Blog from the backwoods

Confused About Life?

Confused about direction in life? Here’s a thought—- There it is…see it? Dare I? Should I? But what if I did…or didn’t? Could I? Will I?Should I?Would I? CAN I? That’s it—-life summed up in a few modal verbs, conjunctions and conditionals. Life would be more progressive if we took power over the grammar of our thought, … Confused About Life? Read More »


Where Are You?

There are three main elements to a novel; character, setting, and plot. Character and plot, however, are nothing without a well-constructed setting that will catapult the story into powerful imagery. Any avid reader or writer knows that setting means everything. The setting of any story will shape the tone and mood; the overall feel of a story. It can … Where Are You? Read More »


It’s Hard to Dream When You’re In Survival Mode

This past week, while my son’s quesadilla was frying in the pan, he ran into the living room to get the episode all set up. When everyone was settled and ready, he clicked play. We saw acts which ranged from touching to beyond ridiculous, but at the end, there was one performer who touched me above any … It’s Hard to Dream When You’re In Survival Mode Read More »


Eluding Would be Murderers of the Soul

Recently, I found an old journal entry that pinpointed a time in which my confidence as a writer, already fragile due to childhood abuse, was completely submerged into an abyss of hopelessness and self-doubt; it reads as follows: “…When you said we could never go anywhere with my writing, I died inside. You became the … Eluding Would be Murderers of the Soul Read More »