Do you ever talk to yourself? I do. In its purest form, isn't being an author telling yourself a story and then writing it down to share with others? Not all my internal monologue is story-related. Often I'm planning or processing things about my day, making decisions or adjustments as needed....
The Last One
A senior year is a very special thing for high school students. As a teacher, it's my joy to celebrate alongside the students and their families. We cheer through the lasts. The last first day of school. The last sports season. The last tests. All culminating in the joy of graduation. Since I work...
The Comfort of Old Friends
Have you ever had a season where it seems like everything is going wrong? One of those "If it rains, it pours" times? We all have. I've been walking through one the past few weeks, and it's been exhausting. One personal disappointment came in the form of my very first fiction rejection letter. The...
Stings and Steps
Three weeks ago I was stung by a wasp. It was my first experience with a wasp sting, and though the immediate pain was intense, I felt like my reaction overall was pretty mild. Then, nine days later, the site broke out in hives and my arm was fevered and itchy. I'd never heard of a delayed...
ACFW Conference 2021
The American Christian Fiction Writer's annual conference was last weekend. Although it was virtual, that didn't stop me from getting away for it. I invited writing friend Becca Kinzer to come down from Illinois, and we rented a little 2-bedroom place about an hour from my house. It was so fun to...
