Aug 08
Tempted by the forty free online writing classes available at my public library, I enrolled as an experiment. The full catalog of 350 courses competed with MOOCs (massive open online courses) and delivered a shorter continuing education opportunity in writing and other business topics. I joined with a hundred online learners from across the country …
Jul 08
With less than one week before my first public reading, I panic. Oh sure, I’ve read at writers workshops, but other writers expect flat expressionless words and concentrate on the print. I usually flub a few words, stumble along internally editing as I read and neglect any attention to how I sound. I’m a terrible …
Jul 06
“Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” Samuel Johnson Do you edit as you write? Do you struggle with every word, sentence, paragraph, character, and scene before you decide that your writing is not yet perfect? Do you hit the delete button more often than the save button? Do …
Jun 16
Being able to travel is one privilege I never take for granted. As a writer, everywhere I go, I try to keep my eyes open for something unique. What better place to find material than a crowded airport? You never know who you’ll bump into. The day after we attended the 141st Kentucky Derby, my …
Jun 08
Although I might plan to relax or sleep, writing ideas germinate at the oddest times. I jot a note on Monday to write about one topic. Tuesday counters with a new subject or two. Wednesday offers three more choices. After the month passes, I have pages of new ideas for short stories, posts, and even …