Lisa A. Wroble's Blog: With a Writer's Eye, page 2

#Dear Dad, I’ll Miss You!

Robert F. Wroble
Sept. 2, 1929-Aug. 12, 2013

It’s been awhile since I’ve written. To all my followers, I apologize but thiswas the better option.Words are my life and passion so word choice says and means a lot to me, which is why I chose not to write and post to avoid complaining or coming across as jaded. It’s been a rough year, but especially the past two months as we dealt with my father’s declining health. (See? Even that feels a bit snarky though I don’t intend it so.) My father slipped f...

#DearDad, With Gratitude

Did you see Brian Klem’s blog last week? He was running a contest to promote his book, Oh Boy, You’re Having a Girl. (See his original blog plus the contest winner announced. ) I enjoyed the tweets all week regarding this contest.

Brian’s humor about raising (worrying about) daughters got me thinking about my own father. I have four sisters. Yes, dear ol’ dad raised FIVE girls — and survived the experience. Today is his 60th Father’s Day celebration!

I thought it would be fun to tweet my gratit...

Seasons of Life — and Writing

I’m celebrating a milestone birthday as I round another decade’s corner. Though my friends will joke about my age, I don’t feel all that old. No need for black balloons and crying that I’ve topped the middle-aged hill; I actually feel like celebrating! I’m excited by the possibilities. Each decade in our lives is like embarking on a new season. Some have more meaning and significance than others, but all are milestones.

When I reflect on my life I can mark those milestones by the seasons in my...

Subtle Seasons

It’s been more than a decade since I swapped peninsulas to move from Michigan to Florida. When I did, everyone told me, “You’ll miss the seasons. Florida only has two: hot and rainy or warm and dry.” They were right – and wrong.

They were right because I loved autumn with the crisp nights and sunny days, the bonfires and hay rides at the orchards, and the fresh apple cider from the local mills. I also loved the vivid colors of fall foliage; a weekend pastime was to drive Edward Hines from end...

The Nature of Characters

Another season and semester of writing workshops is drawing to a close. It’s been especially hectic during the past five months and my body is demanding a real break this summer. I’ve structured my schedule for more writing time and more time to wander and generate ideas.I decided I need more time outside, enjoying nature, because that recharges my creativity. Of course, I can’t wait to get started.

So, yesterday I wandered. I visited a local park to take a break from my writing and workshops....

Celebrating a Milestone

The final week in May. It’s been a struggle getting here since I struggled with a few tough decisions these past few months. But, I made it. What makes this “accomplishment” more joyous is celebrating my 25th anniversary as a published author.

I’m excited! Twenty-five years ago I was writing regular (if infrequent) articles for special sections of a weekly newspaper where I worked downstairs in the production department. It was a great way to gain some experience “stringing” and those bylines...

Gatsby Fever

We have only a week left until Baz Luhrmann’s adaption ofThe Great Gatsby opens in movie theaters. Have you been waiting patiently? If you’re really looking forward to seeingLeonardo DiCaprio star as Gatsby, you can view stills and nearly a dozen movie trailers here.

There’s been a lot of hype and build-up. Even my favorite writing magazine,The Writer,features the upcoming film with just a hint at what writers can learn from Fitzgerald. So, as I lay in bed recovering from a serious virus a few...

Of dial-up & baud rates

Do you recall what you were doing 20 years ago today? I was almost 5 years into my freelance writing career. In fact, I had regular copy-editing and writing assignments from Gale Research in Detroit as well as article assignments from exciting trade journals, such asCleaner Times (about the pressure-washing industry) andFMData Monthly (about construction renovations and site management). I was also beginning to explore a modem to purchase. Today is the 20th anniversary of the advent of the wo...

Writing in “snippets of time”

Half of my teaching programs are on spring break this week. I intended to take time to write, revise, and work on projects. Instead, life has gotten in the way and I’m writing in snippets of time. I’ve shared this method with workshop students, who often express how they struggle in finding time to write. The “snippets of time” suggestion is simple: if you can carve out 15-20 minutes here and there, you can write a few paragraphs at a time until your draft is finished. Then you revise 20 minu...

Nature-inspired Meditation

It’s Season in south Florida and for me that means teaching a lot of different writing workshops. I enjoy it but life becomes quite hectic. One of my favorite ways to begin the day is to slip outside while the coffee’s brewing. I have an incredible view of a pond surrounded by greenery—trees, shrubs, and tropical vegetation—and a multitude of wildlife. The sun rises in the front of the building and I’m able to watch as it slowly illuminates the pine trees just beyond my lanai.

Squirrels play t...