The Write Balance
Journaling The Writer’s Life
Published by Rocky Mountain Creative Publishers
Smashwords Edition
6716 W. Sack Dr, Glendale, AZ 85308
www.rockymountaincreativepublishers.com
(A division of Rocky Mountain Entertainment)
First published in 2012
Copyright 2012 by Debra Quarles. All rights reserved.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Is available from the Library of Congress
ISBN 978-1-933868-35-6
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication
may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
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May each of you navigate
the high peaks of life
and see your writing soar.
D. Jean Quarles
A Note From D. Jean Quarles:
In October 2011, I was feeling frustrated, and had been feeling that way for a while. It
may have been the fast approaching holidays or the fact I had recently lost my father.
While I wanted nothing more than to sit at my desk and type away, the time seemed
elusive. There was always something dragging my attention away. I felt wrenched and
yanked, pulled and twisted ever farther from my writing.
I needed balance. And who better to ask about how to achieve this blissful state than

other writers who, I was sure, also had struggled at some point in their career. So I posted
ads on the Internet.
Writers wanted. Please contact me if you would
be interested in writing a blog post on how you
balance writing and life.
More than 60 amazing writers contacted me, eager to share their lives and secrets to
success. I felt immensely blessed by their words and so it wasn’t long before I
approached them again and asked if I could put all of their wisdom together into a book
for other writers looking for inspiration, tools and understanding. Many of them agreed.
These are their words for you.
Chapter 1
I Will Go and Live Abroad
Anouk Beale
I was ten years old when I told my parents:
'When I am big, I will go and live abroad!' I already knew that back then! For a while as a
child I also wanted my own bookshop. I loved reading. As a teenager I worked in a
restaurant I thoroughly enjoyed waitressing. I noticed that I earned as much in tips as
what I got in wages. I worked for a year abroad in a hotel & restaurant, afterwards I
dreamt of opening my own luxury hotel. My landslide started when I was 22, I was
diagnosed with MS. At first I only heard all the things I could no longer do. After six
months I decide not to let the illness, MS, lead my live. I still dreamt of the hotel but now
with extra services like yoga, meditation areas and energy providing meals. I moved
abroad to Ireland what I had always wanted to do.
The following seven years I lived as if there was no MS. Every two years I had a relapse I
lost my vision and the power in my legs. After getting medication everything came back
like before. I would happily get on with life like I had had nothing more than flu. The
land slided completely when I was 29 It felt like my energy was stored in a colander. A
couple of months of sleep helped, but I still didn’t have a lot of energy. I was extremely
bored because there was nothing wrong with my brain. I missed work and earning
money. I wanted to keep dreaming about a future that was worthwhile. Gradually my

interest for books came back.
At night time I dreamt a lot and intensely. During the day I thought about work I could do
from home. For weeks I had the same dream. I decided to write down my dream in the
hope that I would sleep better. That night I slept like a baby. The next day I continued
writing the dream and extend the story. I got energy from the writing and coming up with
the rest of the story. I slept fantastically at night time. I would wake up with lots of
energy which got doubled by the writing. My hotel dream got replaced by my dream of
publishing my book. It is not an easy road; Plenty of challenges. But during these
searches, dreams and - it might sound strange- my Illness I learned a lot about myself.
Amazing all the things a human can do!
Now I write when my 22 month old toddler has her nap and in the evening when my
husband is working and she is a sleep.
______________________________
When I was no longer able to work due to the diagnosis of two life changing illnesses (ms
and a blood disease) I started reading self-help books. These books with their teachings
helped me get healthy and out of a wheelchair permanently.
In the knowledge base economy we live in today young adults especially can use the
teachings to get them the future they want. Often we never get to know about these
teachings or only later on in live. These teachings are extremely beneficial to know at a
younger age. In Daniel and the hill of kings these teachings are brought in a fun way
with the use of a not well known Irish myth and legend. I love writing all genres. Writing
is just like telling your story but only you can tell more people and help more people. I
have a very big imagination and found that I had a re-occurring dream that kept coming
back till the day I wrote it down. Now the dream has become a story about Irish myths
and legends and how we can get the most out of life. I have a 2 year old daughter who
keeps me on my toes. With nice stories I want to help the reader.
I have a children’s story called Buteo Buteo.
Daniel and the Hill of Kings the story that came together from my dreams will be for sale
by the end of the year 2012.
Sickly Perfect my life story and how I dealt with 2 life changing illnesses will be for sale

