So you want to start writing. Maybe you’ve tried other New Year’s Resolutions in the past and they haven’t stuck–or they have! Maybe you’ve tried more health-related ones or career-related ones. A New Year’s Resolution to write more is a wonderful thing. Cynic that I am, I think it’s a nice idea to take stock…
Tag: self-care
Mental Health Before Writing
Self-Care For a Disabled Writer I wouldn’t be the writer I am if it weren’t for the particular set of challenges that I have. The one who writes about my own difficult truths, one who tries to do it with sensitivity and compassion for the people who are reading it. I frequently forget to extend…
The Third “Rule”: Writing Groups
Are There Really Only 2 Rules of Writing? The short answer is: Yes. The long answer is: Well… Shall we get into it? The reason we start with 2 rules of writing is that I want the word ‘rule’ to mean something. It’s not a helpful hint; it’s not a suggestion. If you do this,…
Expectations: When will I be a “Writer”?
So, this happened: Last Monday, as I was making last minute edits to the piece about writing and ADHD, I got an email. That day, my ADHD felt extra strong and everything that could distract me did. It was no surprise that I stopped what I was doing and immediately went and looked at my…
Give Yourself Permission to Write
This is a topic that’s dear to my heart. People are likely to look at me (on paper) and think there’s no way I could be experiencing impostor syndrome about my writing. I’m over 450 manuscript pages into a novel. I finished and submitted a 300-page dissertation in 2019 and was granted the degree of…
But I Can’t Do That?
Writing with ADHD I’ve been watching the clock this weekend, knowing I had to get something finished so it would be ready to post today (Monday). I was working on one piece for this blog and another piece that isn’t quite right for this blog, although it might be in the future. I did spend…
This Poem Feels Finished…?
Sylvia on the Phone —I woke up today thinking “Sylvia Plath had the right idea. She left a pretty interesting legacy; A couple of kids, a bunch of famous poems, And she went out on her own terms.” Depression is like an ex-lover I can’t get rid of, She shares custody of my brain, Owning…
London Letters #6: A Tale of Two Pianos
Playing piano is one of the main reasons I am surviving the pandemic. If we recognize (and if you don’t, I have some news for you) that the mind is part of the body, and so emotional health is physical health, then it shouldn’t be surprising that within a few weeks of the lockdown (so……
London Letter #5: “Somewhere Beyond the Sea”
Yeah. I’m not in London anymore. I’m not even in England anymore. But I’m still writing these because there are aspects of my trip I look back on, even at the remove of only a few days, with a warm sense of delight and tranquility and joy. And there are parts I am haunted by….
I’m Going to Use the R-Word (& it’s okay if you do, too)
On an October night, twenty seven years ago, I was attacked.On an October night, twenty seven years ago, I was victimized.On an October night, twenty seven years ago, I was sexually assaulted.On an October night, twenty seven years ago, I was raped. It’s all the same night. It’s all the same thing, isn’t it? Even…