The New Years’ Dance

Welcome to 2024!!! Life is like a dance, we take a few steps forward and a few back, and sometime run in circles.

NaNoWriMo and Me

As November draws to a close, so does the quest to win NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Congrats to all who participate.

Editing in the Slow Lane

Editing in the Slow Lane: In a world where we keep spinning at an ever faster pace, I am slow. And I’m okay with that … especially when it comes to writing.

What’s in a Name?

I love most aspects of the writing process, including editing. The magical inspiration that strikes when you least expect it. Getting to know the characters. And even more, seeing how the story develops because no matter what, the path I have planned is always changed because the characters want to go in a different direction.

Into the Editing Cave

Cave in Antelope Canyon

A writer’s life is cyclical in nature. We have the shiny new idea phase, followed by the first draft, followed by self-edits (multiple rounds), then it is sent away for someone else to look at and give feedback on, and then it’s back into the editing cave (these last two steps can happen multiple times), it goes to a proofreader, then (hopefully) one more go round and we have a product we can take pride in.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Hello 2022. So happy to see you. January 1 is always a day of great expectations for a new year. A page turned where we can put the past behind us and look forward to a full 365 days in which to make a mark. The mark I’m shooting for this year is joy and success. I’ve never been big … Read More

It’s the Little Things

At some point in life, we reach the stage where we gain a true appreciation for the small things or events in life. While some of the big things in life give us good memories to hang on to, it is the small things in the day to day grind that help elevate our mood and make our heart sing.

Story Monsters Ink Summer Reading Guide

When things are not exactly going smoothly, a bit of positive news is even more welcome than ever. And to be candid, with all months of testing I have been going through, and the results to those tests that once again put my world into a tail spin, learning that 7th Grade Revolution was featured in the July 2021 issue … Read More

Speak No Evil: Look Behind the Mask

Masks. We all wear them. The different faces we present while in different circumstances … the work mask, the home mask, the party mask, etc. Societally, we are so accomplished at masking ourselves, we often don’t realize we’re wearing one. A physcial mask allows you to hide who you are, providing a sense of anonymity and an unbridled freedom to … Read More

Speak No Evil: Fear

What is it about fear? It shapes and molds us, makes decisions on our behalf, builds obstacles and then throws them in our path. It puts up walls and encapsulates us in a prison of our own making. Fear wields an almighty power over our lives … because we allow it. The result of fear is a life half lived. … Read More

Judging the Judge

Every 92 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted.And every 9 minutes, that victim is a child.Meanwhile, only 5 out of every 1,000 perpetrators will end up in prison. (Statistics from RAINN.org) Let’s talk a little bit about what those numbers mean … like only 0.5% of the perpertators will wind up in prison. Or to put it another way, 99.5% … Read More