I choose to focus on what is right with this world rather than what is wrong. There are a whole lot of both, the good and the bad, and a whole bunch more of just "is". I choose to love rather than hate, accept rather than reject, support rather than put down, try rather than give up, and carry kindness in my heart everyday. I will write and dance and sing and play and laugh, and cry when I need to. Peace, love, and joy, Diana #Kindness #gratitude #writing

The equinoxes are nice, heralding the ebb of Fall and the flow of Spring. The summer solstice is fine, marking the longest daylight of the year. However, it is winter solstice that is really special to me. I love winter. I love snow. We don't have any of it here right now. Well, just a few small smatterings of left over from a wet flurry a while ago. The yoga teacher's kids are freaking out because they have never seen a green Christmas and the old-timers say they have only e

Hello Dear Reader. Well, bad news and good news on the rejection trail. Total number of rejections since I started reporting this to you is a rather dismal 14. That is 14 rejections out of 17 submissions. Two are still in progress and one was actually a prize winner! See my "Works" page for that one. So, yes, bad news on the numbers but good news on the percentages. If I can just multiply the numbers then I've got a good thing going here. That's the whole idea in the first pl

Do you think this pretty creature doubts herself? Of course not. She is a deer. All she has to do is be a deer. She knows what deer do, and she does it. I am a writer. I know what writers do. Sometimes I just can't do it. Why? Because I am the worst writer in the world. Every word I put to page is garbage and I am a completely unworthy human being. Do you feel this way sometimes too? For the past few days I have been trying to shake a negativity that came upon me from I don't

Here in the pine forest the outdoor activity is transitioning from shoveling snow to raking pine needles. The interlude between these activities involves a lot of melt and mud. And so I greet the Vernal Equinox with huge enthusiasm, a light heart, rising energy in my body, and a mop. It may not be the same for you. The equinox might be taking you from Summer to Fall instead of Winter to Spring. You might live somewhere where the seasons are barely discernible. This is my firs

I lost a friend yesterday. A good friend. Cancer found her and I lost her. She was good and loving and kind and honest. My heart breaks for everyone who love her, and there are many. I am far away from them right now and so have to share my tears only with my cats. Bless the cats. The grief inside me at this time is deep and painful to the point that I could not make myself move this morning, until the work started whispering. "Words", it said. "Use your words". So, here I am

Who is always telling you "Just do the work"? Yeah, that would be me. Who has not been doing the work? Yeah, that would be me. Sometimes life circumstances get us sidetracked. Mostly it has to do with other people's needs, not our own. Generally this is because we are good, kind, loving, human beings and we help when we are needed. And this is good. But, we only get one life each, so at some point we just have to say "Gone Fishing" and attend to our own needs, which means, do

Yes, you are allowed to stare out the window. As a writer, it is part of your job. Just keep your pen on the paper while you are doing it. Peace, love, and joy Diana #Summer #Writing

Yes, another rejection: Thank you for sending us "The Furnace". We gave it careful consideration but unfortunately have decided it is not right for our magazine. Best of luck placing this piece elsewhere. This is good because it means I am doing the work. Work, work, work. If you want your art to get anywhere you have to be willing to work harder than the next guy. Do the work. #Rejection #Writing #Inspiration

Thank you for allowing us to spend time with your poems, which were among ~700 other poems we received and read for the spring 2017 issue. Your poems received four readings—one by each of the issue’s editors—but have not been selected. Since we’re writers ourselves, we know from experience that it’s not pleasant hearing that your poems weren’t chosen for publication. We wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere. P.S. We regret we do not currently have the resou

Yes! Success! Rejection letter #1 received on January 29th. I was so excited when it came, because it meant that I had been working. I had been productive. I had crafted a piece of writing to the point that I felt it was worthy of making public and I had put it out there. And it had been recognized. Not published, but looked at, read, considered, and rejected. There are many reasons why submissions are rejected. Sometimes it is because the writing is crappy. But sometimes it

Hello Reader! Just a quick note to say, check out my "News & Events" page to find out about a cool new project I am involved in. If you have an association with the Newton community and have a story to tell, we are currently receiving submissions for a neighbourhood anthology. Oh, and, if you haven't already done it, check out my "Works page". Click on the image of my lovely little book and buy yourself a copy! #Writing #Community #Neighbours

I have been in a slump. I've hardly written a creative word since April (NaPoWriMo, so hard, didn't think I'd get through it). My creative flow gets blocked when I have to extend extra mental effort into survival. Maslow's hierarchy of needs - true that. As a full-time live-in caregiver to my elderly parents, I define my survival as safe, healthy, happy, functioning of the household. This means that my parents medical conditions are stable, I am able to accomplish the daily n

Hello Reader! Welcome back to the regular Monday post. I am in labour. Gestation has been two years. And the baby is only twenty pages long. It is not premature, just small, like me. It has been properly nourished and a qualified professional team has been seeing to its health. I will get the second proof results mid-week. I think we are about seven centimeters dilated. The baby is gender neutral and its name is "From the Wet Coast, with Love". Check out the "Works" page soon

Good Tuesday Readers and Writers! I'm sorry I missed you yesterday, but as it was a semi-holiday, I slacked off. But none of that for the next little while. I am talking about accepting the challenge of National Poetry Writing Month. Yes, one poem a day for the entire month of April, and I will share them all with you, right here. I am excited to use the motivation of NaPoWriMo to generate a bunch of new pieces that I can later revise into finished works. Fiction Writers, thi