at the beginning of 2013
Chapter 2
The Uber-Mom
Pamela Bitterman
How one balances a writing career with “real life”, or in my case raising a family, is a
question close to my heart. I have written and had published three books and one homily
thus far and have two new books in the cooker as we speak (write?).
I am extremely fortunate to be able to write full time these days. However when I penned
my first book, Sailing To The Far Horizon; The Restless Journey and Tragic Sinking of a
Tall Ship, I was chin deep in kids, dogs, husband, household and the daily call of myriad
activities attached to being an Uber-Mom. One would think that under those
circumstances, getting my mind right to write would have been a challenge. Yet I found
the shift from mom/wife to writer/author to be as peaceful and welcoming a
transformation as the soft sultry breeze following a chilly rain squall.
Please, make no mistake. I have always loved being “mom”, raising our brood, juggling
all the various demands of the alpha parent in the home (my wonderful husband has
always been the bread-winner). Conversely, however, conforming to the typical
“housewife” designation was what initially presented a problem and ultimately resulted
in a concession I was would never be able to pull off gracefully.
My husband and I embarked upon family life while living aboard our own traditionally
rigged and maintained fifty-foot brigantine sailing vessel. Our son was a year old when
we purchased her, our daughter born on board a year later. I was a mom, to be sure. But I
was a “Boat Mom”, and that distinction carried with it a particular pride and a call to
arms – arms, hands, feet and fingernails – that suited me to a tee.
The role of sailor was one my husband and I had been forced to relinquish a couple years
earlier when we lost our circumnavigating schooner, which was our home and our chosen
lifestyle, in a violent storm off the North Cape of New Zealand. We miraculously
survived the sinking (read the full account in my first book). But in the wake of our
rescue, we found having to squeeze our by then very square-pegged, wander-lusting sea-
bum personas into land bound predictable family dictated round holes was a feat akin to

finessing the toothpaste back into the tube.
I immediately took to the earth-mother role itself with natural organic aplomb. However,
performing all the strange tasks and assuming the unfamiliar responsibilities expected of
a “suburban (albeit admittedly unlikely suburb) soccer mom” was infinitely more
difficult. Consequently, I became able to justify all the mundane foreign parts I was
suddenly having to play by reminding myself that I’d be returning each day to my
singularly unique home and life afloat; my dock, my boat, my berth, my galley, my
ongoing varnish, paint and rigging projects, and all my familiar and oddly soothing
shipboard responsibilities.
Then a decade or so later, when my husband correctly sensed that our kids would soon
outgrow their shared bedroom in our boat’s warm and woody lovingly child decorated
and outfitted fore-peak, we bought a house. And with all the wonderful new space,
amenities, comforts, and convention that it afforded, I found that rather than reveling in
the decadence, I became destitute, lost and foundering. Stripped of my former contented
shipboard character born of fifteen years living and working aboard proud salty sailing
vessels, I had difficulty recognizing the woman I was being asked to become. So when I
settled on the notion that I could use my new-found extra time and unnaturally empty
hands to pen the true story of my previous life, love and loss aboard a circumnavigating
tall ship, I discovered that I found myself again, someone in whose skin I felt comfortable
and confident. And I was “home”.
Writing that first book became for me a catharsis, an escape, a near demented obsession. I
wrote at the kitchen table while the kids were at school and the dogs were nose-butting
my ankles. I wrote longhand with furious pencil on fat yellow legal pad. I wrote for
blurred hours at a stretch, blew out my shoulder, filled over a thousand pages with the
sea, the storms and the calms, the ports, the people, the brave and adventurous gal that I
had once been. I wrote to reclaim her. I succeeded. I found myself rescued once again.
But this time the act was not merely for myself, it was so that who and what their father
and I had once been would now be forever memorialized for our children as well.
My next two books and the adventures that prompted them have taken my life on a life of
it’s own. Today I have nothing but time to travel, and to then write about my journeys.

