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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Steps In Between 