Notes From the Toolbox
Raising Stakes
Standard advice for a writer in the query process is to get cracking on the next book. A preoccupied mind deflects rejection easier. It also proves you’re serious about developing a career out of this writing thing— even though in the back of your mind you’ve toyed...
What a lark! What a plunge!
This is no ordinary week. Of course, y’all are thinking Bastille Day, which was yesterday. So, “Vive la France.” But France has nothing to do with the extraordinariness of this week. Today is the glorious end of a chapter in my writing life. Over the weekend, I...
A Writer in Search of a Purpose
My mission for writing these Notes from the Toolbox was to show how important a patience & persistence mindset is to a writer’s journey, and how using that mindset to navigate the ever-changing creative process empowers personal growth and ultimately deepens our...
The 11 o’clock Number
Broadway is on its way back after what seems like forever. In preparation, many regional theatres are mounting outdoor shows this summer. I’m attending my first on Friday— the musical Once. A dear friend is the sound designer, which is why I decided to take this...
Tai Chi Writing Tool
During my three years of teacher training for Alexander Technique, I also learned Tai Chi. The practice nestled inside me like no other form of movement. It was as if this silent ballet-like dance powered by slow respiration, balanced relaxed postures and calm mind...
James Joyce and Me
Happy Bloomsday! For those without a clue, the celebration of Bloomsday comes from the great literary novel, Ulysses by James Joyce. I’ve never read it. For the same reason I’ve never read Faulkner’s Sound and the Fury. Too afraid the material is beyond my...
The Choreography of Chess & Writing
I’m obsessed with chess. No other way to put it. My youngest son taught me to play about ten years ago. Beat him once. A fluke. Our daily competitions were fun, but I never imagined mastering the game was doable for me. When he moved to Asia my interest went with him....
It’s Baseball Season— Is Your Optimism in the Dugout?
My fingers have been poised over the keyboard for I don’t know how long. Chest tightening, stomach flopping. I focus on the thin stream of air cooling the inside of my nostrils with the hope of encouraging the breath to expand, deepen, wash away my fear. This...
The Anorexic Path to Publication
My sister, Leona, was nine years older than me. The age gap was one of many reasons we were never close. Our inability to connect fueled by insecurities and parental criticism. In another playing field we might’ve bonded and helped each other soar. We both dreamed of...
The Wake-Up Call I Never Expected
Remember when you realized love and like weren’t interchangeable? That day when you looked at your loved one and truth slammed into your head the way the sky bonked Chicken Little. You bit your tongue to keep from saying, “I don’t like you. Did I ever really like you,...