Teaching Story Structure to Third Graders
I’m nervous. OK, more than a little nervous. Though I’ve spoken to adult groups across the region, I’ve been invited to speak to a third/fourth grade multi-age class about my writing experiences. My plan is to use Cinderella’s story as a model for the group to come up with a short story of their own. […]
To Contest or Not to Contest
I’ve set aside pressing duties to make room for another contest submission. Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest out of Hibbing, MN, the home of the famous Bob Dylan, has a great annual contest with cash prizes and publication for winners. My poem, Devil in the Details, took first place in 2004. What fun to read […]
Laying Aside Expectations
Writing requires a lot of stubbornness. It takes courage to write the words, one after another, without the guarantee that the finished product will ever see the light of publication. It takes faith to believe that the writer’s story is worth the valiant effort needed to see it through to completion. My three novels, ABERCROMBIE […]
99 Years of Poetry and Finding the Best Title
Today I attended the 99th birthday party of Brainerd poet, Maxine Russell. What a celebration to honor Maxine and her many literary accomplishments that include several books of poetry, a biography, and a tenure as the League of Minnesota Poet Laureate. Maxine was an early influence on my poetry, an ongoing encourager and example of […]
Kindling a Passion for Reading
My grandson asked for a Kindle for his 10th birthday yesterday–and got it. Amazing to see a young boy reading an e-book about Stink the guinea pig. He liked the way he could look up unfamiliar words and change the fonts. Like most kids, Jack loves anything technological. But Stink on Kindle? Sigh, another wake […]
Brainerd Writer’s Alliance
Brainerd Writers Alliance met Saturday morning at the Brainerd Library. Every month a different member is asked to present a short educational program. It was my turn and I shared my notes from a fall workshop given by Brian Malloy at the Pine City Writing Conference. Mr. Malloy’s theory of the five steps of a […]
BIRDIE to be published in May 2011
My publicist and I met with the good people of North Star Press yesterday to determine the best way to launch and market BIRDIE (to be released in May 2011). BIRDIE continues the story of Evan and Inga Jacobson and Ragna Larson–eleven years after the 1862 Sioux Uprising–during the start of the grasshopper plagues of […]
quilting with words
A good friend is a master quilter. Her color and design choices transform ordinary scraps of fabric into works of art. I’m envious–I’ve never been able to sew with any level of expertise. Her work speaks to the world through the beauty and symmetry of her craft. Writing resembles quilting in many ways. The words […]
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