“Burt’s Bees” is funnier than “Neosporin.” But it’s too late. I sent the story off this morning. No piece is ever finished (complete?). They dwell in perpetual draft mode well beyond the submission date. I never forward the same story to more than one publication, despite the fact that they have identical titles, themes, plots and characters. There’s always a last-minute … [Read more...] about I’m Not Finished Yet by Camille DeFer Thompson
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Still more to do by Lani Longshore
Susan Sachs Lipman's program in March gave me lots of ideas for my as-yet-uncreated website, and my needs-to-be-updated blog site, as well as the impetus to become an expert in my field (what, you didn't realize you need to know about quilting science fiction?). I left the meeting feeling enlightened and energized. So what should I find when I arrived home? One of my quilt … [Read more...] about Still more to do by Lani Longshore
The OGs are against me by Violet Carr Moore
No, I don’t mean odds. The odds are against me would be a cliché, not an acceptable title for a modern blogger. See, there it is again—the OG in blogger—a person who writes a blog. That would be me as I hurl this post into the blogosphere (another OG) where blogs reside. Add a single letter to the beginning of OG and bog, cog, dog, fog, hog, jog, log, and tog appear. Add a … [Read more...] about The OGs are against me by Violet Carr Moore
A Writer’s Diary by Stacey Gustafson
6:30 Repeat five times, “Today is the day I am going to work on my NOVEL.” 6:40 Brush teeth. Check email. Oh boy, 40 new messages. Delete 39. 6:50 Wake up son for school, start breakfast, tidy up kitchen, run a load of laundry, drive son to school. 8:00 Check Internet. Must know more about sinkhole in Florida that opened up and swallowed a man. 8:10 Phone … [Read more...] about A Writer’s Diary by Stacey Gustafson
A Writing Desk of One’s Own by Lani Longshore
I read a column by SciFi great Robert Silverberg about his writing desk, the one he has used for fifty years. It's gray steel, with drawers, made in America. My desk is also gray and made in America (by my husband). I'm not sure what Silverberg envisioned when he installed the desk in his New York apartment, but I know what my husband envisioned when he installed the desk in … [Read more...] about A Writing Desk of One’s Own by Lani Longshore
Networking by Lani Longshore
I'm calling 2013 the year of relearning. Two weeks ago, I relearned the value of adding tags to blogs. A few days ago, I relearned the value of networking. The lead judge for California Writers Club Tri-Valley high school writing contest, Lynn Goodwin, conducted a free writing workshop for students on February 5. The contest and workshop were publicized in our newsletter, … [Read more...] about Networking by Lani Longshore
Latinists among us by Lani Longshore
I read an article in Smithsonian magazine that said the rules of English grammar we cherish and curse (sometimes in the same breath) come from a misguided attempt to impose Latin structure on a Germanic root. Well, bite my neck and call me Susie (as my grandfather used to say, and don't ask me who Susie is). I can blame all my agony at the keyboard on the tyranny of … [Read more...] about Latinists among us by Lani Longshore
Old Dog, New Tricks: The evolution of a writer by Lani Longshore
I write a weekly blog about cleaning my sewing room. It's been running for three years and the sewing room isn't remotely tidy, so sometimes I explore other topics. A recent blog was about the plastic bag ban in Alameda County. Since the ban went into effect this month, and I have a huge collection of tote bags for photos (quilters love tote bags), I thought it would be a … [Read more...] about Old Dog, New Tricks: The evolution of a writer by Lani Longshore
