In this month’s guest post, CJ Hosack looks back at the journey it took to bring her upcoming novel from its earliest ideas to a completed, ready-for-the-public story. I’m honored that she was willing to share this story with us, since it illustrates the truth that art hardly ever follows a straight and easy line […]
Guest Post: CJ Hosack on Ideas in Process Read More »
I had a different post scheduled for today. One that means a lot to me, so it’s been taking longer than usual to bring all the thoughts together. I hadn’t finished it by the end of last week, but was still hoping to power through it yesterday. Now, though, it’s going to have to wait.
Sometimes Life Intervenes Read More »
For me, the New Year has never really seemed like the right time to set Big Goals (aka resolutions). As a kid who always loved school, the fresh start of an academic year was the more natural goal-setting time for me, and I brought that into my adulthood by using my October birthday as a
And a Happy New Year Read More »
This week’s guest post is from another friend, Vanessa Ricci-Thode. She sent me SO MANY beautiful photos of her garden that I couldn’t pick just one or two. There are extra ones down at the bottom. All photo credit to Vanessa herself. Enjoy! I first saw the phrase “rest like it’s your job” in regards
Guest Post – Vanessa Ricci-Thode: Rest Like It’s Your Job Read More »
In second grade, my teacher gave us “creativity exercises” to do in class. This was in the mid-1980s, and a quick internet search reveals that creativity exercises for kids have gotten WAY more interesting since then. Or, at least, they’ve gotten more interesting than the ones I remember. My teacher’s exercises relied heavily on black-and-white
Learning Creativity Read More »
Part of my own mental health toolkit is to spend a few minutes each month reflecting on what’s behind me and looking forward to what’s ahead. It’s a useful routine, because sometimes I miss things. From a “use of time” perspective, my biggest accomplishments in November were a) finishing the edits on my manuscript so
Writer Update, November 2023 Read More »
Note from Laura: I’m delighted to present this essay from my talented friend, Kevin Mack. ESPECIALLY because Kevin and I have very different approaches to our work. I am much closer to the “regular writing schedule” end of the spectrum than he is, and I think it’s fascinating to hear about other people’s approaches. Enjoy!
Guest Post: Kevin Mack on Cognitive Bandwidth, and Taking Breaks Read More »
Several years ago, a dear friend of mine gave me a life-changing gift in the form of a question: “What are you going to try first?” When I was younger, that question would have been terrifying. Back when I believed I would only have One Shot at the perfect life. When I was enough of
What Are You Going to Try First? Read More »
With these words, I launch a blog, an endeavor which may seem hopelessly old-fashioned these days. It’s not even a new idea for me, personally. I’ve actually started three before this one, and thought about a couple of others. None of them lasted very long, and they weren’t very interesting, anyway. Why am I telling
Hello and Welcome! Read More »