This is my 105th blog post. I started this blog on September 2, 2021, and I’ve posted every Thursday since for two years. I’ve enjoyed it, and I’ve been proud of myself for sticking with it and for keeping up with it consistently. I’m a teacher at heart, and I love sharing what I’ve learned … Read More
Sidetracked but Not Derailed
I have a passion for railroad trains. As a child, when I was tucked into bed at my grandparents’ house, I loved to listen to the distant choo choo of passing trains. As an adult, I enjoy living on the wrong side of the tracks, where I can hear the call of the trains’ whistles … Read More
Writing from the Wrong Side of the Tracks
I work from home. Home for me was once just across the railroad tracks from the beach. Now it’s even closer, a half block away, and I can still hear the trains from not too far away—they run along Highway 1 just to the east of me. I love living near beaches and train tracks. … Read More
Saying No to Myself
We all know we’re supposed to say no. We’ve heard the advice ad nauseum–say no to things that aren’t serving you. Say no to things you don’t have the time or the energy for. I set out to do just that this year. I have a lot going on. I’m going to say no to … Read More
On Structuring Your Writing Life
I used to think of structure as the enemy. I believed that, if I tried to impose any kind of structure on my writing life, it would interfere with my creativity. Writers are artists, right? Artists don’t live a boring, rigorously scheduled, 9-5 life. Artists wake up when they please, go out for coffee in … Read More
Writer, Interrupted
A writer’s day is filled with interruptions, and to be honest, most of them are welcome. I’m lured by social media and the pings that alert me to text messages from my squad (messages that always make me laugh). I daydream about what I’m going to do over the weekend. I suddenly realize I need … Read More
Time Is on My Side
People often ask me how I find time to write. The truth is, for most of my life, I didn’t. I’m a busy person who, like most writers, works a day job for a living. For most of my life, I looked at writing as dessert–a reward for finishing all the other things. It was … Read More