I AM WRITING

Being out-of-town and caring my son's surgery has taken my time off of writing. I am trying to get my head back in gear. To do this I have been looking at Writer's Digest (WD) and Jeff Goins' Writing Tribe. I wanted to respond to one I found in WD. Full disclosure: I never bought into any of the myths so I'm really sharing to pat myself in the back because I've known these myths all along. It's always good to be validated. 10 Myth-Busting Answers to 10 FAQs on Grammar, Writing and Publishing by Brian A. Klems  Can you end a sentence with a preposition? Should you always start a novel with action? There are many so-called writing rules that you hear every day, but not all of them are true. Here are 10 common writing myths debunked. 1. GUILTY OF IMPROPER PREPOSITIONING? Q: You can’t end a sentence with a preposition, can you? A: Actually, you can. There isn’t a real grammar commandment that says “Thou Shalt Not End Sentences With Prepositions.” M...

It is sad to admit that I only came across John Yeoman after his death. When I subscribed to his blog, I got this letter-- ----------------------------------------------------------- John Yeoman   < cwriting@btinternet.com > to  me Thank you for your email. It is with sadness that I pass on the news that  John   Yeoman  passed away peacefully this month (July). This email account is no longer being regularly monitored, and the website and content will no longer be updated. John  has left us somewhat in the dark about the detailed comings and goings of his website and creative endeavours. I hope that you still manage to get enjoyment from his little corner of the internet, however all incoming and outgoing payments from the business Paypal account have been cancelled as of 13th July. Please be assured if you have donated to MacMillan Cancer Support via  John  we are sending a substantial cheque to this great...

Her death stirred me. I really don't know why other than her birthday was around my birthday and I just thought her poems touched me. As some of you may know the United States Postal Service made a tribute stamp for her in 2014 and I promptly bought it. Part of me wanted to keep it as a collectible but I ended up using it. And now I am looking at an empty collectible stamp book and I don't have the nerve to throw it away unless I do something to remember it by. So I'm writing a blog about it. This is what the stamp looked like-- This is the whole page-- And finally, the back said this-- MAYA ANGELOU Author, poet, actress, and champion of civil rights Dr. Maya Angelou (1928-2014) was one of the most dynamic voices in all of 20th-century American literature. The book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,  an autobiographical account of her childhood, gained wide acclaim for its vivid depiction of African-American life in the South. Published in 1969, I Kn...

We lost our 14-year-old Min Pin on Wednesday, August 17. We found him a couple miles from our home. He was apparently hit by a car. We miss you, Reggie. It is a small consolation that at least you are no longer in pain (due to your arthritis).

How long did it take Richard Alpert to become Ram Dass? How long did it take Starbucks to become the company they are now today? How long did it take Facebook to become a successful social media outlet? How long did it take for Michael Crichton to write his first book after leaving medicine? How long did it take for John Grisham to publish his first book after stopping his law practice? How long will my transformation take? Patience is hard to come by. I still feel torn in many directions. I have so much to give. So much to learn. What do I do next?