Happy Climbing: How to Overcome Obstacles

My family is blessed to own property on a beautiful island in northern Lake Michigan. While it is the largest island in Lake Michigan, Beaver Island is not exactly brimming with activities or tourist attractions like Great Britain in the Atlantic, or Australia or Hawaii in the Pacific. It is a place to unwind from …

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How to Write

Step One: She stares at a blank screen, the unnatural white of the word program flickering like an incandescent bulb about to blow. She adjusts the brightness. The screen plummets into darkness. She adjusts the brightness back up, one click at a time until she is satisfied that she won't get a blistering headache. Step …

The Only New Year’s Resolution You Need

Welcome to 2019! As we look out on a fresh, new year full of untapped potential, we often find ourselves glancing backward at the year gone by. I will be the first to say quite proudly that my 2018 went remarkably well, and I plan to make my 2019 also a success by following a …

Shout Outs and Just Plain Old Shouting

This blog post is not going as I had anticipated, but sometimes you have to follow your muse where it will lead you and not force it into any creative corner. Yesterday I attempted to set up a Twitter account. I say attempted because about 64% through the set up process (according to the helpful indicator), Twitter …

Pedants and Platitudes Part I

"You'll find your husband as soon as you stop looking for him." "You can't wait around for your knight in shining armor to ride up. You have to actively search for him." "Just be yourself. Let him see the real you." "Make sure you always look your best. Men don't like ungroomed girls. And always …

Sound of Silence

The digital clock told me it was way past eleven in the evening. The city lights of Chicago shone dimly through the curtain, deceptively making the outdoors brighter than it should be. My sister sat sobbing on the bed of our hotel room, in the throes of an existential crisis. “I’ve been around people all …

Not a Waste of Time: Using Fan-fiction in the Classroom

I have a confession to make that may forever alter your opinion of me (those of you who have wandered onto my blog for the first time are currently thinking, Umm, I don't have any opinions). I love reading and writing fan-fiction. I currently have two fanfic accounts on the internet, which anyone with a semblance of …