A couple of weeks ago at a Death Cafe, people talked about whether they were afraid of death and what it meant to live without that fear. I've been thinking about things people said. Keep in mind it's a room full of strangers trying to voice thoughtful perspectives on big questions in a short amount …
Have you seen a New Yorker article about the horrors of the birthday week? The author takes exception to people who celebrate their birthday for more than one day. It's narcissistic and self-obsessed. It's childish. Reading the article and several of the comments made me wonder about how some of us seem to live in …
I finished my third story for Story-a-Day. I'm feeling that familiar mix of joy--I did it!--and dread--It's probably terrible. Being terrible isn't the end of the world though, is it? Why do we feel compelled to do something that we don't even have confidence in? It really makes no sense. It's actually a privilege to …
Dear Llama, If you told stories, what stories would you tell? Would llamas write of teen angst, mid-life crises, or trips to other planets? Llamas in space? Llamas in love? The Llama, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? Probably not the wardrobe. More like a barn door or a pasture gate. Actually, no. Why a manmade …
I went through files and files and files this last weekend in a crazed effort to organize my writing as if this will fix all my problems. Well, the problems remain, but I do now know that I have 124 short stories. Thank you, Story-a-Day! Or curse you as the case may be. The stories …
It's Tuesday again, so here we are. I'm going to be writing a query letter this weekend. If you don't know how, plenty of websites, articles, and podcasts will explain it. Somehow it still feels impossible. I have to summarize my novel's plot and make it sound irresistible. I've read that if you can write …
Bright spots do shine in the world. What is a bright spot for you these days? I read too much news and feel we're very much in darkness. But as Dumbledore reminds us, “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” How does one …
If you had time, I'd ask you to read all my manuscripts and tell me which one is the best. It feels like an insanely important decision, except it isn't, is it? I have too many choices. It was easy when only one novel had been written. As a kid I had elaborate systems to …
Recently I watched Brene Brown's Netflix special. This article talks about it. Brene says that joy is the most vulnerable human emotion. We’re so afraid that if we let ourselves feel joy, something will come and take that away from us and we’ll be hit with pain, trauma, and loss. As a consequence, we try …
Violence-ophilia? Is that a word? Seems as if it should be. It's a virus, right? Sorry, Earth Humans. You've tested positive for the often fatal Violence-ophilia. Without treatment, prognosis is grim. Nonetheless, treatment is long and painful and not for the faint of heart. Step One: Accept diagnosis. Many patients prefer not to know. Step …
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 