Improving My Craft

2020 and the Perpetual Balancing Act

Has it really been a hear and a half since I last updated this site? Those time and date stamps don't lie. The end of 2018 and all of 2019 were dedicated to finding balance. I am right in the middle of a pretty challenging period of my life. Both of my children are school… Continue reading 2020 and the Perpetual Balancing Act

Improving My Craft

Will The Artist’s Way Help Me Find My Way?

It is true I have been struggling to write for the last year. It is also true that spending time in the Pacific Northwest helped. But some things have come up in the world of SFF writing that have left me reeling, and I've been struggling--and failing--to keep my creative feet planted. Last year, Sam… Continue reading Will The Artist’s Way Help Me Find My Way?

Improving My Craft

When You Go Looking for Something…

This spring break, we decided to take a vacation here in the good old USofA. The Great American Family Vacation. Well, sort of. I had dreams of driving up through the national parks of the American Southwest. The kids had dreams of beaches and sunshine. So we compromised and went to the Pacific Northwest to… Continue reading When You Go Looking for Something…

Improving My Craft, Photography

Writer’s Block is a Thing

I wasn't sure that writer's block was a thing until I experienced it for myself. It has been a tough year, from a writing perspective, but I'm crawling out of it. Slowly but surely. Through it all, I managed to finish the rough draft of a novel and write 45,000 words on another novel. The… Continue reading Writer’s Block is a Thing

Improving My Craft

Goals vs. Resolutions: What I intend to accomplish in 2017

I don't like New Year's Resolutions. The first week of January, the gyms are full, the parks are crowded with joggers, and the self-help section of the book store is buzzing with activity.  Resolutions tend to last about a month before they fade into the past and are forgotten. On the other hand, I love… Continue reading Goals vs. Resolutions: What I intend to accomplish in 2017

Improving My Craft

30 Stories in 30 Days: At the Halfway Mark

I've just wrapped up my 15th story, which means I'm halfway through my 30 stories in 30 days challenge. Some stories, I think, have real promise. Or at least they will once I clean them up. Others aren't so great, but they have the seeds of something else. Still others are just plain awful. Technically,… Continue reading 30 Stories in 30 Days: At the Halfway Mark