The story of our lives doesn’t come to us in a lightning bolt of realization, but unfolds slowly before us, inch-by-inch, mile-by-mile, day by day. We are creating our futures today but we can only see so far on the road ahead. Sometimes we have great clarity and can see for miles. Other times, we are in a fog and can barely see past the next signpost. Or the unexpected happens, a racoon darting out in the road. We can swerve and miss it, we can hit it, or we can swerve and hit an oncoming car. This moment may, or may not, change our lives. Times of crisis, when there is a seismic shift in the landscape of our lives, is when it is most difficult to see the road ahead, when the path is most obscured. Like driving at night in a snow-storm in Grey County, you’re going inch-by-inch. Read more
I am a part time officer for the “grammar and word” police. And I’m not apologizing. Sorry, not sorry.
The reason I’m just part time is the loophole through which you can escape my wrath. You see, I produce several different types of writing. And some of it just begs for bad grammar.
Some, however requires a standard of usage that provides the benefits that only correct grammar, punctuation, and word usage can provide. Read more
2015 Muskoka Novel Marathoners at Nuit Blanche in Huntsville – Photo credit: BL Storrie
I AM A WRITER! Or so I tell myself, almost every day.
That doesn’t sound like a problem, but it is. My dilemma is I don’t always write every day. Sometimes, I can go a week or two, without writing a single word of any real relevance to my current work-in-progress. Instead, I’m using my spare time to help other writers in a very unique way, by making decisions, by composing emails of encouragement, by pumping up the writers and getting them excited. You see, I volunteer as the Muskoka Novel Marathon Writer Liaison, and if that’s not enough, I also do all their social media postings and tweets, plus take care of their website for the whole year. I encourage the 40 participating writers to fundraise for the YMCA Literacy Programs, because I believe strongly that everyone should be able to experience the Magical World of Reading. This year, we raised over $29,000 for these programs that help people who are struggling with basic reading, writing, math and computer skills. This makes me feel pretty good. That’s over $6000 more than last year’s amount. I’m definitely smiling.
This past weekend, we finally experienced the moment, where all 40 writers gathered to spend 72-hours straight in one room… TOGETHER! Seriously, it is one of the best writing weekends of the year for me. It is an experience like no other adventure that I’ve ever taken part in. 40 people that range from quiet and non-social, to wacked out crazy people, who will light their hair on fire, just to get a few laughs (see picture above). Besides writing, we hug, we cry, we laugh, we walk barefoot, we sing, we dance, we scream, we whisper… and most of all, we have fun together. What’s not to love?
I once asked a mountaineer if climbing a mountain was difficult. He said both yes and no. To climb a mountain, you only need to put one foot in front of the other and do that over and over again. Maybe a million times or more and that’s easy. What’s hard is to do that all day and sometimes, all night. To do that when you’re exhausted and you just want to sleep; to do that when your leg muscles are aching and your feet hurt; to do that when the wind and snow pound at your face and you dream of being home in your warm bed; to do that when the air gets thin and your lungs long for more oxygen. That’s when it gets hard but it’s still just about one foot in front of the next.
This past weekend was a flurry of activity. A garage sale – and you all know how much work that is if you’ve ever held one! It’s like going shopping in your own house but finding what you don’t want anymore, hauling it to the garage no matter what size it is, then moving it all again out into the driveway when the big day arrives.
People pull up to your house – they’ve seen the signs you taped on the post at the end of the street. Maybe you’re not even finished arranging those 1980’s coffee mugs or children’s t-shirts, but you need to say Good Morning! and welcome them. That’s good sales, and also polite 🙂 They may be happy and pleasant, but they might be sour – staunch deal-makers and breakers, garage sale scavengers out early with the first sips of their Tim Horton’s coffees.
Inspiration can come from many different places. Often a scene, an object, a moment in reality will set forth a stream of ideas that takes the mind on a journey far far away from where it started. Once, while lounging in a park on a beautiful summer’s day, minding my own business, a story decided to put itself into my head.
The story began in the very park I was sitting. In my mind I was transported to a whole new land with a young girl character who accidentally opened a doorway between two worlds. The beginnings of her adventures began to unravel as I sat there, playing through my head like a movie being played for only me to see. Read more
Most of us are all too familiar with the often dreaded deadline and frequent panic, anxiety and even nausea that can accompany a looming zero-hour. The proverbial clock on the wall eventually strikes twelve and we have either triumphed in meeting our goal or are left with the sting of being late.
My deadlines are mostly work related and I usually find the pressure of a deadline extremely motivating, for obvious reasons. Sometimes the work is rushed and often, when reviewing the final product after the fact, I see lots of improvements I’d have made given an extra day or two to see it through new eyes. But the work gets done and items get ticked off the to-do list.
Recently I needed to prepare a fifteen minute presentation to a provincial political panel on violence against women. This is an issue near and dear to me and I’ve spent all my working life in non-profit sector related services. Colleagues were excited our organization had Read more
I had a book launch in Owen Sound recently for my newest Bella Books lesbian romance novel, “The Song In My Heart.”
And it was fun. My songwriter/collaborator, Elaine Dark, gave a spirited and talented performance. She sang five songs, including three or four of her own originals. We had cake, we had stuff to give away (what’s not to like about free stuff and cake!), I signed lots of books that people generously bought. Oh and I read part of a chapter too (excruciating as that part often is for me!).
