In my last post, I described using Wallace Stevens’ “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird” as a stylistic model for creating an original poem. In my Alchemy of Creative Writing workshop series at the Arts Center of the Capital Region, I challenged the participants to write a poem in this format using the holidays as… [Read More]
Patricia Stoltey’s long journey to publication
I’m delighted to welcome Patricia Stoltey as today’s guest blogger. Pat and I first met in 2009 on Dani Greer’s Blog-a-Day web site, and we reconnected recently on Facebook. Her story is a great illustration of my favorite maxim from the I Ching: Perseverance furthers. Four Things I’ve Learned About Writing Along the Way by… [Read More]
Sunny and 75: a poem about my cheery outlook on life
I wrote this poem nearly two months ago on the day before my 76th birthday, and I hadn’t read it again till last Wednesday night, when I performed it at the Troy Poetry Mission, a monthly open mic at O’Brien’s restaurant in Troy. In mid-reading, I thought Jeez, this is pretty good, so I decided… [Read More]
Guest blogger J. H. Bogran on fear of public speaking
I’m delighted to welcome J. H. Bográn as the first guest blogger on my Creative Crone website. Born and raised in Honduras, he writes thrillers in both English and Spanish. Here he discusses how becoming a published novelist helped him overcome his fear of public speaking. How my writing helped me learn to speak in… [Read More]
Want to be a guest blogger for The Creative Crone? Here’s what you need to know
Autumn arrived at 4:02 PM today, and I’m kicking this website into high gear. Please read on. GUIDELINES FOR GUEST BLOGGERS If you’re a published author with thoughts to share about your creative process or the ways you’ve found to break through the blocks that keep you from writing, I invite you to contribute to… [Read More]
The Endless Summer, or why I’m not back to work
Autumn arrives this Friday the 22nd at precisely 4:02 PM, Eastern Standard Time. I had vowed to buckle down and get serious about my Creative Crone book right after Labor Day, but two weeks have passed and I’m still stuck in summertime. Hardly surprising, since it’s four o’clock and 81 degrees in the shade. Clearly… [Read More]