New ideas are such shiny, pretty objects, aren’t they!
Category: Taking My Voice Seriously
Late Bloomer
I have always been a late bloomer. There’s that. DIARY WITH A GOLDEN KEY My first memories of writing and of wanting to be a writer go back to the year 1969 when I was seven years old. I had a pink and white diary with a tiny gold key. I remember sitting on the …
My Writing Practice
Over the course of my life and especially the last nine months I have a established a practice of writing that works for me. It is multi-faceted, layered and requires some planning and organization on my part. Using multiple resources, I am able to grow my craft and learn new skills to make my talent …
Lean on Me
These are exceptional times. There is no doubt. The political is personal. Not being able to get to a polling booth to vote is personal. Not enough beds for a hospitalized loved one is personal. Feeling unsafe in public spaces is personal. Losing a job is personal. Protecting vulnerable loved ones from a debilitating, even …
Where Ideas come From
Ideas can come from anywhere and from many places. Rarely (at least for me) is a story idea generated from just one thought, but from an odd collection of seemingly random information or experiences. Today I completed reading a remarkable book, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. It was the acknowledgments at the end that …
Slaying the Dragon
“Slay the dragon once, and he will never have power over you again.” –Steven Pressfield Writing is like slaying a dragon. Be brave. Do it. Don’t stop. Don’t beat yourself up because you didn’t write 500 billion words last week but know your limits and keep going. I skipped a week. Since I hopped back …
Wild Dreams
Amazing quote from my therapist today: “This world is too big for somebody’s dream to be too wild.” When I asked if that was something she said often to her patients, she said no, that it just came to her. I said she might just be the next Bren Brown. I asked if I could quote …
Time and the Writer
Don’t allow for disruptions, that’s one thing. Give yourself grace too. I tell myself these things and yet still, when I allow distractions to interrupt my train of thought, my time to write, when I allow the everyday existence to interfere, I am not happy with myself. In The War of Art, Steve Pressfield tells …
The Writer Defined
Who is Regina the Writer? LIFE ROLES Throughout life I have worn many hats. I am daughter/sister/mom/aunt/teacher/wife/friend. I am librarian/ paralegal/manager/student/caregiver/provider. Until now, I have not thought to distinguish my writer self from the others. Until now, I have not allowed myself to take myself seriously as a writer. So, I ask myself, what does …
On Being Frail and Mowing Grass
March 4, 2012—I started the mower and mowed the grass today. I am empowered. To mow the grass may not sound like much but it is. For me it is a physical and social triumph. I grew up with older brothers. They mowed the lawn, not me. When I was married to a rancher, I …
Regina M. Allen 