After more than a year of the pandemic, one would think I should have an entire arsenal of techniques to work through disruptions to my writing. I know I thought so until I turned the calendar to July. Although my schedule is no longer attached to a school year, the mere fact that it …
Tri-Valley Writers will start in-person meetings in September. This is splendid news, but my internal editor is whining that I haven’t explored this existence deeply enough, so what makes me think I’m ready to return to life as we knew it? I thought my increased journaling would be enough to document how these last months …
Returning To Life As We Knew It by Lani Longshore Read More »
The phone is on my desk, on speaker. I’m on hold. As I listened to the “your call is important to us” message for the tenth time, I realized this is a superb metaphor for my writing. My novel has been on hold for months. I’m not sure who I’m waiting for, or what information …
My current writing project is a long way from finished – it’s barely started – but that doesn’t mean I’m not already planning the next big thing. That’s sort of the way of the creative life, or at least my creative life. I surround myself with notes on potential plots, interesting titles waiting for a …
I love self-publishing, but there are many ways to do it badly. Whole books have been written about this topic. Here are a few tips based on my experience. 1) If your book has graphics, make sure the person you hire to edit it uses the same software you do (same version, same computer OS). …
Perils & Pitfalls of Self-Publishing by Jim Aikin Read More »
January is traditionally a time to celebrate new beginnings, but what does that mean in a pandemic? What value does change have when nothing is the same anyway? Old West stories tell of pioneers coming across abandoned belongings from earlier wagon trains. Many of the items appeared to be heirlooms that the owners realized were …
When Nothing Is The Same, How Do You Change? By Lani Longshore Read More »
Since we’re close to the new year, I want to share the adages and advice that have seen me through the pandemic, and how I’ve adapted them. There’s always one more SOB than you counted on. This was my father’s favorite saying. I’ve found that it has many layers of meaning for me as a …
We inherited a recipe notebook from my husband’s grandparents. Both were wonderful cooks, and they wrote down their favorite recipes in a stenographer’s pad. The problem is, they knew exactly what they were doing, so they neglected to write down some details future generations might find useful. The recipe below, for instance, has the ingredients …
The first time I went to the doctor after the pandemic hit, the line outside the clinic reminded me so much of the airport TSA line that I felt guilty not removing my shoes. They took my temperature, told me to wash my hands, and gave me a hall pass. When I arrived at the …
One of the benefits of joining Tri-Valley Writers is the availability of critique groups and the beta reader group. The time I have spent working with other writers has always been worth it. Aside from sharing a love of the craft, I get a chance to see how my peers address plot and character development …
