Bernice Connell – Page 2 – Ascribe Writers

Witchy Women

October 31, 2022October 31, 2022 Bernice Connell Leave a comment

October 31^st is All Hallows’ Eve. How could I resist writing about witches, my favourite symbol of Hallowe’en?

A dark, violent history was the lot for many thousands of women who were condemned as witches over the centuries. Today, the rise of the feminine is countering the dominant negative stereotypes that have endured since then.

I have noticed an increase lately in the number of novels on bookstore shelves that have some form of the word Witch in the titles. Witching and witchery titles usually get a closer. A recent novel by author Bianca Marais included this epigraph on the cover: ‘Why were we taught to fear witches and not the men who burned them?’

A Writer’s Hike

September 19, 2022September 19, 2022 Bernice Connell 1 Comment

A new friend of mine is currently walking the Bruce Trail and writing about her adventure.

Elisha and I met in May on a virtual forum; a national summit on social activism and advocacy. Biographies were shared among the registrants and we connected over a shared love of writing.

She recently received a Canada Council of the Arts grant to walk the Bruce Trail end to end together with her mother, Donna. Her goal is to publish a collection of poetry, prose and photography exploring their relationship and documenting their journey hiking the Trail.

Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Summer Writing

August 1, 2022August 1, 2022 Bernice Connell 2 Comments

This title perfectly describes how I am enjoying writing during these mid-summer days. Well, not exactly lazily. More like leisurely. I’m eager to write morning or evening pages and it is fun because there are no expectations attached. I commit to twenty minutes but almost always write longer.

It may be too soon to declare that a new habit is established but this latest attempt at the daily practice has continued for more than a month now. How freeing it is to just write direction-less.

Vacation Writing

June 20, 2022June 19, 2022 Bernice Connell 2 Comments

Life has been too hectic lately and as often happens, writing has taken a back seat to work and all kinds of busy-ness.

So, for the next three weeks, it is vacation time as hubby and I hit the road for beautiful Rainy Lake on the border of Ontario and Minnesota.

As excited as I am to see friends and to celebrate a wedding, I am really looking forward to having lots of distraction-free time to write as well. Relaxed writing, that is. The meditative, restorative, not worrying whether it is good or not, writing.

Firing My Inner Critic

May 9, 2022May 9, 2022 Bernice Connell 1 Comment

My inner critic’s behaviour has been out of control lately so it is time for it to GO!

We all know the niggling, negative self talk that can undermine us in so many ways in our lives. Mine is especially loud and obnoxious when I write. It is such a powerful force that on countless occasions it has caused me to trash every word written thus far and start over. My inner critic is a slimy slug who sneaks up on me when least expected.

That is until recently. I started to notice a pattern in the critic’s appearances. They always occurred when I was well along in a project, happily writing, confident with my plan then WHAM! Suddenly everything turned to crap and nothing was salvageable. A strategy was required to put the critic in its place.

Quest for Truth

March 28, 2022March 28, 2022 Bernice Connell 1 Comment

When beginning this blog, my intention was to explore the language that peppers social activism discussions these days. Terms such as virtue signaling, manufacturing consent, false flags, being woke and right to protect were mostly new to me. Instead, the writing was sidetracked and I learned an important lesson along the way.

FAIR WARNING – RANT ADVISORY!

Love is All Around

February 14, 2022February 14, 2022 Bernice Connell 1 Comment

Is there any subject spanning the ages that has been written, sung and contemplated about more than love? How many battles have been fought and tragedies endured over love?

Seeking inspiration for writing a Valentine’s Day sentiment, I sorted through my late grandmother’s postcard collection and found a few valentines she had received between 1908 and 1913. The cards are little works of art, most printed in Germany or Saxony. Surprisingly, a number of messages included requests to let the senders know if she was still alive. It was hard to tell if the questions were asked in jest or if it was a very real concern given it was early in the twentieth century.

The cards inspire a lot of creative imaginings. They were mailed from distant places and I wonder about those who sent them and how they knew my grandmother.

Old Long Since

January 3, 2022January 3, 2022 Bernice Connell Leave a comment

Old Long Since is the English translation of the Scottish Auld Lang Syne.

It never occurred to me to wonder about the literal translation. I understood the sentiment as remembering the good times and looking forward to more. The utilitarian words Old Long Since sound less romantic and sentimental and are a suitable farewell to this past year in particular.

The collective euphoria at seeing the end of 2021 is understandable given the chaotic spiraling of much that was familiar and reliable in our lives.

Author: Bernice Connell