Getting Ready Europe awaits. Excitement is growing as we are prepping our trip to Germany. On the agenda is a bicycling trip along the Mosel, a visit at a vegetarian/vegan bio hotel in the Black Forest and assorted city tours. Our bike trip will lead us from Trier, Germany’s oldest city, downriver to Koblenz where […]
Countdown to Europe Read More »
For the past one-and-a-half years I’ve been meeting with a few dedicated individuals who — like I — are slightly crazy with the vision to break into the world of professional authoring. What started as a continuation of a workshop has morphed into a serious bi-weekly meeting that none of us miss unless we have
Ode to my Writers Group Read More »
I had an interesting conversation with an English literature professor last weekend. He’s German and felt that my novel “From the Ashes†would be of great interest in Germany as there appears to be a re-awakening interest in WWII, in particular a focus on the children and civilians who lived through this decade of suffering.
To Translate or Not to Translate Read More »
Moving to a Writing Career Full-time If you know anything about the writing profession you know it isn’t easy. Until one breaks through the glass ceiling, it is a work of love and lots of discipline. One must write no matter what happens with the work that is produced. At least that’s how I feel.
Be patient, they tell me. It will happen, they say. My writer’s group, my former fiction writing instructor, my classmates tell me that my story is important, that it will be found and published. I agree, of course, how could I not. I believe it to be an important part of history that has been
Like many other places in Europe, the buildings around Solingen’s Alter Markt – old market – no longer exist. Neither does the famous statue of the sword smith Peter Hahn who towered above the famous water fountain and was a symbol for the city’s centuries-old metal and weapons industry. Solingen was bombed on November 4
Here we go. A number of people test-read my novel; fiction writing classes and writers group have reviewed and critiqued. I edited and tweaked, rewrote the query’s hook sentence more times than I care to count. Have read aloud, to myself and to others. Now begins the chapter of uncertainty, of icy showers of rejections.
Jumping into the Water Read More »
Writers know that perfection is a fleeting goal. As soon as you think you have made all the changes, edits and improvements to your piece, considered the feedback of your test readers and listened to the comments from your writer’s group, you read again and – find new things that need to be changed. When
Seeking Perfection Read More »
Years ago, when I was delving into personal growth and self improvement, I came across a wonderful tape series, “Field of Diamonds†by Earl Nightingale. One of the questions, he posed and which I had struggled with was happiness. Until then, happiness had been on my list of life goals. What I didn’t realize was
Writing and Happiness Read More »
Nestled in the beech and oak forests of the Bergische Land, just twenty-five miles northwest of Cologne and the Rhine river, the city of Solingen has grown for more than six-hundred years. First mentioned in the 11th century, it achieved city status in the 1400s. World-famous for its steel and weapons industry, shops and factories