The writer in me, wants to challenge myself to figuring out a new approach to an old genre—the spy novel.
Tag Archives: Annapolis
Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Are You Tracking the Holidays?
One of my favorite picture books as a child was about a little girl who doesn’t understand time, seasons, or the days of the week. She vaguely recalls holidays: the flowers blooming, baby chicks , a basket with a fluffy bunny. She remember a cracking walnuts in front of a warm fire, relatives gathering andContinue reading “Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Are You Tracking the Holidays?”
Writing Shortcuts, A.I. and the Future of Creativity
Before there were computers and artificial intelligence, there were file cards. Writers producing nonfiction used the cards to organize their facts. Writers churning out vast quantities of genre fiction, such as a series of detective novels, also used cards and charts to vary plot lines. Because often they were paid little per book, these writers figuredContinue reading “Writing Shortcuts, A.I. and the Future of Creativity”
What Exactly is Tango and Why Do I Want to Learn this Dance?
The dance we call Tango evolved gradually, out of the music and dance gatherings of enslaved peoples brought to South America from Africa who then shared these dances with fellow workers and immigrants. It is literally a street dance,
My Dog Has Extra Sensory Perception. Does Yours?
I was having difficulty staying asleep. The room felt hot. I kept tossing and turning. Worrying about my grandson’s upcoming surgery. Worrying about manuscripts I’d emailed to various literary journals, wondering would they eventually result in publication? Finally, I resorted to the one mental exercise I turn to when attempting to initiate slumber, which isContinue reading “My Dog Has Extra Sensory Perception. Does Yours?”
Missing: A Fugitive on the Run. Storytelling from Multiple Perspectives.
Breaking News. Man charged with white collar crimes elects not to board plane to Maryland for his arraignment. Police search his Florida home. Wife claims no knowledge of his whereabouts. Where is he? The news story captures my imagination. Where is Roy McGrath, former Chief of Staff to former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, hiding? IContinue reading “Missing: A Fugitive on the Run. Storytelling from Multiple Perspectives.”
Lindy Hop, Swing, The Spanish Ballroom and Learning to Let Go
Saturday night I went swing dancing. I didn’t see any zoot suits, but being that it was St. Patrick’s Day weekend, I saw men in green derby hats sporting suspenders and women wearing emerald glitter headbands, full skirts and short crinolines. We weren’t just anywhere, we were at the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo locatedContinue reading “Lindy Hop, Swing, The Spanish Ballroom and Learning to Let Go”
What Does a Mote Spoon and a Red Violin Have To Do With Creativity?
This year’s AWP ( Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference was held in Seattle, Washington and it ran from Thursday March 8th through Saturday March 11th. Even though I wasn’t there, I felt like I was, because my email box kept filling up with notices pertaining to everything that was going on: workshops, readings,Continue reading “What Does a Mote Spoon and a Red Violin Have To Do With Creativity?”
The Joy of Being Published
Writers are writing because they have a compulsion to write. They want to be heard. More important to writers than money, is a following of readers.
Finding The Right Words to say I Love You
It is Valentine’s Day tomorrow and traditionally it’s a day when love is often expressed in the form of a poem. The one, constantly used and overused goes: Roses are Red Violets are Blue Sugar is Sweet And so are You! The original old English version from Gammer Gurton’s Garland published in 1784 sounds aContinue reading “Finding The Right Words to say I Love You”
What Happens When Three Bad Things Happen at Once?
No hot water. No heat. Covid. All three of these things descended on our household at one time, on Thursday morning. What is the likelihood? It began with my husband Peter feeling lousy on Wednesday evening and deciding he didn’t feel like going to his swim practice at the County Pool. After dinner, I suggestedContinue reading “What Happens When Three Bad Things Happen at Once?”
Writing Tools to QuickStart Your Memoir
I was straightening out a bookshelf and I noticed a gift I’d forgotten about, a large hardback with a floral cover I’d catalogued with the cookbooks. The title, “A Mother’s Journal.” Divided into sections, it has questions such as “Where I lived” and “What I remember about my family home” and “How Your Father andContinue reading “Writing Tools to QuickStart Your Memoir”
Why Ebenezer Scrooge is Misunderstood
One Christmas song keeps playing over and over again inside my head and I want it to stop. Yes, I like some holiday tunes, but this song reeks of expectation that may or may not be fulfilled, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” an over sweet voice exclaims. Is it? I ask myself,Continue reading “Why Ebenezer Scrooge is Misunderstood”
Random Acts of Kindness
Do one small good deed a day, is a resolution I made to myself many years ago. Just a moment or two of unselfish kindness, maybe help a stranger lift a heavy package, give an unexpected compliment, or take the time to personally direct someone to the place they’re seeking when lost. Tiny good deeds.Continue reading “Random Acts of Kindness”
Too Many Parking Lots in Paradise
Floods. Fires. Famine. Heatstroke. A man attacks the husband of the Speaker of the House with a hammer. And the response from some of the nation’s Republican leaders is to hint at a possible justification. Conspiracy theories. The polarization continues, because instead of looking for common ground, places to find mutual agreement, the emphasis isContinue reading “Too Many Parking Lots in Paradise”
Nadja Maril, Writer & Author 