Though surprisingly, I find this new freedom to be almost as much of an impediment as
an asset. Talk about pressure! I now face not only the blank page but also the blank daily
planner, blank calendar, blank future! And all of it is waiting to be filled in,
meaningfully, purposefully, solely by moi. It is daunting to exist outside the comfortable
confines of an imposed writing (to say nothing of living) schedule. Consequently I have
learned a new form of discipline – to continue to take dangerous, exciting leap-of-faith
journeys, and to then make myself carve out the hours for committing these ventures to
print. It is daunting, yet Child, You Are Miracle, MUZUNGU; A-frican Lost Soul’s
Reality Check, and When This Is Over, I Will Go To School, And I will Learn To Read; A
Story Of Hope And Friendship For One Young Kenyan Orphan, are the happy results of
this new writing regime. And I hope they are just the beginning.
__________________________
Pamela Bitterman’s first book, Sailing To the Far Horizon, published by Terrace Books
a Trade Imprint of The University of Wisconsin Press, the author’s own story of life, loss,
and survival at sea is graphically biographical. It encapsulates the author as product of
the first thirty years of her life. It is published in hard cover, and will soon be released in
paperback as well as digitally. A translated version titled MOT SODERHAVET has been
published in Sweden by NORSTEDTS, NAUTISKA BIBLIOTEKET.
Muzungu, the author’s Travel/Adventure/Memoir of her unlikely escapades throughout
Kenya picks up on that journey a couple decades later.
She has also written an award winning (CBC GOLD MEDAL WINNER and SHARP
WRIT BOOK AWARD FIRST PLACE WINNER) children’s book titled When This Is
Over, I Will Go To School, And I Will Learn To Read; A Story of Hope and Friendship
for One Young Kenyan Orphan.
Finally, the author has penned a homily entitled, Child, You Are Miracle, published by
World Vision.
Links to these, plus PR Events, reviews, and trailers to her three published books can be
found on her website: www.pamelasismanbitterman.com
Bitterman’s writing has emerged amidst her travels, adventures, and finally her
marriage and children, her persona as wife and mother – the heart of her; the author as

her best self.
Her future remains to be seen, and to be told.
Chapter 3
Learning to Be Very Creative
Marlayna Glynn Brown
As a single parent of four, maintaining a regular job was just not in the cards for me.
Various illnesses, school meetings, doctor's appointments and must-not-miss school
performances did not make me the ideal employee. I've been fired more than anyone I
know! As with most challenges in life, I learned to be very creative with making money
while being completely present for the needs of my children.
Bless the internet! I started consulting as a marketing agent which meant I could write
articles and press releases any time I could create the time to log in. For creative release,
I blogged. And blogged and blogged. And these two actions honed my writing talent
while drawing out a desire to write about my experiences. During a lull in the economy,
I worked solidly for three weeks and wrote my first book.
As my children grew so did our expenses, which required me to be more creative in
continuing my education and funding four teenagers. I obtained my Master of Science in
Human Services and purchased a Nikon camera as a congratulatory gift for myself.
Instead of entering the counseling field, I started taking photographs and found myself
winning contests and making money. I've since combined my marketing skills with my
knowledge of writing and photography and am now assisting authors and photographers
with promotion at: www.mgbrepresents.com. This career has in turn given me the gift of
more time to be able to write so I am once again back to glorious square one.
Overlay is experiencing growing success on-line and in paperback. I personally promote
my work by contacting book clubs, book stores, book reviewers, bloggers and by sending
press releases to relevant entities and organizations. I've found great receptivity by others,
and Overlay is now carried in libraries and independent bookstores. I believe Overlay has
been very well received because it deals with a subject many know but don't like to
discuss -‐ the alcoholism of a family member. I'd like to see the book gain traction in an
effort to help anyone dealing with addiction

