Magic in the Gathering

In April, two writers from my writing group came to visit for a week - a face to face immersion with familiar strangers. They convinced me to drive to Sacramento with them at the end of their visit, where we'd meet up with three others from our group. Strange as the whole thing felt, I kept saying yes. I was trepidatious to say the least...

Writing Like Heaven

It's NaNoWriMo time (National Novel Writing Month) this November! I signed up to write a 50,000 word first draft of a book along with hundreds of thousands of other crazy people around the world. That's 1,667 words per day, for those of you doing the math.

The Final Word on the Absolute Very Best Time To Write

Haruki Murakami wakes at 4am to write, without variation. Hemingway wrote as soon as it got light. Vonnegut started at 5:30am.... Since successful writers have set routines unique to them, there must be an optimal time for me as well....

52 Steps to Becoming a Writer

Anyone can become a writer. It hasn't been a straight path or an easy journey for me. But here are 52 steps that will get you on your way.

Blogiversary is a Word

When you do something outside your comfort zone, it opens doors to doing other new, hard things. You're brave in one way, why not be brave in others? Creating a blog informed the way I write, the way I play music, how I try new things.

Changing For Good

I set out alone from Santa Barbara on a hot July day, my little sedan packed to the brim, and cruised north along Highway 101. The only key I owned was to my car. I had just finished packaging up my life to leave the place I'd lived for 32 years. I was alternately thrilled … Continue reading Changing For Good