I walked to the train station this afternoon. It was 65 and sunny, and I never saw so many people walking around with ice cream cones. A steam train was scheduled to pass through (but not stop) about 4:00. Here are the train station, the stationmaster’s house, the old water tower and coal house (for […]
writing life
Day 4, England, May 12
Despite no rain in the forecast for two days, it feels like time to settle in today and do some solid writing. (But yes, I’ll take “walk breaks” today.) I’ve received a few questions about the cottage I’m staying in for three weeks. This is my third time here, and it feels like home. Here’s a […]
Mind the Gap!
I love the ringing sound of “Mind the Gap!” when British train doors slide open at a station platform. “Mind the Gap!” is an audible (or visual) warning. It’s issued to rail passengers to take caution while crossing the space between the train door and the station platform. “Mind the Gap!” The phrase was first […]
A Writer’s Perfect Week
It has been a writer’s perfect week. I wish I had a word for it! A perfect storm (of which I’ve experienced many over the years) is a “particularly bad state of affairs, arising from a number of negative factors,” according to the dictionary. But this week was the opposite: a writer’s perfect week. While […]
When Your Writer’s Personality is Rejected
The post below about a writer’s personality ran six years ago, and something happened this past week that reminded me of how much we need other writers. I am blessed to have two such people as close friends: one who is my age and in relatively the same stage in life, and one who is […]
Writing á la Pavlov
In previous weeks I’ve shared why I went AWOL for months, the need to rest, reflect and realign, how to re-figure your writing output, and how to avoid burnout in the first place. What if you’re ready to write again? You may not have hours every day to write, or you may have tight deadlines. […]
The Dynamics of Change
We’re nearly ready to begin a new writing year! Or ARE you ready? This year you don’t have to get behind on your goals or quit. Why? Because this time you’re going to take time to understand the dynamics of change. Did you know that 75% of New Year’s Resolutions (or goals) are abandoned by […]
Climbing Out of a Writing Hole
“How does a project get a year behind schedule? One day at a time.” ~~Fred Brooks (IBM computer software developer) While I’m not behind a whole year on my current writing project, this question has been ricocheting around in my mind lately. I have writing deadlines stacked up for many months, for which I am truly […]
A Parent’s (or Grandparent’s) Writing Schedule
With summer vacation upon us, it seemed like a good time to revisit the subject of writing when you are involved with children or grandchildren. When my children were small–and even as they grew older–I struggled to find a writing schedule that worked most days of the week. After much trial and error, I would […]
Beware the Fuzzies–and Focus!
“How’s your focus?” It’s a question I’ve been wrestling with lately. Last year my calendar was so full of very good things, but I was frequently exhausted and vaguely dissatisfied. (Well, not vaguely actually. It was a very pointed dissatisfaction with the amount of writing I finished on any given day.) My children were grown […]