___________________________
Marlayna Glynn Brown is an Austin, Texas author, screenwriter, actress, producer, poet
and photographer. Marlayna was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada and bases many
of her unusual characters and unexpected story lines on true events. She wrote, acted in
and produced her first short film, People That do Something in 2009. Her first memoir,
Overlay, was published in 2012. She is writing the sequel to Overlay, and expects
publication by July.
Marlayna received a BA in literature from California State University, Long Beach,
attended Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, California and recently completed her
Masters degree in Human Services.
However, she insists most of her real learning has come from her avid love of travel and
her four teenaged children.
Chapter 4
The Rest of My Life
RC Bonitz
Balancing writing with the rest of my life. Hmm? That assumes there is a rest of my life.
The last time I pinched myself I felt it, so I guess I'm still here.
Actually, there was a time when the balance question didn't exist for me. I wrote two or
three hours a week back then, just for the joy of writing. That was ages ago. When I first
started. When I had hair. And a waistline.
Things have changed. I'm a serious writer now and have two books in print. (Check out
onitz .com). I'm also working on a sequel to one of them and the sequel to
the sequel. Do I sound a little crazy? Don't say it- I know. And, oh yeah- there's that little
matter of promotion, which barely deserves a mention right? Takes no time at all?
Actually, I'm lucky. I'm retired from the rat race. My kids have kids so no problem there-
except when the younguns (?) have soccer games and crew races and field hockey and
band concerts and- I need to take a breath. (There are twelve of them so there's always
something going on.).
So, what do I have to balance? There is my wife of course. For some reason she doesn't
appreciate being ignored. (Though I must say she's very tolerant of my periodic

hibernation in the little hole I call my office. We've been married quite a long time, so
maybe she's seen enough of my mug to satisfy her deepest cravings long ago.) Who said
that?
There's one more factor to consider- immobility. I know him well. Ever sit at your
computer so long you almost can't get up? Bad habit I have. I need to add a little thing
called exercise to my balance equation. But, when the muse is rolling he doesn't want to
hear that. Anyway, I do need time to get some exercise. Occasionally. 'Nuf said.
My balancing act is really easy compared to you folks with young kids and jobs to worry
about. I really only have to fuss over writing versus editing versus promo time. I figure
I've got it made. I can even fit in a little canoeing or sailing when I get the itch. Now, let's
see. Fishing season opens soon, I've got a conference coming up, two books to promote,
Sam is in a race, Leslie has a soccer game, got a dinner date with my wife tonight, I'm
editing a manuscript, and—oh yeah. Piece of cake. I can always use my best strategy
when things get like this. Sit down. Be still- And write a new story. That works wonders
for the soul.
_________________________
RC Bonitz's latest book, A Blanket for Her Heart, is now out in print and on-line! He has
been writing for sixteen years and has many more stories to come.
He is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Connecticut chapter of RWA.
A father of five children. he lives in Connecticut with his wife, just down the road a piece
from Long Island Sound. Many years a sailor, he has retired to a canoe and fishing rod.
And his computer. You can contact him via his blog at or at

Chapter 5
Belly Dancing for Balance
Aditi Chopra
I am a writer and I absolutely love writing. I do it because it gives me happiness. There
are constantly new and different ideas floating through my mind and sometimes an urge
to pen them down. Sometimes I pen them down and later rewrite them because I have
thought of phrasing it in a better way, in a way that suits my personality. It is interesting

how some ideas come to you while you were sleeping. You get off from bed and can’t
wait to pen them down. Sometimes these ideas shoot off from a conversation with a
friend or colleague. You can say that your mind gets trained to capture ideas and then you
don’t even have to look for them, they come to you!
In all of this, you don’t want to neglect family or yourself. And it can happen if you are
too engrossed in it. I sometimes force myself to take a break if I have been at my laptop
for far too long. The break is physically required and also needed to freshen up the mind.
Your neck muscles need a break if you have been sitting in one position for far too long. I
tend to forget that even mind has a certain capacity and should not be burdened more. I
find that cooking is a good stress reliever. If you have time, your cooking will definitely
come out good. And your family will be very happy and satisfied.
Lately I have enrolled in belly dancing class in order to create more balance in my
personal life. I find that it is a great workout as well as social outlet. Workout of any kind
is good both for physical as well as mental happiness. But if a workout involves social
interaction, it is even better. It lets you laugh a little, talk a little and of course burn
calories at the same time. This is why I enjoy going to Curves rather than any other gym.
Curves setup allows more interaction with other women.
Another absolutely enriching hobby for me is traveling. