C.V. Blaisdell's Blog, page 3

Harvesting Inspiration . . .

[image error]Have you ever been inspired by a pumpkin? Neither had I—until recently.

In the back corner of my yard, a small fenced-in area serves as a compost pile. When I moved here almost thirty years ago, this corner was my first garden, but it no longer gets enough sun for a decent New England growing season. Tree branches from the adjacent woodlands stretch above its space, stealing most of the morning sunlight. So, it’s become a handy compost area instead.

What it lacks in sun exposure, it makes up...

What Lurks Beneath . . .

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(photo courtesy of Dawn Colford)

I went to bed last night, safe and secure in the knowledge that I’d been able to offer shelter to friends in the Merrimack Valley area affected by the natural gas explosions and fires. I woke at four a.m. from a nightmare.

A purely evil being (whose face resembled that of a friend) smiled, taunting me with its vicious intent to harm everyone around me. I spent the dream trying desperately to destroy it and protect everyone. I can still feel the knife handle an...

One Bird . . . Or The Whole Flock

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I recently read Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott. I know, it was published in 1994 and I’m a little late to the game. But her experience and advice on the writing life are worth a gander. The title of her book, taken from a quote by her father (who was also a writer), is meant to cut through the overwhelming writing goals we sometimes impose on ourselves and remind us to keep plodding along, bit by bit.

For some, this translates into a writing discipline: I will write at 6am every day or I will w...

Launched . . .

Woohoo!!! It’s official!

Last night, I participated in a panel presentation by the

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authors of The Writers Next Door. We all belong to a local writing group and, I must say, there’s nothing like the steady support, encouragement, and challenge to keep a writer on her path. I highly recommend it. Whatever stage you’re at, joining a writing group can be beneficial. And fun!

Our local book launch event was a great success! We’ve spent the last year learning about the process of self-publishing a...

A Blank Page . . . Or Not

A blank page can be intimidating. So can a blank blog. Maybe they’re no different than a blank day—a day of no plans, no prospects, no expectations, and no deadlines.

Nature abhors a vacuum, though, and so do we. We fill time with busy-ness and stuff. Some of it matters to us or to others, and some of it is like tissue paper in rain. Some of it looks like all kinds of everything from the outside, but amounts to nothing inside. Other stuff looks like not much at all on the outside, but is all...