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A New Book Means a New First Line
A first line of a story is the baited hook an author hopes will catch a reader’s interest so they will want to read the second line and on and on until the last line on the last page. Some readers...
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Clutter, Housework, and Writing
If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk? ~Dr. Laurence J. Peter A writer needs a little clutter going in her head. Got to pull those stories from...
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Daily Courage in Life
COURAGE – the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) “I’m frankly tired of marching. I’m tired of going to jail,”...
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A Journal Writer Forever
January is speeding along and I’m working on a new novel with a working title of Where the Bluebird Sings. That’s subject to change. At this point early in the writing process, everything is subject...
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Smiles Are Good for You
“The world always looks brighter from behind a smile.” — Unknown Does it make you feel good to smile? Here are a few facts about smiles that you might not only find interesting but they might make...
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Ever Name a Dog or a Cat?
“An animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language.” — Martin Buber If you’ve ever had a pet, especially one you raised from a puppy or kitten or adopted from a shelter, you probably had to...
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Finding Story Glimmers at the River
A couple of years ago when I started thinking about writing a new book, I had to come up with many things before I could put my fingers on my keyboard and start churning out words. One early glimmer...
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Do You Have Trouble Finding Time for Everything?
Time is what we want most but what we use worst. ~William Penn I’ve begun my next book. My deadline isn’t for several months, but a book has a lot of words and many scenes. So it is enough of a...
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1st Sunday Devotional – The Bible and Smiles
“Joy is God’s smile; love is God’s laughter.” ― Matshona Dhliwayo Do you love to smile? Smiles can make you feel better even when you don’t really feel as though you have any reason to smile. I just...
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How Do You Keep Your Brain Sharp?
Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quickly you hardly catch it going. ~Tennessee Williams What would we be without our memories? Good or not so good, we learn...
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Smiles for Valentine’s
“Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.” ~Elinor Glyn Valentine’s Day is in a couple of days. It’s a day for romance. Guys get girls flowers and candy. But it...
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Love in Stories with a Book Giveaway Chance
I love reading a story that has a great guy in love with the absolutely right girl. I love writing about that kind of good guy – an old friend who becomes more than a friend by story’s end. I saw...
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Do You Love a Mystery?
“You’d think solving mysteries would bring you closure, that closing the loop would comfort and quiet your mind. But it never does. The truth always disappoints.” ~John Green in Turtles All the Way...
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A Mystery Can Befuddle Us
“The eye is always caught by light, but shadows have more to say.” — Gregory Maguire The first mystery picture has come and tickled the imaginations of many of you. The popular guess was some sort of...
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Sometimes Mysteries Can Be Solved
The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. ~Henry Miller Okay, I love those of you who think...
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The Mystery of Imagination
No object is mysterious. The mystery is your eye. ~Elizabeth Bowen You all make these mystery photo games so much fun. Especially when you don’t guess right. That’s not nice of me, is it? LOL. But...
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Down to the Last Mystery Photo This Go Around
Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man’s desire to understand. ~Neil Armstrong Back when I started these Mystery Photo Games several years ago, I had no idea that I would continue them...
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All Mysteries Need a Solution
And so this version of the mystery photo game comes to an end. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope it made you think. I hope you didn’t get too perplexed by the pictures or too discouraged when you didn’t...
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When the Lord Drops a Cat on Your Doorstep
In the country when I was a kid, if a cat or dog showed up on your farm, you automatically assumed somebody had dropped it. That meant we suspected they had taken an unwanted pet for a ride and shoved...
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Country Talk
One of the things that’s good when I go to the Kentucky Appalachian Mountains for a story or when I stay in a rural area is that I can let my characters talk country. That’s pretty easy for me since I...
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