RWA National: The Courageous Writer: Power Through the Fear

Posted by on Jul 19, 2013 in dish | 0 comments Considering my last couple of years have been like a tunnel, this workshop really hit the spot. Aspiring author Fae Rowen, debut author Laura Drake, and NYT bestselling historical author Tessa Dare shared a passel of wisdom about the fears that crop up in all stages of the writing career, how to face them, and how to get past them so you can be productive. Here are some highlights: “There...
read more

RWA National: The Joy of Writing, With or Without a Contract

Posted by on Jul 18, 2013 in dish | 0 comments After the last year or two I’ve had, my writer self needed some TLC. Authors Dani Collins and Cathryn Parry presented several strategies to get yourself unmoored and productive. They provided a series of tools to tackle difficult writing situations. COPING STRATEGIES: If you’re struggling with self-doubt, ask yourself “Why do I write?” and “What is success to...
read more

I’ll Make Me a World

Posted by on Jan 24, 2013 in dish | 0 comments One of my father’s favorite books is James Weldon Johnson’s poetry collection God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. The whole collection is gorgeous, a tour-de-force of imagery, theology, and culture. Johnson is better known for “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” adopted by the NAACP as the “Negro National Anthem,” but Daddy’s favorite and...
read more

Digging for the Pony

Posted by on Feb 23, 2012 in dish | 0 comments Most of us have heard the story about the man who wanted to teach an optimist a lesson. He’d finally had enough of the optimist’s good nature, sunny outlook, and buoyant spirit. Frankly, the optimist bugged the living daylights out of him. So, he filled the optimist’s room with manure. Instead of freaking out (as most people would), the optimist grabbed a shovel and got to...
read more

Fifteen Cool Authors

Posted by on Jan 20, 2012 in dish | 0 comments I don’t know how I missed this game on Facebook, but thanks to a Jaunty Quills post from my dear friend Nancy Robards Thompson, I’m stealing it. The Rules: list fifteen authors (poets included) who have influenced you and made an impression. Don’t take too long to think about it. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Dr. Seuss – This man...
read more