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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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) […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
First person, third person. This has been my question as of late. I always believed first person was the way to go. It creates more of a personal adventure for the reader. But then, when I originally sat down to write my manuscript, I found myself writing in third person. I’m not sure why, it just felt better. Though as I have posted before, once my book was completed, something […]
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 […]
My ploy to staying focused in writing is to surround myself with projects. They keep me thinking, planning, scheming, and using other various parts of my brain essential to writing. I’ve read many articles about conquering writer’s block, and this tip has been mentioned in several of them. For me though, it’s more than just curbing the occasional writer’s block, it helps with my creativity as well as productivity. It […]
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 […]
How do you wait for what you want in life? Are you a foot-tapper, restless and sleepless until your desires come to be? Do you stir your coffee into swirls in attempt to concoct Plan B? Or do you submit to the waiting, unmovable to pursue a pastime in the delay? How do you wait for something important to happen? I must be subconsciously thinking about this topic, because […]
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 […]
Second-Guessing Yourself? A Little Self-Help To The Rescue ~ You can tell the areas I need to work on in my own life by my blog topics. Well, I never claimed to have it all together… I have spent the last few days second-guessing myself as a writer. My head has been spinning in a million different directions lately, and I find myself spread thinner and thinner with my over-achiever-sized […]
In honor of the coming Valentine’s Day and creativity, what do you love? Be that you write, or paint, or toil at a trade, whatever you do that defines who you are… what do you love about it? What keeps you coming back to it? What keeps you committed (even during the dark times)? I love my characters. From my novel, Seam Keepers, Ashton and Mason are friends I wish […]
It’s the Super Bowl. Many of the players are injured, exhausted, maybe even feeling desperation. They’ve come so far, worked so hard. They’ve dreamed about this day since tossing dust-covered junior Wilson’s on the playground. The list of sacrifices; extensive. The cost involved, both physical and mental, could support an army. And most players would do it again. Some call it crazy, others call it passion. Regardless, on this culminating […]
Time flies in a blink. This recurring message has been the alarm I’ve needed to stir from January’s slumber. A few usual occurrences unusually moved my focus from pause to start, and now I am awake, inspired. The sources were random, though I’m sure when you take notice of what inspires you, it may also feel just as unplanned. For starters, I binge-watched the current season of This Is Us on […]
You will find some “magnetic” writing advice at the end of this article, but for those who are striving to create in the world, this message will hopefully uplift. Do you want to be a writer? Do you want to create? Be a magnet. Be a magnet to everything you desire. I am sure you have heard the various sayings, you are a magnet to what you want to attract […]
“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 