Proust Captures the Spirit of my Hopeful Monday
Last week my husband flew to Ireland for work. It was not a hopeful Monday, more like sad Sunday. He travels once every couple of months and when he’s gone, we feel a slight tension in our family. Overall, we’re fine and with my three kids being older, it’s easier…
Stan Wawrinka and Failing Better
A writer works to perfect their art or craft and tries to share it with the world, only to often meet with rejection or indifference. The attempt can be a failure. We can feel like losers. But tennis player Stan Wawrinka has an interesting perspective on failure. What he had…
Anne Lamott’s Advice on Finding the Truth
Bird by Bird is an outstanding craft book for writers. Novelist and memoirist Ann Lamott covers the various aspects of writing: the nuts and bolts of craft to broader, more abstract issues. She talks about the importance of getting the sh*tty first draft on paper before diving into the mechanics…
It’s Time To Savor Spring
Spring is a time of change. Emerging leaves, melting snow, blooming flowers. So don’t be afraid to change, even in a tiny way. Step away from your desk, your counter, your indoor work space and go outside. Being outside changes your perspective. There’s a temperature you can’t control. A vista…
Neil Gaiman’s Old New Year’s Wish Is Still Fresh Today
I’m a super fan of Neil Gaiman. Not only do I love his stories but I love his prose and I love the upstanding man he is. He broke through in his career with the urban fantasy Neverwhere and has most recently given us the darkly witty Norse Mythology. What…
A Christmas Wish for Everyone
Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone! As I put my pen down and go offline for a few days, I have a Christmas wish for you: that you can relax and enjoy whatever time you have off, that you will indulge yourself, that you will treat yourself a bit better…
Might and Main Monday: Peering into Darkness
Hey everyone, today’s inspirational quote comes from Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Raven.” If you don’t know it, you may want to check it out. It’s creepy and musical and lovely, about how a young man, who, one night while sitting by the fire, hears a raven tapping at his…
Might and Main Monday: Outlook on Failure
The other day I was researching famous American inventors and came across this quote about failure from Thomas Edison. It struck me as perfect for a writer. We often submit our work for publication only to be rejected again and again. In other words, we fail all of the time.…
