I'm doing it now. Procrastinating, that is. I have my notebooks out, my laptop at the ready. I know what I have to do to dive into the next section of my short story. Instead, I'm doing a post - which I love - and reading about the latest election results here or overseas, and … Continue reading The Procrastination of Writers
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Writer*
Loneliness may be in vogue these days. In a rare interview given recently, actor Brad Pitt admitted to feeling lonely - ever since childhood it seems. If this is so, I wondered, what hope is there for the rest of us? The loneliness of the writer, though, has its own unique qualities; its benefits and … Continue reading The Loneliness of the Long Distance Writer*
Treasure Island
By Robert Louis Stevenson As a memoirist primarily, I didn’t imagine that my first review would be of a novel. In delving into the etymology of the term ‘pieces of eight’ for a personal essay I was writing, I became glued to the audio version of Treasure Island, an adventure presumably intended for children. It … Continue reading Treasure Island
The Zen of Writing
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. Homer Simpson From what I learn about Zen Buddhism (it’s been a long lockdown) it is incumbent on us as individuals to let our feelings in – be they negative or positive. We should welcome them, especially those unpleasant thoughts that … Continue reading The Zen of Writing
What is a Favourite Story – of Yours?
The first of mine that comes to mind is ‘The Turf Club’. I had heard the story of my father drinking at a local pub since I was a girl But I wasn’t present at the event, so I had to rely on my imagination to structure it. I wrote it at Borgo San Fedele … Continue reading What is a Favourite Story – of Yours?
The Intimacy of Memoir
Author Lee Kofman says: ‘Memoirists write directly about what matters to them, whereas fiction writers may sublimate their experiences and passions.’ The first half of her dictum is certainly true: memoirists are concerned with what matters to them. Whole books are devoted to the second part of Lee's hypothesis. But let’s look at memoir for … Continue reading The Intimacy of Memoir
Writing or Penning?
Do people ask you how your writing is going? I’m sure we all get asked that. Who knows what the right answer is. One acquaintance of mine enquired further: ‘But are you penning or writing?’ he said. I didn't know the difference. ‘Well,’ he replied, ‘ C. (his partner) tells me she's been writing during … Continue reading Writing or Penning?
Journaling
Writing in a journal is not for everyone. But then again, neither is writing. For those of us who do like to write, journaling can be appealing. Of late, I have returned to the practice of free-hand writing in my notebook. It’s been a hopscotch couple of years as the pandemic endures. Maybe because it’s … Continue reading Journaling
Putting the Family in Memoir
Flannery O’Connor writes, ‘ … anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days.’ If you, like me, write about your family – unavoidable in memoir - how do you do that without hurt? One of my brothers, upon hearing that I was writing about … Continue reading Putting the Family in Memoir
The Writing Group
As you might know, my writing group, Elwood Writers, is an active and committed cohort of four,. Member, Barry Lee Thompson, recently wrote about the group on The Writing Life, a blog hosted by Lee Kofman. Lee is the author of fiction and non-fiction books, and a superlative teacher - among other talents - of … Continue reading The Writing Group
WRITINGS AND MUSINGS OF MARGARET MCCAFFREY 