I took part in a workshop called “How to Write a Nonfiction Book” last weekend, hosted by the San Gabriel Writers’ League, a writing group I belong to. Two other members and I were asked to share our writing journeys, including our failures and successes. Like many such judgements, we each define our own ideasContinue reading “Respect the Truth”
Author Archives: Janice Airhart
Things We Keep
My journaling habit first kicked into gear in the mid-90s. Julia Cameron, in The Artist’s Way, advised writing morning pages every day—three was the magic number. Mine were just scribbles, really. Three pages to clear my mind and maybe unclog creative impulses. Cameron gave me permission to write whatever I wanted without fear of exposure.Continue reading “Things We Keep”
An Act of Love
I celebrated growth in reading ability with a group of twenty-seven first through fifth graders last week, along with a dozen other Literacy Partners. May marks the end of my fourth year of reading with youngsters who have struggled to read at grade level, and my third year of helping to coordinate the program atContinue reading “An Act of Love”
Conflicted Interests
What is it about conflict that readers find so engaging? Every writing class, book, or instructor emphasizes the need for writers to introduce conflict in their stories. The sooner the better. Page one, paragraph one, if you can manage it. It should accompany the introduction of a sympathetic character. We need to care about theContinue reading “Conflicted Interests”
List of Joys
When life becomes stressful, we can overlook everyday pleasures. Because of a recent and ongoing difficult situation for me, I’m motivated to actively discover and cultivate a sense of joy. It’s the best antidote I know to prevent bitterness or despair. When it seems circumstances might suck all gladness from my heart, I become moreContinue reading “List of Joys”
A Podcast Experience
I was interviewed for a podcast last week: How to Write a Book from A to Z, a product of the San Gabriel Writers’ League. The host is Lisa Greinert, a League member. So far, all the guests have been members as well, but it’s only a few months old and expected to expand. TheContinue reading “A Podcast Experience”
Ideal Reader
“I loved your book,” the email said, referring to my memoir, Mother of My Invention. “I would love to talk to you about mental health if you are free.” This message came a couple of weeks ago from a woman in my community I’d never met. She said she was a schizophrenia and suicide attemptContinue reading “Ideal Reader”
What’s Your Plan?
A goal without a plan is just a dream I scrawled this message about goals on my classroom whiteboard in the spring of 2012 during our campus Career Day event, hoping to instill in our pregnant and parenting students (notoriously bad planners) the importance of planning toward their futures. I’m happy to realize that soContinue reading “What’s Your Plan?”
Covi-Pause
When Covid-19 shut down America in March of 2020, it seemed the world had gone crazy. Nobody knew how to deal with a global pandemic; we took a well-reasoned pause to assess the imminent danger. The escalating death toll was frightening. Medical personnel grappled with the idiosyncrasies of the coronavirus and how best to treatContinue reading “Covi-Pause”
Literary Overload
I recently returned from the AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) Conference in Kansas City, Missouri with a backpack full of flyers and a head full of the sights and sounds of thousands of creative writing educators, publishers, and literati in one place. The Kansas City Convention Center is huge, and it’s spread overContinue reading “Literary Overload”
Janice Airhart 