My 102-year-old cousin died last week. She was the sort of old person I aspire to be. At 97, she decided her walk-up apartment and cooking and cleaning for herself was getting to be a bit much, and moved herself into care, marbles intact. I knew her quite well in her retirement, but I never… Continue reading Writing Obituaries
Category: Writing
New Digs
Welcome to my website. I’ve left some of my very old blog posts here for continuity, but all the non-blog information on these pages is current and up-to-date. As I release this website, I’m heading into a year I hope will be filled with new adventures, even if Covid forces us all to stay home… Continue reading New Digs
Hello from Scotland
By this time of night, my body still reminds me that it started the wake-up process at 4am thanks to minor lingering jet lag, so this will just be a fly-by post. After a couple of nights in Dunfermline and days driving all over East and West Lothian, I’m now settled into Edinburgh for a… Continue reading Hello from Scotland
Scotland Research Trip
This Friday, I depart for a research trip in Scotland. Much of it will be family-history related, but not all, and I’m excited about the other parts, too. Two years ago, I spent the last two nights of a brief trip to Scotland staying in the guest house in the picture. It was an absolute… Continue reading Scotland Research Trip
On Writer’s Block
I’ll let you in on a secret: I haven’t written a word in two months. This is a highly unusual state of affairs for me. Even when the words aren’t flowing easily, and there have been lots of times when they haven’t, there are words most days, or at least most weeks. Only deliberate vacations,… Continue reading On Writer’s Block
Mastering Writing Craft?
I was skimming through a bunch of blog posts recently, and came across one that said an unnamed “famous” writer had mastered his craft and no longer needed editorial help. I’ve since lost track of where I read it, but the sentence stood out to me, making me want to yell various things at my… Continue reading Mastering Writing Craft?
Three Things on a Friday Afternoon
This topic came up in a random conversation the other day, and I thought it was a fun one to put on the blog, mostly because I’d really love to hear your own answers to this: what are three things most people probably don’t know about you? I found it hard to come up with… Continue reading Three Things on a Friday Afternoon
Catching up on Links
Today is one of those rare days when I’m taking an hour to catch up on reading all the cool links I’ve clicked through to and left sitting open on my browser until I have so many windows open my computer is struggling to breathe. Among them is stuff that might be of interest to… Continue reading Catching up on Links
Women's Fiction: Your Favourite Quiet Reads
I write what are typically called “quiet books”, women’s fiction with character-driven stories about relationships and the choices we make and human emotions and all that good stuff. Not surprisingly, those are also the kinds of books I love to read. Thanks to (the perfect) thank you gift I received in the form of a… Continue reading Women's Fiction: Your Favourite Quiet Reads
Stopping to Listen
I’m not writing today. I’m tempted. I have a story that’s been talking to me for a couple of weeks now, asserting itself with scene ideas when I’m trying to sleep, keeping my mind occupied when I’m running errands or working out or doing any of the thousand things we do in a day that… Continue reading Stopping to Listen