The Blank Screen I started writing a new story the other day. So much of my time these last few months has been spent on revising stories that I had (almost) forgotten what it was like to start fresh, to have a completely blank screen in front of me. As Read more
Is it Writer’s Block? I’m not a fan of the term writer’s block. Maybe most writers aren’t. It’s a phrase that hangs over our heads, casting shadows of frustration on our notebooks or computer screens. But that’s not why I don’t like the term. I don’t like it because I Read more
I’ve been an English as a Second Language instructor since 2015, and I’ve been working on my PhD since 2016. No, I didn’t leave my job to become a doctoral student; rather, I decided to dedicate my “free time” to advancing my studies (i.e., writing a dissertation). I’ve always had Read more
I worked almost forty years as a psychiatric nurse, spending the last twenty-plus years as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. My father was a Marine captured on Wake Island during WWII and served four years as a Prisoner of War in China and Japan. I married an Air Force fighter pilot Read more
Writing Is Never Finished You’ve probably heard the adage about how writing is never finished, it’s just due. I used to tell that to my students in an effort to relieve some of their anxiety about striving for “perfection” in their writing. I tell it to myself, too. I remind Read more
A couple of days ago, I spent the afternoon working on a personal essay. I had written a draft of it back in January and have spent the last few months mulling over the feedback I received on it, waiting until I had some time to work on it and Read more
Clearing Your Throat Ahem. *Cough.* Ahem (again). (Can you hear me?) Sometimes before speaking, I need to clear my throat, just so my voice comes out clearly. A kind of warm-up activity. Okay, it may not be the best metaphor, but when you’re finding (or creating) your writing voice, a Read more
“Kill Your Darlings” The idea of writing yourself into a corner probably sounds like a bad idea. A kind of confinement. Nowhere to go. But restrictions in writing can be helpful, especially if you need help learning how to write more concisely. Writing concisely is as much about word choice Read more
Writing, Dogs, Family, and Collaboration I decided I wanted to be a writer when I was six years old. Or possibly even earlier than that–as soon as I could write words and form sentences. I still have a lot of the writing I did as a five- and six-year-old–silly ramblings, Read more
What’s Wrong with Adverbs? You can say it. Everyone in my writing group does. I am an adverb Nazi, and I’m not ashamed of it in the least. Don’t get me wrong. When I started writing my first novel, I used them. I used them heavily, one who isn’t writing Read more