A Stop on a Medal of Honor Highway

Unlike much of western Washington, the town of Sequim (pronounced "Squim") isn't surrounded by thick evergreen forests. Perched on the northern edge of the Olympic Peninsula, near the forrested and mountainous Olympic National Park, Sequim itself is only 184' above sea level—if it weren't for the saltwater on the horizon and the occasional herd of…

Purple Hedgehogs Can Be Villains, Too

I hope this weekend finds you all well, Readers and Writers! Today, I am busily compiling my annual Father's Day collaborative writing project. I wrote about this annual event three years ago in one of my very first blog posts, "Purple Hedgehogs Can be Villians, Too." The kids are older, but the writing adventure hasn't…

On Being a Writing Parent – Roll the Dice and Hope for the Best!

As the end of my first NaNoWriMo * approaches, and I realize that I have five days left and 13,000 more words to write, (ack!)  I've been feeling that struggle again- the struggle of the writing parent. While some of my circumstances have changed a little since I first published this a year ago, the…

Miracle

We thought we'd lost him As I stood before the room Of shining morning faces Who didn't understand Why Teacher's went pale.   Driving to the clinic I pulled over When the sobs came too hard. Dear God, please. Not this.   Waiting. Barely breathing Until a flicker of light- A tiny heart's flutter- Shone…

Fictional Babies Never Spit Up: On Writing Characters With Children

Ah, details. There's nothing like a detail that's out of place or forgotten for pulling me out of a story. For instance, I have no problem watching a movie about reconstituted dinosaurs walking the Earth. I'll even accept that the characters truly believe that this time having said dinosaurs in a theme park will work out. But…

Purple Hedgehogs Can Be Villains Too

Can Father's Day be next weekend already? Last year I wrote this post to tell the story of the writing project my children and I always embark on for the holiday, and to share some thoughts on creativity. I thought I'd share it again, as we will be off on this same journey this week.…

Tangible History

  I've accepted the fact that my home is not my own.   Shining plastic eyes of a zoo's worth of stuffed animals watch as I try to cross my living room unwounded by Legos and matchbox cars. Bath toys attack from their shelf as I grab the disinfectant, and search for the source of that…

The Joys of Being a Parent AND a Writer

Writing while parenting small children is hard. Honestly? Simpler tasks that require no creativity, like showering, are hard. Sometimes I catch myself focusing on the negatives of the journey- the sleepless nights, my disaster area of a living room, another diaper going through the wash, the day's plans out the window because someone's sick again. The joy gets…

On Being a Writing Parent – Roll the Dice and Hope for the Best!

As the end of my first NaNoWriMo approaches, and I realize that I have five days left and 13,000 more words to write, (ack!)  I've been feeling that struggle again- the struggle of the writing parent. While some of my circumstances have changed a little since I first published this a year ago, the tension…

Sweet Stories

I had the best intentions. I enjoy writing. I love my children. How hard could it be to keep a journal of their milestones? How could I possibly fail to record the cute things they said, and the humorous little anecdotes of their early years? The pile of blank journals available for use when I…