Greetings from Squaw valley

I am loving the literary life here at Squaw. I don't know if it will make me a better writer, but it certainly makes me aware that this craft is not easy. The message over and over is that it is hard and requires daily practice. Even the award winning authors here say that. So when we are feeling defeated by our muse it is good to remember that no one has it easy but we can 't make quitting an option. Imagine if Shakespeare did that.


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Location:Village S,Squaw Valley,United States

Write, write, write

As I head off for Squaw Valley I am reminded of Stephen King's advice to read a lot and write a lot.  My tip for you is the same as it has been for more than 15 years.  Write every day.  Write for a minimum of 15 minutes.  Don't promise yourself you will write for 5 hours on the weekend because you are too busy during the week.  You will be overwhelmed come Saturday.  Instead, get up 15 minutes earlier than usual, set a timer for 15 minutes and write until it goes off.  That's all you have to to do.  But do it every day.  EVERY day.  And you will be more productive over time than you can imagine.  More about my 15 minute method in upcoming posts.

Today's prompt is the flag I made after 9/11.  I created a flag that spoke to the suffering and loss, and to the tributes and hope that followed.  It started with the ribbon of flags from around the world, for this was an assault on humanity.  The plaid ribbons honor the firefighters that day, the ribbons with ladybugs are for good luck, many ribbons with hearts because heart is what was needed.  The puppy dogs and baseball bats are for the children orphaned that day.  The teddy bears are for the children who died.  The stars and insignias are for all in uniform who served that day and in the days following.  The flowers are for the tributes that came from around the world.  The top row start are closed hearts for those that were broken, and solid hearts for healing.

Choose an image from this flag as your prompt and write for fifteen minutes, fiction or non-fiction, centered on freedom, survival, or independence.

Happy 4th of July everyone.

The Daily Writing Coach is back after a year's hiatus.  I have been writing during the past 12 months, though not here, and dealing with life issues that pushed the TDWC onto the back burner.  I don't use this blog to chat about personal matters too much, but a changed marital status--the big D, one of life's major stressors--and health matters--another major stressor in the form of disability problems, upcoming surgery, possibly the big C, though the easily curable one--took the focus away from my passion and onto practical matters.

My exciting news is that I've been accepted to the Squaw Valley Writers Conference and I leave Saturday for a week to immerse myself in nature and writing and expect to return fully recharged.  Or, overwhelmed by the amount of work my almost completed novel still needs.

I celebrate a birthday at Squaw, which, because of recent life events, I am regarding as a new beginning.  What better way to celebrate a resurgence is for me to reconnect with my writing life in a major way.  To start, TDWC will appear three times a week, with a post, a writing prompt and, on Friday's, a writing tip.

I have plans to migrate the blog to a website and I hope you will stay with me as I complete the transition.  I'll keep you posted on that progress.

Writing projects this past year have included the start of a mystery, something I have always fantasized about writing but never had the courage.  At my age, though, what better time than RIGHT NOW do anything.  I have worked on a children's story for my beloved great-nephew, Michael, 9 1/2, and he is truly great in every respect, and so far (it is half-finished) he has given it a thumbs up.  I have also worked with writing and coaching clients and have been privileged to read the work of the gifted women in my writing group.

But now it is time to return to my beloved blog.  Please keep in touch and let me know what you have been doing since our last visit.  The next post you receive will be from Squaw.  Wish me luck!

Photo courtesy of Teofilo.