Saying No to Say Yes

Ah, I’ve been in my writing cave again and haven’t been blogging here at A Writer Afoot.  I do keep trying! Meanwhile, I have my regular monthly gig at Writer Unboxed, the 4th Wednesday of the month. This is November’s column: India is on my mind this morning. Forgive me for dreaming a little of […]

Showing up

Pretty sure I’ve posted a blog that says more or less this same thing at least 63 times, but it’s worth saying again. I get more work done, more good pages, more excellent rewriting done when I actually put myself in the chair during my most productive hours (8 am to 12 pm) and…uh…work. It […]

Meeting bears up close

Anyone who has read here for any length of time knows that I have bear worries when I hike.  I even have dreams about them sometimes, but I’m not willing to give up hiking.  Today, to celebrate my birthday, Christopher Robin arranged a surprise: he took me to the zoo for a “Grizzly Bear Encounter.”   We […]

The heady alchemy of baking bread

It’s a cold winter afternoon, the kind when winter blisters past the windows, turning everything blue.  Inside, I am kneading bread.  Not in a bread machine but with my own palms and wrists.  The dough is whole wheat, heavy and thick, and it takes muscle to punch it down, to knead and fold and press, […]

Invitation to writers: Artful Balance

(and other creative people) For a couple of months, we’ve been working behind the scenes to create a gathering place that’s joyful, supportive, and energizing.  ARTFUL BALANCE is a forum to help nuture the arty side of our lives, and be mindful in the pursuit of a writing (or whatever your art is–cooking counts, photography, painting, whatever).   The forum model […]

Writing every day

Haven’t been talking about writing much lately.  That doesn’t mean I’m not doing it–I am writing, every day.  The book in progress, which is still in the stages where I can’t talk about it yet, and essays and lots of emails to friends and family. Which is what writing is all about.  Showing up, opening […]

Busy, busy

Working on the copy edit of Elena’s book this week.   I am rarely so happy with a book at this stage (actually, I usually hate them with a great and terrible ferocity during CEs), and I can’t wait for you to meet these people.   Next spring: The Lost Recipe for Happiness is the title. […]