My first name is not an especially difficult one to spell, or so I thought. It's just one "A," two "N"s, and two "E"s separated by two "T"s. Easy-peasy, right? But believe me, it's been misspelled as Anita, Antoinette, Antonia, Annetta, and even Arlene. I found out when traveling to Egypt that the hieroglyphic equivalent of my name translates simply to the phonetic "Anet." … [Read more...] about Always Check Your Spelling, Especially Proper Names! by Annette Langer
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My Life as a Walking Tetris by Lani Longshore
The anthology is in print, we had a wonderful launch party at Towne Center Books in Pleasanton, but the long shadow of the To-Do List is creeping over my joy. Like many of you - probably all of you - I have a lot of irons in the fire. Writing isn't the only thing I do, so time management is essential. I have lists and charts and graphs in all of my work spaces, reminding me of … [Read more...] about My Life as a Walking Tetris by Lani Longshore
Pride and Process by Lani Longshore
Bragging is frowned upon in polite society, but I'm going to do it anyway. The first anthology of Tri-Valley Writers, Voices of The Valley: First Press, is now in print. The club has dreamed of providing members an opportunity to experience being published, and like all big dreams it never seems quite real when it comes true. The dream felt real enough in the middle of the … [Read more...] about Pride and Process by Lani Longshore
Twas two months before Christmas by Julie Royce
Our critique group gave ourselves a challenge to write a story based on an object and a place. We gave ourselves a year and planned to read the stories at our December meeting. As the deadline approached, Julie Royce found herself enmeshed in a story that would not behave itself. She wrote the following poem instead, and now we offer it as Tri-Valley's Christmas present to our … [Read more...] about Twas two months before Christmas by Julie Royce
First Lines, Last Days by Lani Longshore
One of my critique groups held a story challenge in 2011. We drew slips of paper with the names of an object and a place, and had to create a short story around them. This year one of the suggestions for the challenge is to start with the same first line. As I scan my writing area, covered with scraps of paper like a forest floor littered with leaves, I wonder if I could use a … [Read more...] about First Lines, Last Days by Lani Longshore
Treasure by Lani Longshore
The participants of NaNoWriMo (and congratulations to you all, whether you hit 50,000 words or not) now have the editing to do. Like childbirth, getting the new creation out is only the first part of the job. Next comes the sorting and training, the snipping and shearing, dressing up and dressing down. For those of us who write fiction, editing - like parenting - is when we … [Read more...] about Treasure by Lani Longshore
NaNoWriMo and me (not) by Lani Longshore
It's official - everyone is writing now. Six classes of elementary students in San Jose are officially part of NaNoWriMo, and there are 2000 classrooms across the country participating. Forget about being smarter than a fifth-grader - are you more disciplined than a sixth-grader? Given that I didn't actually sign up for NaNoWriMo, I have to say I'm not. I do have a project, … [Read more...] about NaNoWriMo and me (not) by Lani Longshore
The irony gods must be laughing by Lani Longshore
In some circles, I am known for the sweetness of my nature. My family has a different story to tell, especially after I've tried to make my way through a technical manual. My language becomes anything but sweet, my expression resembles a Halloween mask, and my husband reminds me to breathe by saying, "In through the nose, out through the ears." I launch into rants about people … [Read more...] about The irony gods must be laughing by Lani Longshore
