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. Read more

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

For fifty-five years words have been my constant companion. When I was an infant I struggled to recognize them, as a child I needed to master understanding them, saying them, using them. When my grandmother taught me to read and write, my four year old mind was in heaven.

As a young person I was led to believe that my life would be easier if I found a vocation and stuck to it. And it was understood that a vocation involved hard physical work, or being trained in a highly technical trade. Read more