A writing prompt from a mannequin

February 28, 2013

What writer could walk past this department store window and not stop to look? Flying pages. A gleaming, vintage typewriter. And a mannequin who writes. There, in Macy’s on Union Square in San Francisco, two weeks before Valentine’s Day, was a writing prompt I could not resist. The mannequin’s pages are suspended, in flight toward […]

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No time to write? Commit and savor the moments

January 31, 2013

January ends today and many writers are assessing how well they kept their commitment to write in the first month of the new year. I wouldn’t wish my January on anyone. Stress ramped up at mid-month like a record-breaking storm. Multiple forces converged, intent on shaking up my personal universe. January felt like one year […]

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A Child’s Christmas in Wales

December 23, 2012

One of my most treasured books is a slightly dog-eared copy of A Child’s Christmas in Wales by the poet Dylan Thomas. This brief, enchanting account of a snowy Christmas day in the small Welsh town of Thomas’s childhood is a perfect read at this time of year. Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, the […]

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Unstoppable creativity: Writing inspiration from the fashion world

December 12, 2012

Writers have much to gain by turning to the visual arts for inspiration, and a recent exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco served up plenty of stimulation in the form of Jean Paul Gaultier’s flamboyant fashion designs. Considered the enfant terrible of fashion, Gaultier is known for his provocative costumes—think Madonna’s Blond […]

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Expressing gratitude

November 21, 2012

At Thanksgiving it’s natural for our circle of gratitude to grow larger as we reflect on the people and things we care about most. I ask myself who I have forgotten to thank this year, and what small things in my life I appreciate but often take for granted. Thanksgiving week raises my gratitude consciousness. […]

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Today is the perfect day to write

November 8, 2012

I drafted a blog post on Wednesday in which I said that this week was the perfect time to write. The U.S. election was over; the uncertainty and suspense had come to an end. I suggested you brew a cup of tea, open your journal, and use writing to clear yourself of the negativity and […]

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Writing prompt: Creativity unmasked

October 4, 2012

Any photograph or work of art that haunts you, that draws you back to it repeatedly, can serve as a writing prompt. Every time I look at the image below, I feel like I’m touching mystery. I took this photo at a summer arts festival. I loved the silent presence of the mimes as they […]

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Success on the Literary Arts Stage

July 11, 2012

You would never expect to find writers reading their work on a stage where competing performers include a squawking parrot in the animal exhibit across the Expo Hall, and a scrapbook-lady teaching her class via megaphone a few booths away. Performing on the Literary Arts stage at the San Mateo County Fair can feel a […]

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Writing Workshops at San Mateo County Fair, June 9-16

June 9, 2012

You never know what will transpire when writers are given a stage and an open invitation to create whatever they think might attract an audience. Bardi Rosman Koodrin, Literary Director of the Fine Arts Galleria at the San Mateo County Fair, has extended this offer annually since 2009 to members of the San Francisco/Peninsula Writers […]

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As a writer, are you a performer when you read to an audience?

May 18, 2012

Recently I was invited to read one of my published stories at an upcoming arts event, and it’s made me think anew about the word “performance” when it comes to writers reading their work in public. When you read in front of an audience, do you think of yourself as a performer? The event at […]

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