owl in flight

Writing or creativity of any kind is a mysterious process, a journey into deep and unchartered waters. What you need is a compass… the Tarot.

Category: Travel

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jog

Three weeks on the road—or in the air. And now I am home. Home, where I sleep in my own bed, eat the food I’ve prepared, and greet the daylilies still blooming in the yard. I can enjoy the view from the chaise in our bedroom while I write and

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Are You Coming Out of Your Creative Cave?

A journy is best measured in friends rather than miles. Tim Cahill Events like the writers conference this past weekend remind me how important it is to get out of the office/studio and connect with people. Writers and other creatives spend a lot of time working in isolation in a

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Traveling on Rough Road?

One evening, Bob and I were on our way into town for a rare dinner out on a major two-lane state road. Spring driving here in the Northeast often means the asphalt version of corduroy, or a deteriorated and crumbled version of sinkholes. Bob, ever the skilled driver, approached these

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How Portable is Your Writing?

I like writing to be more portable and flexible. I like writing to be something that fits into cracks and crannies. I don’t like it to dominate my life. I like it to fill my life. There is a big difference. ~ Julia Cameron, The Right to Write I do

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Do You Believe in Your Own Identity?

Believe in your own identity and your own opinions. Writing is an act of ego, and you might as well admit it. ~ William Zinsser Author William Zinsser died last week. He wrote the book On Writing Well. I love the idea that to be a writer, I must first

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Explore the Night Life When You Travel

This is my tenth post in this special series by Beth Barany and I on Travel and Writing. In this post, we talk about the value of those nighttime experiences for your stories. Also, get information on our retreats, Beth’s in Paris, and my VIW (Very Important Writer) retreats here

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Follow the Bread Crumbs

For this post in this special series by Beth Barany and I on Travel and Writing, we share about the importance of following the bread crumbs of curiosity when you travel in order to discover new stories, settings and information. Look for more posts from us every other Wednesday. And

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What is Your Chocolate Croissant?

Bob and I live out in the country on a wooded five acres. The only Starbucks is about 20+ miles into Albany or its suburbs. When Bob and I travel, one of our traveling treats is to stop at a Starbucks for his coffee and my chai latte. Oh, and

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Talking with Your Hands…in Your Writing

For this seventh post in this special series by Beth Barany and me on Travel and Writing, we share our personal experiences with how body language can communicate culture and country, and how you can use your experience of it to add dimension and detail to characters and setting. Look

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New Languages, New Stories

Welcome to the sixth installment in this special series by Beth Barany and I on Travel and Writing. We are offering information, tips, techniques and tools for writers who are traveling for business, pleasure or on retreat. Look for more posts from us every other Wednesday. And get information on

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