Tag Archives: writing
A Writer Who Speaks or A Speaker Who Writes? by Jack Popjes
Am I a writer who speaks, or a speaker who writes? I don’t know. What I do know is that the words I write as I tell a story for my readers are completely different from the words I use when I tell that story to a live audience.
Adding Colour by Pamela Mytroen
The hotel room I am staying in depresses me. Shades of brown from the bedspread to the carpet and drapes and even the beige wallpaper and gold-framed art are lacking an accent colour. But what is worse, a bland monochromatic colour scheme or loud colours of every shade shouting at you? To add colour to… Read more »
‘S Fhada Bho Nach Fhaca Mi Sibh by Steph Beth Nickel
A bheil Gàdhlig agaibh? (Do you speak Scottish Gaelic?) I don’t imagine I’ll even be able to honestly answer, “Tha, beagan” (yes, a little), though when this post goes live, I will have just returned from two weeks across the Pond, where my son will have been married on the shores of Loch Earn, north… Read more »
Back in the Saddle by Janice L. Dick
I grew up riding horses. The rule was, if you fell off, you had to get back on again or you’d spoil the horse. Practical reasoning, uncomfortable application. And yet, to this day I love horses. This summer has been filled to the brim with family visits from England, British Columbia, and Japan, as well… Read more »
Sit on It by Brenda J. Wood
“Back in the saddle” refers to a cowboy who returned to work after recovering from an injury. Gene Autry’s song made it a household phrase. Unfortunately, it also means the back part of a chicken, the part nearest its tail. Now I’m not saying that writer’s block turns us into chicken-livered, yellow-belly, word avoiders, but… Read more »
A Sabbatical, Not an Excuse by Tracy Krauss
The book of Ecclesiastics tells us that there is a season to every activity. We are all familiar with the “list,” but nowhere does it say, “A time to write and a time to refrain from writing.” Still, God Himself provides us with a cyclical example by resting on the seventh day. It is reasonable… Read more »
Writing for Therapy by Jack Popjes
The complete title of this piece is “Writing for Therapy, Not for Publication: A Testimonial.” During the summer months I like to take a break from writing for publication, even from weekly blogging. Instead, I like to focus on reading widely, checking out books by authors new to me, stretching my mind with new ideas,… Read more »
Does Absence Make the Pen Grow Stronger? by Pamela Mytroen
Ever thought about a long distance writing relationship? Like the old adage, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” I wonder if some major distance from writing would make the pen grow stronger? According to a study in the Journal of Communication, (August 8, 2013, Molly Vorweck, USA Today, usatoday.com) long distance relationships were found to… Read more »
10 Excuses I Hear Most Often
Thanks to Brenda Wood for sharing Lucy V. Hay’s post. 1. “I wish . . .” Stop it. Just stop it. You want to write? Do it. You want to try your hand at another type of writing? Do it. You want to change genres? Do it. DO IT! You get the gist. Life is… Read more »
Ten Steps to Prepare for Your Writers’ Workshop by Pamela Mytroen
1. Create an appropriate title for your workshop. Your title is like a menu item. It must be short and concise but appealing and descriptive to writers as they peruse the list of workshops at a conference. “The Life of Pie for Writers” was one of my recent workshop titles. It worked well visually.