Blog
Blog
Blog
“Il faut cultiver notre jardin,” —Voltaire
For those of us who don’t do fancy French, this means:
“We must cultivate our garden,” says Pangloss at the end of Voltaire’s Candide.
No sentiment could be truer for women who write. Stop focusing on the whole wide world. Instead, maintain a space that is your own and encourages the fruits of your labors to blossom.
But the process of growing our garden requires the right tools. Reading this blog and learning how to revise your own stories could help you cultivate your garden, obtain peace of mind, and establish your writing legacy. Happy reading and writing!
Looking for a specific writing topic? Search the entire blog below.
Healing vs. Processing: How to Use Your Trauma for Big Transformations
I’m not a doctor. I don’t even play one on TV.
I’m also not a licensed therapist, so none of this should be taken as medical advice. (If you fear that writing about a traumatic event may re-traumatize you, please contact a therapist that can safely guide you through the process.) What I am is a writer—one who has firsthand experience on how the writing process has the power to transform grief and trauma.
My Hero’s Journey: A Philosopher Mom Takes a Detour
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”— Lao Tzu
Great advice...
Unless you’re a sleep-deprived mom who’s started a daily hiking regiment with a grubby toddler who sticks her disgusting monkey finger in your ear, causing you to develop a double ear infection that perforates your eardrum and forces your ass on the sofa for three weeks.
That’s how my journey began.
What is Writing, Anyhoo?
Oral storytelling, theatre, handwritten manuscripts, school lectures, business presentations, stand-up comedy, news reports, archives of microfilm and microfiche, videos, podcasts, physical books, ebooks, blog posts, TV shows, movies, Zoom presentations, social media posts, love letters.
What do all these things have in common?
You guessed it—words.
Start with Your Senses
I know, it seems overly simplistic. But there’s a lot to explore through your five senses. Don’t just assume you know how you will experience something. Instead, leave yourself open to whatever feelings come up. Only record your actual physical sensations.
Start small. Consider a short story or a poem. Or even a vignette or literary sketch.
