…if the power that comes from bearing up and bearing down were translated into a coinage, with a womb on one side and an umbilical cord on the other—my God, that coin would be more valuable than any gold on the earth. … More Those Men
the sound of those wings— eight, ten vultures circling East to West, sawing the air— whorls between swirls of clouds and Star Magnolia’s nascent blooms
The wind is rearranging things today– the March lion is roaring early (this being February), stirring shadows as if it could alter the dance of life itself. On Facebook, I see an old woman in Chicago almost blown away, then helped into a cab by two young strangers. Beside the road, an old … More This Being February
Last November I participated in NaNoWriMo, an online community challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. It was my second NaNoWriMo and I really enjoyed it. But when I got to December, I yearned for another writing challenge to take advantage of all the momentum from November, so I made one up: … More Poem-a-Day
I remember seeing Robin Williams once, at the Seattle Art Museum. I was at the café, looking out the window at the street in one of those seats that is for people who are alone, just a stool and a counter. I heard a voice behind me and realized it was familiar. Familiar, here in … More Exercise #1
Fog is like the valley pulling a blanket over itself and hitting the snooze alarm— “Not yet, sun.” This place must have had a hard day yesterday, all that grass to grow and leaves exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen— all those birds to support on branches (but the orioles sway on slender reeds, showing off … More Snooze Alarm
I go to a fair number of conferences and workshops. I go because my degree is an MBA, not an MFA. I also go because the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. Here are a few of my favorites: Iowa Summer Writing Festival: This writer’s conference is hosted by the University of … More Why Do I Go to Writer’s Conferences?
In 2014 I decided it was time to start publishing, or at least trying to publish. Because until now, I wasn’t published but I could always say, if asked, “I’m not published yet, but my writing is secret. I haven’t submitted anything yet for publication.” If I had long hair, at that point I would … More Wildly Successful
When I first started writing many years ago, I didn’t foresee just what a mess my computer writing files would become. Some of my short story versions were filed together and others were tossed haphazardly in the general folder. I had folders labeled Writing, Writing 2007, Writing_1, etc. Conference materials, writing exercises, and blog posts … More Organizing Writing Files
I belong to an awesome writer’s group. The God moment that started it is almost as out there as The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven* but mine actually happened, and I have a witness. It started at a Cincinnati Vineyard Church Missions Team Prayer Training event on a Saturday morning the summer of 2009. … More A Surprising Way to Begin
Susan Fuchtman 