I am a lot of things it turns out. I’m a crusader for equality of all kinds, I’m a musician and song writer, a blogger, a journalist, a bit of an amateur graphic artist, and a photographer.
I take pride in all of these things, and while I don’t think of myself as wildly successful at any one of them (more like mildly successful at one or two of them) there is, it turns out, another thing that I am that helps with all my other endeavours. Read more
Do you have a desire to write in the wilderness? Away from home and all daily distractions? I carry with me this postcard picture of a solitary person, surrounded by evergreens, sitting on a rock overlooking a sunlit lake – maybe a loon calling from the water – and writing my next novel. Then the ipad or laptop runs out of battery, completely ruining my postcard picture! Read more
Writing…writing…I’m a writer…I used to be a writer….I used to write! Ah! Memories!…of being connected to something deeper than the daily life I live! To sit with myself and the words on the screen, creating, organizing sentences, editing and thinking, my coffee and snacks around me, the word count increasing, the silence…
It’s been a few months since I sat down at my laptop – it’s a fresh new one now, a MacBook Air! – and spent some time. Moving to a new city has been a busy and destabilizing experience after being settled for ten years…Boxes to unpack and organize where on earth the contents would go (omg, more books????).
I have recently received my copy of The Writing Spiral: Learning as a Writer, a book in which my work has appeared. My words. It’s a modest beginning, but it is a beginning. I have made it into a book that people are going to buy! How cool is that? I’m a writer.
I’m a writer? What does it mean to be a writer, and what makes me one? These questions have left me scratching my head, because I don’t believe that I am an authentic writer. You see – I have no imagination.
I write daily for my job, and I am doing my best to write down 500 words a day through an online writers group. I write in my journal often. But is that all there is to being a writer? I’ve always been a little hesitant. Read more
The gift of a story is a gift that should be shared. Early native cultures relied on the art of storytelling to continue the life of their culture, allowing their heritage to pass from one generation to the next. It’s through sharing stories that ideas are born, beliefs are made, morals are formed, dreams are seeded, and we learn to understand each other a little better. Storytelling today is no different. Read more
Today Hubby and I are celebrating thirty-five years of marriage.
Hopes and dreams of writing have been with me at least that long but unlike the marriage, I haven’t really made the commitment. Mostly I’ve talked about writing.
I am prepared. A comfy nook waits for me; shelves crammed full of a hundred books about language and use of words. Well, at least thirty books. Does anyone need advice on how to write the perfect toast, blessing or witch’s chant? Read more
By Tracey Richardson
I’m a research nerd. I don’t love it as much as writing, but it’s a close second. It’s one of the reasons I choose such a wide range of settings and characters in my novels. I’ve written about soldiers in war zones, gamblers in Vegas, musicians on a festival circuit, doctors trying to save a life.
And while I didn’t visit a war zone as part of my research or start playing doctor on “patients”, I did learn how to play a pretty mean game of blackjack and am learning how to play the guitar.
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In Buddhism they say, when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. While I haven’t always found that to be true, I have found, when the writer is ready, the writing group will appear. I’ve been lucky to be part of a few writing groups in my lifetime, and hope to be part of a few more. There’s a wide variety of groups out there, but what I’ve needed as a writer has appeared at just the right moment. One thing all my writing groups have offered is camaraderie, cheering, and a few good laughs. All these serve to keep our spirits up when the way gets dark and lonely and the road of life gets a little bumpy. Read more