writing
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The Trap of the Withywindle
Have we fallen asleep, lulled by nefarious forces into giving up? Rise and continue the quest. Thankfully, Samwise saved the day for Frodo. I frequently need to hear familiar stories of faithfulness in these dark days. Continue reading
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Lights, Music, Imagination
Winter can seem a fallow time for writers, at least those who live in the lands of shoveling, ice cleats, and short days. There is Advent, hot chocolate, Christmas preparations, and St. Lucia day (for the Scandinavian among us) to combat depression, but winter still seems a time of “blech” to me. Each year, more Continue reading
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O Antiphons
I am currently working on a collection of poems based on the O Antiphons—those titles given to the Messiah we await (O Emmanuel, O Root of Jesse, O Morning Star, etc.). The collection reflects images of Christ/Jesus I had, was given, or came to understand in childhood, youth, and adulthood, whether true or false, helpful Continue reading
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“Give me your tired, your poor. . .”
I have been thinking of this beautiful song a lot lately, here sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. My high school choir sang it and I’m sure many reading this post have sung it. The song was written by a Russian refugee, Irving Berlin, who understood so well the difficult path of the weary and Continue reading
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Writers’ Museum, Edinburgh
On a corner in a winding walk in the old town portion of Edinburgh stands a 17th century home, now a museum dedicated to the three most Scottish of writers, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. A narrow, steep staircase connects three floors of exhibits containing personal items of the authors, pictures, Continue reading
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Ode to the First Readers
I really thought I was finished. The draft was well edited and re-edited. Spelling and grammar errors were found and fixed. Transitions were clear. Fact-checking blanks left open ‘until I had time to look it up’ were filled in. The three-character dialogue made sense. What was imagined in my head transferred to the page in Continue reading
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Words – Worte – Ord – les Mots – Geiriau
Whatever language you write in, words are often multivalent. I am currently sitting at the Detroit airport waiting for a flight to a reunion with friends from Vienna. I happened to sit next to a German mom and her daughter. The young daughter lives here. The mother is visiting. The waitress brought their check and Continue reading
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[S@methought’s Øn Edᴒiting
February 13, 2024 Everyone needs an editor. Everyone. (Including editors.) Editing is multi-step process, best returned to after a walk, a glass of vino, rereading the larger context, and/or a good night’s sleep. Editing others’ writing is a humbling undertaking. It exposes one’s impatience and tests one’s memory for obscure citation rules, “comma” sense, and Continue reading
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Who Are We Talking About When We Write?
Sept 19, 2023 Where do authors get their characters? People ask me, “How do you come up with characters?” But really, don’t we all know “characters” in life? People whose hearts break, people whose dreams go unfulfilled, people whose courage inspires, people whose beauty redeems, people whose scabs and callouses cover early betrayals and sin-soaked Continue reading
Ernestly Speaking 