Resurrection Song, Second Version
In 2004, when I was writing song lyrics, I had the good fortune to hook up with talented singer/songwriter Shelley Miller. On a shoestring, without the aid of a recording studio, she transformed my lyrics into a medium-tempo folk song, created the music, and sang my Resurrection song beautifully. In less than two weeks, she…
Read MoreAngel Heroes Song, third version
I wrote the lyrics of the song Angel Heroes (music and arrangement by gifted local musician John Valentine, demoed by Azalea studios in Nashville in 2005, and CD cover by my friend Phyllis Ha) as a tribute to my formerly dearest friend and present angel hero Vic Lazzarini, the protagonist of my memoir Angel Hero. …
Read MoreHow To Keep Your Writing Cooking
MG McClintock, author of “Bastard Sons of Ireland,” tells amusing anecdotes about famous authors’ rituals to keep themselves writing. Benjamin Franklin soaked in the bathtub. Truman Capote wrote lying down. Maya Angelou used legal pads, sherry, cards, a Bible and thesaurus while lounging in a hotel room. Shakespeare picked up his pen, turned around, rolled…
Read MoreMystery Writer Woes
“Know how your story will end before you begin to write it…think over various solutions to your character’s problem, remembering that she has to solve the mystery herself.” Joan Lowery Nixon Sounds good, Joan, but I’m clueless about how the mystery novel I’m trying to plot will end, or even what it’s about. So I…
Read MorePresent Moment, Wonderful Moment
Yesterday, the impulse to unclutter grabbed hold of me. I sorted through stuff Barry and I hadn’t used for five years or more, and made piles of unwanted books and magazines, frayed clothes, and chipped kitchenware. I discarded torn, stained, or broken items and donated usable items to charities. Winnowing through my files, I discovered…
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