My friend, Ann Winfred, wrote “Bats in Our Belfries”, an inspiration to get rid of clutter. So inspiring that I sit here surrounded with bags and boxes I removed from my family room closet to make room for paintings that are in the garage. Since I spent all day with the closet, I needed a […]
Writing Characters’ Habits
When writers write characters’ habits, they can show body language like rubbing a nose, flipping long hair, etc. Habits can include lucky objects that a character uses before a challenge like a rabbit’s foot or a special crystal, penny, or any number of choices. In my novel, Norman in the Painting, I wanted Jill, the […]
Rhetorical Device Epanalepsis
President John Kennedy said, “Mankind must put an end to war — or war will put an end to mankind.” Our ears heard it, but we could not believe our ears. The theory sounds all wrong; but if the experiment is a success, I cant worry about theory. “Next time there won’t be a next […]
Anais Nin Quotes
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.” “I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living.” “Life is a full circle, widening until it joins the circle motions of the infinite.” “I’m restless. Things are calling me away. My hair […]
Book Recommendation The Shadow of the Wind
Has anyone read The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and could comment on it here? I’m not sure how I found it on Goodreads. I think I was looking for The Quickening by Michelle Hoover and discovered The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series by Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind is the […]
Interview with Poet Joan Green
Joan Green wrote a poem called “Our Talking Cat” for my anthology, Written Across the Genres. Her poem is comprised of 16 haiku that tell the story of how their cat learned to say her husband’s name. Joan earned a BA from UC Berkeley and holds an elementary teaching credential. She loves to volunteer, travel, […]
Book Recommendation
Elaine Schmitz, author of Recipes & Recollections of My Greek-American Family, organizes a reading group that I joined this month. The six people in the group take turns recommending a book for everyone to read and then they meet once a month to discuss the chosen book. Elaine’s choice for January was The Best American […]