The friend who holds your hand and says the wrong thing is made of dearer stuff than the one who stays away.
—Barbara Kingsolver, from “Stone Soup” in High Tide in Tucson: Essays from Now or
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The Scribbling Woman: A Companion to the Writerly Life
Respecting Your Writerly Life, Part I: Validating Your Role
When can you start calling yourself a writer?Now. Chuck Sambuchino If you’ve watched or listened to this week’s podcast, Episode #23, “Validating Your Writerly Role,” this is your support follow-up. If you haven’t, what the heck’s been stopping ya? In that episode we revisit the BOHOs. Remember them? The Big Ol’ Hairy Obstacles that tell
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Owning Your Creative Process
I hate writing. I love having written. Dorothy Parker I am so sorry, Dorothy. What a bummer to have hated the process of creating what delighted us all so much. Personally, I believe that if the journey is a good fit for us, we can love getting there as much as we dig being there.
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When it All Seems Daunting
“Fear is the edge of your comfort zone.“ Jonathan Mearns O.B.E., Author of One Mountain, Two Minds In addition to the fact that I could listen to Jonathan Mearns’ north London accent—All. Day. Long.—I am continually inspired by the content of what he says as life coach, speaker and author. Especially when it comes to
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Resisting the Urge to Explain
“The woman who doesn’t need validation from anyone is the most feared individual on the planet.” Mohadesa Najumi Hi, fellow Scribblies, We’ve been talking since the beginning of the year about our intentions for the writerly life that is unique to each of us. You know, those beautiful longings that move us forward into ever
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When the Spirit Moves the Pen
“It is a frightening thing to open oneself to this strange side of the divine; it means letting go of our sane self-control, that control which gives us the illusion of safety. But safety is only an illusion, and letting it go is part of listening to the silence, and to the Spirit.” Madeleine L’Engle,
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Loosening Our Writing Grip
We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. E.M. Forster We’ve been talking about our intentions for the writerly life. Not goals or resolutions or impossible-to-meet expectations, but the Big Whys that move us forward. One way to ensure
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