Writing

October is breast cancer awareness month and a reminder to have our mammograms. If you’re unfortunate enough to brush up with breast cancer, you hopefully have a great support system. During the course of my two breast cancer journeys, writing has always been my panacea…

I first became interested in teaching small children how to write during my undergraduate work as I trained to be an elementary teacher. In the 1980s, the teaching of writing was shifting in a new direction. Influenced by educators like Donald Graves and Lucy Calkins, the focus moved away from rigid rules, drills, and worksheets and toward a child-centered approach.

I was honored when the editor of Sixty and Me asked me to share my author’s journey with the community. I have read many other articles and blogs where authors share their journeys, and it is always fascinating. There are so many different motivations and paths that authors…

Poetry is a powerful genre because it allows self-expression and thus can increase your sense of well-being. In addition, reading and writing poetry not only leads to healing and transformation, but it can make you a better writer. In general, writing poetry fosters the development…

Over the last decade or so, memoir has grown into one of the most popular reading genres. But the truth is, personal stories have been part of the human DNA for a very long time. We have been telling our tales to each other for centuries. But in modern times, more…

On a recent trip to Ireland, Wales, and England, I was hoping to keep a daily travel journal. Although, I’m a writer by trade, it seemed a daunting task. Taking the time each and every day of the trip to consider what I had seen and experienced is one…

As Flannery O’Connor famously quipped, anyone who has survived childhood has enough material to write for the rest of her life. That’s good for us because memoir writing is one of the most popular pursuits in retirement, but also daunting for many people…

There probably has never been a better time to become a published author. Just 15 years ago, your best chance of getting published meant submitting to traditional publishers and keeping your fingers crossed while you wait months for them to respond with whether…

So you want to be a writer? Well, after having written for over 20 years, I can say it is the best job in the world. There is nothing more thrilling than not only seeing your words in print, but hearing from people who have read them. It is one of the most humbling…

Imagine yourself at a casual social gathering, where you find the courage to share a life event that deeply affected you. This simple act becomes an icebreaker, and soon, you’re bombarded with comments like, “You should write a book!”