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Carol S. Mann
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Bits and Pieces
“He knew everyone had flaws. People fell from grace all the time. But some people fell further than others.” From “Ferrelli’s Fall” (Creek Songs).
Tag Archives: inspiration
The book has arrived!
The book has arrived. Yes, All Ways a Woman, a collection of art and poetry created in collaboration with artist Lynn Centeno, is here. Within its pages, we invite you to walk with us as we depict a woman’s path, give voice … Continue reading
Letters, Words, and Resolutions
Okay. It is what it is – another blog on writing New Year’s resolutions. But, no matter how you fight the urge, it is the time of year when we often resolve to do things differently. We look at what … Continue reading
A Trip to the Mall Gone South
We’d gone to Barnes and Noble at the local mall, had a chocolate milkshake at the food court, and were leaving that mecca of fine dining when, Boom, my husband took a tumble. He went down. Hard. I was a … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration, memoir, Writing
Tagged Being thankful, community, diversity, emergency room, inclusiveness, inspiration, people helping people, personal essay
18 Comments
The gift of the gathering
We’re all familiar with the interview question, “If you could spend a day with a famous person, living or dead, who would it be?” As I thought about the question, I decided if I did this, I would choose a … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration, Looking for Inspiration, poetry, Reading, Writing
Tagged Amelia Earhart, Angela Merkel, Ann Lander, Diahann Carroll, Emmeline Pankhurst, Estee Lauder, inspiration, J.K. Rowling, Malala Yousafzai, Princess Diana, role model, Rose Kennedy, women's accomplishments, women's gathering, women's heroes, women's retreat
6 Comments
The Summit
We all have experiences in our lives that are unforgettable, that are destined to become life memories. I’m talking about events that made a great impression, gave a sense of accomplishment, filled you with joy, filled you with gratitude, stayed … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, Finding Ideas: The Creative Process, Inspiration, Looking for Inspiration, memoir, poetry, Reading, short story, Writing
Tagged climbing Mt. Whitney, finding inspiration, inspiration, life memories, Mt. Whitney, poem, poetry, unforgettable memories, writing your memories
8 Comments
Finding the Angle
You sit at your desk or take a walk and, as you do, you scratch at your brain’s stored content and loose ends. You want to find an angle for your story and a world backdrop against which your protagonist … Continue reading
Posted in Authors, Books, Creativity, fiction writing, Inspiration, novel, Reading, short story, Writing
Tagged All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu, books, creativity, fiction, ideas, imagination, In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides, inspiration, literature, nonfiction, Passion and Principle by Sally Denton, Rancho Mirage Writers Festival, reading, Redeployment by Phil Klay, short story, The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff, The Widow of the South by Robert Hicks, Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnson, When Book Went to War by Molly Giptill Manning, writing
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Have you figured out your writing process?
Out of curiosity, I’ve been trying to understand my writing process, particularly for the short story. I seem to do one of two things. Either I jot down a brief outline or list and start writing or I just start … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, fiction writing, Finding Ideas: The Creative Process, Inspiration, Looking for Inspiration, Reading, short story, Writing
Tagged creativity, editing, ideas - the creative process, inspiration, Joe Bunting, logline, outline, proof reading, rough draft, short story, Thomas E. Kennedy, writing, writing process
6 Comments
Hit the Restart Button on Learning … 2015
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always liked learning, going to school, and education in general. Well, let me qualify the school part. I’ve always liked going to school … except for 7th and 8th grades. You know, puberty … Continue reading
Posted in Creativity, fiction writing, Finding Ideas: The Creative Process, Inspiration, Looking for Inspiration, poetry, short story, Writing
Tagged Coursera, creativity, education, imagination, inspiration, learning, on-going education, online classes, Palm Springs Writers Guild, poetry, school, SUNY College at Buffalo, writing, writing classes
10 Comments
Contemplating a Sunset
As the sun slips behind the Santa Rosa Mountains in the southern California desert, it creates a sunset washed with changing light and color. Seeing that sky fills me with wonder and a feeling of well-being. Of course, I have … Continue reading
The Thankful Challenge
Facebook is fun. I mean, where else can I learn I’m most like a chocolate chip cookie, I’m an optimist, and Happy is a song written especially for me? Where else can I laugh out loud or give you lots of … Continue reading
Written Beneath the Palms 