If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk? (Dr. Laurence J. Peter) I’ve shared this quote a couple of times before here on my blog, One Writer’s Journal, but it keeps coming to mind since my desk can get cluttered in a very short amount of time. There are just …
Facing the Page
At some point, you have to sit down and face the page alone. At some point, the final decisions need to be yours. At some point, you have to give yourself deadlines and stick to them. ~John McNally I’ve begun my next book. My deadline looms out there and even though it’s a few months away, those months will slide …
The Edge of a Story Cliff
Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop. (Lewis Carroll) How to begin? How do you begin anything that must be done? A long journey – by taking the first step. An unpleasant chore – by grabbing the mop or hammer or paintbrush or whatever tool is necessary to get started. A novel …
First Lines and First Winner
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1 (New Kings James Version) I guess when you decide to write a post about the first lines of books, you can’t go completely wrong with the first line of the Bible. That line opens the door to everything that follows. God in the beginning and then wow. No …
On a Story Cliff Edge
“Beginnings” Click on the link above to see this word cloud at WordItOut. You may also view it on this website if you enable JavaScript (see your web browser settings). Word cloud made with WordItOut First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in …
The Audacity to Begin Again
“In every artist there is a touch of audacity without which no talent is conceivable.” ~Johann Wolfgang von Goeth Tomorrow I will begin. I will sit in front of my computer and think of all the blank pages ahead of me. I will invent characters. I will imagine love and despair. I will seek action and listen to see if …
Blank Pages, Beginnings and Book Launches
Talking to friends – the best part of a booksigning A new book means I get to celebrate with my reading friends. I started having book launch celebrations here in my hometown when my first inspirational novel, The Scent of Lilacs was published. We had so much fun that I’ve had a book launch party for every book since. And …
Desk Clean – Awaiting the Clutter of a New Story
If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk? (Dr. Laurence J. Peter) I had a goal last weekend of cleaning off my desk. I put it off as long as I could Saturday. Even washed windows instead of tackling the piles of accumulated papers, book catalogs, notes and cards, …