Exploring an Abandoned Path
My son and I had the most thrilling adventure on Sunday: After shopping at Bass Pro Shop for his upcoming science fair project, we stopped by a park down the road. I'd found it on Google Maps, and I just wanted to walk around a bit to get my daily exercise and enjoy the autumn sun. Next thing I know, [...]
A Japanese Garden in Autumn
Last week I treated myself to what Julia Cameron calls an Artist's Date, time spent by yourself in an interesting location to replenish the soul and gather images for the creative mind. I cleared my schedule, rented a car, packed a bag with camera, extra lens, water bottle and road atlas, printed out mapquest directions and headed northwest of Chicago to [...]
Open House Chicago: Elks Memorial
Open House Chicago is one of those events that delights me to no end because I get to explore and learn and discover beauty I never knew was there. Hosted by the Chicago Architecture Foundation for one weekend in October (19 & 20 this year), 150 buildings and sites across the city are open for behind-the-scenes access. It's free, and [...]
When Is a Piece of Writing Done?
This very good question came up in my Advanced Memoir class recently, and my answer is twofold: A piece of writing is done when you feel you have been able to get your message across. What original idea did you start out with? What feeling did you want to capture? When your readers, whether an editor or your writing group, are [...]
Writing about Real People
Writing about real people, especially family, is probably the number 1 issue writers of personal stories worry about. But it is not just an issue for nonfiction writers... In my article "Writing About Others," published last week in the Washington Independent Review of Books, I discuss a few ways to tackle that issue. Please leave comments (either below the article [...]
The Gift of Morning Pages
Writing Morning Pages has become an important daily ritual for me ever since I read Julia Cameron's book The Right to Write. That book was so transformative for me in understanding the creative process, and more specifically, the writing process, that it warrants its own post, which I hope to deliver soon. In the meantime I am glad my writing [...]