Welcome, writers!

Thank you for stopping by my first blog post ever. It’s great to have readers! A warm welcome.

If you’ve found your way here, you’re likely a writer, or maybe a reader who craves hours alone to get lost in a book. For many writers and book lovers, myself included, this quote from English writer and Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling feels true to the bone: “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”

We develop our fascination with words early. According to the Enneagram system, people can be classified into nine personality types based on behavior patterns developed in childhood. You could be a Helper, a Romantic, an Adventurer, and so forth. In The Enneagram Made Easy, a book that uses whimsical drawings to illustrate each personality type, one drawing in particular will make writers and avid readers take notice. A couple is sitting outdoors on the ground, back-to-back, each engrossed in a book. A single thought balloon over their heads says, “This is the BEST first date I ever had!”

The illustration depicts the Observer type (a “five” in the Enneagram system—introverted, thinker, likes to spend time alone reading). I’m squarely in the five camp. As a professional writer and editor for over 25 years, I live and breathe words. I could happily enjoy that first date.

What’s ahead on the blog?

Whether you’re already a practicing writer, or feeling the call to become one, the intent of this blog is twofold.

One, to help you become a better writer. Two, to help you move gracefully through the ins and outs of the writer’s journey—the decisions, fears, courage, crises, obsessions, and celebrations that will shape you in ways you can’t foresee or imagine.

I plan to write about creativity and books and the how-to of writing. I’ll share lessons learned and tales from the journey, and useful things I’ve discovered as a writer, writing teacher, and mentor, in ways that I hope will inspire you on your journey.

 Inspiration

Since I’m rarely without my camera, you’ll also find photographs on this blog. Above is a beachside path where I often take a long walk at the end of the day. It’s a magnificent spot where cluttered thoughts dance off and disappear into the clouds and waves. In the silence of not thinking, fresh ideas dance back.

If you’d like to explore your creativity, or cultivate a writer’s mindset that lets you travel your path with less stress and more success, I invite you to come back and read, or subscribe to, this blog.

Send your comments

Your thoughts, suggestions, and questions in response to any blog post are welcome. You can comment on this page or by email.

Again, thank you for being here. I look forward to writing, and to reading your words as I embark on this blogging adventure. I’ll even imagine us sitting back-to-back, engrossed not in reading our separate books, but in writing them.

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