Happiness 8-13
four quartz crystals in a pool of water; opening the drawer and finding a mysterious charm bracelet; the shepherd home from the hill.
Tag: WriteSpa
Happiness 8-12
setting down the pen with a deep sigh of relief; an island of good luck; tending to your baby llama.
Happiness 8-11
the sweetest moment of all; diving into a mountain lake at dawn; the train pulling out of the station.
Happiness 8-10
the foundation as deep as the steeple is high; partying with treefrogs all night long; flying into the wind.
Happiness 8-9
the birth of the white bison; the stranger taking your hand and leading you out of there; kissing the inside of her elbows.
Happiness 8-8
sunshine on the pomegranate tree; that long talk with a fox in a field; a hand on your shoulder.
Happiness 8-7
the fragrance of Mediterranean fig; wainscotting; transcendence at the bottom of the sky.
Happiness 8-6
holding a mirror up to the sky; swimming to the underwater pyramid at Yonaguni-Jima, Japan; a half-open yellow rose.
Happiness 8-5
two queens talking in the summer house; climbing to the top; seeing things as they really are.
Happiness 8-4
cavorting with crickets late into the evening; entering the stage; mangoes warmed by the sun.
Happiness 8-2
lying on a warm stone; opening your wings to the sun; laughter floating past.
Happiness 8-1
a softly purring lioness; absorbing the sky; a cornucopia of plenty.
Happiness 7-31
moonflowers opening at dusk; finding your way to the heart of the labyrinth; the door into a tree.
WriteSpa #71 – Transitions
I wonder whether we pay enough attention to the delicate time of transitioning from one thing to the next. Moving from playtime to bedtime can bring on a tantrum. Moving from one job to another… […]
Nourish Your Writer’s Soul
Since spring is almost here, I’m offering “Writing through the year – Winter” as a free gift till March 21. Let me know if you’d like a copy – I’ll send you a SW coupon or the mobi file for your kindle.
Here’s what it’s about: […]
WriteSpa #63 – A Place of One’s Own
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
As I was conversing with a WriteSpa client, and we were discussing assignments and goals, I asked her where she wrote. She hesitated, then said, “It’s a bit problematic…I don’t have a laptop and my computer’s in the living room. I don’t really have a place for it.”
From the way she spoke, I could tell that using “the computer” was for her a chore, a bit of a nuisance, something that she ‘should’ turn on and use, like a vacuum cleaner, perhaps. I knew that for her to have a satisfying relationship with Mr. Write, the ambience surrounding the area where she worked was crucial. […]
New Review for PURSUED
Pursued by Winslow Eliot
“In this stunning thriller the reader is taken from the exquisite beauty of Hawaii to the high-rises of Sydney, stopping on the way in Milan. We join investigative reporter Leigh Garner as she pursues a mysterious stolen chalice. Gardner is one of the most likeable of heroines. A “Can Do” gal on a mission.
[eshop_list_featured] […]
WriteSpa #62 – Castling, Forking, and Making Luft
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Conflict
I
loathe conflict, which, for a novelist, is a terrible thing. This summer I tried to appreciate conflict by playing chess, after many years’ hiatus.
Here’s how Manly Hall describes chess (I’m paraphrasing – check out his book): “The chessboard consists of 64 squares alternately black and white and symbolizes the floor of the House of the Mysteries. Upon this field of existence or thought move a number of strangely carved figures, each according to fixed law. The white king is Ormuzd; the black king, Ahriman; and upon the plains of Cosmos the great war between Light and Darkness is fought through all the ages. […]
WriteSpa #59 – Writing Slowly
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
“Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly.” Mae West
A few years ago I read Carl Honore’s In Praise of Slow, where he writes about a growing movement that encourages savoring the time you have rather than trying to use it to further another goal – especially in the case of raising our children. He made some powerful points (although he admits he got a speeding ticket while he was researching the book). The Slow Movement has been growing much faster than you might think from its name – and I hope it continues to do so. […]
WriteSpa #55 – Golden Rabbits, St. Brigid, Imbolc, and Groundhogs
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
February 2 is a turning point. The new moon falls halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox. In Celtic history this festival was known as Imbolc; the Christians changed it to Candlemas, and the Irish celebrate it as St. Brigid’s Day. Imbolc signifies pregnancy and spring, and is honored with fire, foretelling, and remembering through storytelling. The day is also used to assess what the weather is going to be like in the coming weeks till spring.
This year, the new moon is also the first day of the 4708th Chinese New Year. This is going to be the Year of the Golden Rabbit. Why golden? It’s not actually golden, but metal. There are twelve Chinese year animal signs, but there are also five elements that each of these animals circle through (wood, fire, earth, metal, water). Each animal goes through an annual cycle of these five elements, in two forms – one yin and one yang. This means that a complete cycle is sixty years – and the last one we encountered was in 1951. […]
WriteSpa #51 – Thanksgiving
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers
Although Thanksgiving appears to be a uniquely American holiday, the mood now all over the world feels hectic, festive, familyish, planning ahead to the end of the year – and it sometimes can feel dark. Very few holidays are not based in some way on seasonal or pagan rituals – whether they are secular, as is Thanksgiving, or religious. In northern climates (in days long ago), this might be the last time you could see families and friends till spring. In agricultural civilizations, it’s the celebration of the end of harvest. It’s okay to feast now; by February there may be very little left. Nowadays we don’t have that worry; instead the anxiety has crept inwards, and emerges as family-related issues: passionate reunions, guilt, or nostalgia. This time of year can be fraught with tension, excitement, friendliness, food, warmth, light, depression, and so on. […]