• From Templar Stones to Irish Tunes: A Writer’s Day at Temple House

    This morning’s writing session was slightly longer than yesterday’s and included a field trip! The focus today was on using setting and dialog to express emotion. After pulling on our “wellies” we trudged out to the side lawn of the the Temple House estate and explored the ruins of medieval castle associated with the Knights…

    Read More

  • A Writer’s Day Out: Syntax, Sligo, and Bill Murray

    Today was an early start of writing. We had a quick workshop from 8:30 to 10 where we focused on improving our sentences—syntax, tone, rhythm, and all those good things that keep our readers engaged. Then at 10:30 we were on our way for an entire day of sightseeing! We started with a tour of…

    Read More

  • Writing, Whiskey, and the Hill of Witches

    Today was the first full day of writing at the Family History Writing Studio Retreat in Sligo, Ireland. So far, we’ve been incredibly lucky with the weather. Yesterday, on our trip west, we stopped at the so-called Hill of Witches—actually a Neolithic cairn on Knocknarea. I had no clue what we were going to see…

    Read More

  • From Gilded Age Grifter to Aer Lingus Diva

    I’m sitting at Gate 9 at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut, waiting to board a 6:05 p.m. plane to Dublin. The seats are filling fast. Uh oh. Does that mean some poor schmuck is going to get wedged between me and my husband? He likes the window. I like the aisle. (Seventy-year-old bladder. Two kids.)…

    Read More

  • Relax, Nobody’s Stealing Your Masterpiece (Probably): Practical paranoia tips for writers who want to share online without losing sleep

    DISCLAIMER: I am not a lawyer. The information I share here is gleaned from my experiences and various sources I have consulted. Copyright law varies by country—always double-check your own country’s rules. If you’re a writer in 2025, chances are you’ve workshopped a scene online, uploaded a chapter to a critique group, or asked an…

    Read More