When I accomplish a goal, I wish I had a button to push. It would play a recording of one of those European soccer announcers celebrating the ball making it in the net. I don't speak Spanish or Italian, but their passion for the game is contagious. I'm going to start my next writing day [...]
Perfection Achieved*
1988 I have another story to tell you. This family photo was my Christmas card thirty-one years ago. One of my dearest friends received it and declared the image and my family perfect. I politely thanked her and marveled at how one click of a camera lens can convey such deception. I'm coming to grips [...]
The Exception
A standout fellow writer I vented a little in yesterday's post, lamenting the lack of usable comps and writers of mental health memoirs who are with it. I neglected to mention someone who's work I admire. The inimitable, the amazing...Jenny Lawson aka The Bloggess. This woman has written multiple best sellers, maintained a killer blog [...]
Diving In
Let's talk. Wow. I've been spending a lot of time researching comparable and competitive titles as I prepare to publish my memoir. The first pool I dipped my toe into was general memoir. There seems to be no shortage of writers wanting to tell their version of the dash between birth and an end date. [...]
New Year? Bring it.
Exuberance New beginnings started yesterday. I'm not totally giving 2019 the bum's rush because it was a decent year for me. In fact, it was downright remarkable. I put my nose to the grindstone and worked almost single-mindedly on a project that has been haunting most of my adult life. My memoir is essentially written, [...]
Coming Up for Air
Feeling free This is how I feel today. I'm taking a few days off from writing to make a couple of pies and enjoy Thanksgiving with my family. I have cooked a turkey almost every year since I was twenty-four. This year, I'm a guest at my sister's house and I'm responsible for dessert. This [...]
…And Exhale
On the bright side Well, I got my editor's notes regarding my draft memoir on Friday. In an attempt to prepare myself for the worst, I imagined all the negative things she could have written. None of those things came to pass. She also did not declare the book the greatest thing she'd ever read. [...]
Deep Breath
Here we go Today is a big day. After six weeks away from my draft, I'm having a teleconference with my editor to hear her feedback. To get in a receptive frame of mind, I watched vintage Brené Brown in her inaugural TEDx talk about vulnerability. I hadn't seen it in a while and her [...]
Getting Real
It's time. When I started this blog, I actually believed I could fill the spaces with funny, anecdotal stories about writing. Surely my wit could carry the day, right? As it turns out, I was mistaken. After this week, it feels disingenuous to project such a simple, one-sided view. It's not about the lighter side [...]
Mental Health Awareness Week
Summer 1989 In honor of Mental Health Awareness Week, I thought I'd post a picture of my beautiful family from the year I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder. It was a tough summer for everybody. We were able to fit in a vacation in August, shown above, in Pequot Lakes, MN. Those wonderful babies [...]
