Three More Plots Readers Love Plus A Giveaway
Three more you say? What about the first three? Almost two and a half years ago I blogged about three plots readers seem to love. At the time I said the blog needed a sequel. Then I moved on and never looked back. Today I came across that post, and so I sat awhile, as…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Gardens and Gardening
“Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity.” ~Lindley Karstens, noproblemgarden.com Chautauqua is alive with many beautiful gardens this time of year, and I find them all wonderfully inspiring. Here are photos of…
Read MoreIt Only Seems Like Yesterday
Was it really 1990? It only seems like yesterday… Once upon a time I had a dream. Yes, I really did. I was in bed with the flu and feverish. I couldn’t work, but I couldn’t let go of a dream I’d had for a romance proposal due soon to my publisher. A proposal can…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Sky’s the Limit
“Don’t tell me sky’s the limit when there’s footprints on the moon.” -Buzz Aldrin One of the most inspirational moments of our age was the first time a person walked on the moon, which occurred 50 years ago yesterday. Most of us who are old enough can remember where we were and how we felt when…
Read MoreGrandson On Board
This week is Grandma/Grandpa camp at our house at Chautauqua Institution in New York. Liam, seven, our oldest grandson, is spending the week with us, going to Boys Club in the mornings and learning to be a naturalist in the afternoons. Today at 5 we’ll go to a special kids presentation by the Chautauqua opera…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: To Make a Difference
“To make a difference in someone’s life you don’t have to be brilliant. Rich. Beautiful. Perfect. You just have to care.” -Mandy Hale This has been National Geographic week at Chautauqua with the theme of A Planet in Balance with some excellent lectures. The message is, as Mandy Hale says, that we just have to…
Read MoreThe Devil Made Me Do It, Or Did S/He?
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. The most common question novelists are is asked is where they get their ideas. There’s a good reason for this question, one I often want to ask my favorite writers, too. Ideas are by far the most interesting part of writing, for both writers and non-writers. All…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: Depression and Anxiety
This powerful video was sent to me by a friend whose daughter made the video and later ended her own life, overcome by the depression and anxiety that had haunted her too long. This is what she says about it: “My daughter Margaret (Peggy) was making a video on depression and anxiety aimed at teenagers…
Read MoreGive Me Your Tired…
The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus (1883) Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome;…
Read MoreSunday Inspiration: The Best Time
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.” -Chinese proverb One of our speakers used that quote this week here at Chautauqua Institution, and it struck me as especially inspirational. Instead of wallowing in guilt over what I haven’t done in the past — which I…
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