Tag Archives: not writing

Relearning Stillness

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Nancy

For two months I have been on the move within a twelve mile radius. I was forced to leave my beloved studio (dubbed the treehouse) where I have worked and taught my classes for ten years. There was a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in comfort, Day by day, emotion, Energy, fiction, Listening, Maintenance, Process, procrastination, silence, Starting Again, Stillness, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized | Tagged busyness, character, dread, fear, life of a writer, not writing, priorities, process, productivity, spaciousness, starting again, stillness, storytelling, Voices | Leave a comment

The Art of Listening

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Nancy

If you are a writer, you must listen. You must listen to your instincts. You must listen to the world. You must listen to the things that lack conventional voice. You must listen to the trees, the river, the deer, … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, comfort, Consumerism, creativity, Day by day, education, Elitism, emotion, Energy, Exploration, fun with what we do, intuition, Magic, Philosophy, Play, privacy, silence, spaciousness, spirit, Uncategorized, Wildness | Tagged advice, character, life of a writer, listening, magic, not writing, physical world, spaciousness, unplugging, Voices, writing life | 4 Comments

Obsession

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Nancy

My life, my mood, my days, my sleep – everything goes better when I have an obsession. Not the unhealthy kind. Not the does-he-love-me-why-doesn’t-he-call kind of obsession. Not the I-need-a-new-pocketbook-and-complete-wardrobe-overhaul kind of obsession. Not the I- need-to-pull-my-life-up-by-the-roots-and-start-all-over kind of obsession. … Continue reading →

Posted in Completing a novel, creativity, Day by day, depression, Drafts, Energy, Exploration, failure, fiction, fun with what we do, Grief, Magic, Passion, Play, Process, Prompts, research, Starting a new work, Uncategorized, work | Tagged character, creative life, grief, holy pact, life of a writer, not writing, research, storytelling | Leave a comment

Chasing Poetry

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Nancy

Every day the poems slip away, as indifferent as cats. They slink behind trees and clouds. The burble beneath the swamp. I glimpse them floating downstream as I am walking up. But they are not just in the woods. They … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, Elitism, Energy, intuition, Play, Poetry, Prompts, soul, spirit, Story, The Muse, Uncategorized, Wildness | Tagged creative life, fear, life of a writer, literary world, not writing, process, storytelling, writing life | 3 Comments

On Writing and Balance

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Nancy

This is from a talk I gave at the Franklin County Arts Council Writers’ Guild Spring Retreat on balancing a creative life with a work life. The problem is never time. It’s urgency. How much urgency do you feel? How … Continue reading →

Posted in comfort, Comparison, Competition, Completing a novel, creativity, Day by day, depression, emotion, Energy, fiction, fun with what we do, Grief, Process, silence, spaciousness, The Writer's Life, Uncategorized, Writing career | Tagged advice, character, creative life, fear, giving up, life of a writer, not writing, process, productivity, spaciousness, storytelling, writing life | 4 Comments

Figuring it Out

Posted on March 16, 2016 by Nancy

Besides writing novels, I also weave tapestries on a small lap loom and am learning to play the harp. I feel fortunate to have several different creative endeavors and I try to do a little of each every day. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, Day by day, emotion, Exploration, failure, Materials, Self-worth, Uncategorized, work | Tagged creative life, giving up, life of a writer, not writing, process, self esteem, storytelling, working, writing life | 2 Comments

Take Heart, Creators

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Nancy

I imagine that we all have a lot spinning in our hearts right now. It’s an election year here in the United States, and a contentious one and the energy is painful and distracting and punishing. Political views aside, how … Continue reading →

Posted in comfort, creativity, Day by day, depression, emotion, Energy, fiction, Gratitude, Grief, History, Process, Publishing, Story, Uncategorized | Tagged creative life, life of a writer, literary world, not writing, priorities, process, renewal, working, writing life | Leave a comment

Make ’em Care

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Nancy

I watched Lonesome Dove this weekend, half on Saturday and half on Sunday. I needed something epic and grand and filled with great scenery, strong emotions, and memorable characters. I needed something like this because, frankly, all I wanted to … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity, Day by day, Decisions, Exploration, failure, fiction, Publishing, Reading, Starting a new work, Starting over, The Muse, Uncategorized | Tagged character, creative life, deadlines, giving up, life of a writer, not writing, physical world, process | Leave a comment

Proof of Seriousness?

Posted on February 8, 2016 by Nancy

For years I wrote while holding down some sort of job that had nothing to do with writing. The jobs were not glamorous. House cleaning, bartending, carpentry, costumer, clerk in a grocery store, cocktail waitress, house cleaner again, and again, … Continue reading →

Posted in Community; Genorosity, creativity, Day by day, Decisions, economics, Elitism, Exploration, Philosophy, Publishing, research, Uncategorized, work | Tagged advice, creative life, life of a writer, literary world, not writing, physical world, research, working, writing life | 6 Comments

Weaving a Blue Horse

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Nancy

This weekend I tried to weave an image of a horse on my small lap loom. It had been a long time since I’d tried to shape a horse with yarn across tightly stretched warp, and it wasn’t coming easily. … Continue reading →