drawing me in for longer than intended, I started wondering about recipes for writing. Many authors swear by handed-down rules for writing, such as […]
I am proud to introduce my amazing writer-friend, Pamela Hobart Carter, as my guest-blogger today. She has written a witty and thoughtful article about “writing every day.” Please read, like, and share her work. Links to her websites and writing work are at the bottom. As always, I appreciate your follower-support. ~ Celaine 🙂 ***Thank you, Pamela, for your help while I take a much needed vacation. I will see […]
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 […]
Writing can cause mixed emotions. There should really be warnings about mood swings, stomach pains, and anxiety that can occur when writers write. Each day… hour… moment can feel atypical in the practice of writing. The key factor for me is to continue reaching out to other writers. I’ve discovered I thrive on the encouragement. And, it may be that our support of each other holds more power than we […]
This journey of writing has been exactly that for me, a journey. A magical adventure where any map I thought I was following surprises me with detours around every bend. In the beginning I researched suggested excursions to take along the way. Sites like Plot Mountain and Don’t-look-back-to-edit-until-you’ve-finished-Pass were of great interest to me. I preplanned for those. I also anticipated stops by famous landmarks; Characterization, Point of View, and […]
My summer schedule allows for more writing time. I assumed, with all those extra hours, I would make steady progress on my rewrite project. Instead, I experience mind-blowing breakthroughs, while at the same time drag along in the pits of a muddy mess. Some days I’m smiling as I rework sentences and tighten lagged pacing in my manuscript. Other days I feel stressed about the plot taking on bigger changes than […]
It’s the first Sunday in a new month… July 2018! That means I’m highlighting my poetry page, Wednesday Whims of Poetry: https://stepsinbetween.com/poetry/ What an explosive month of possibility. I always feel free in July. The weather is generally lovely. My mood is typically fair to outright happy. And if anything, I can just be. These are my rules of summer. Rules of Summer There are no rules of summer, […]
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 […]
Steps In Between 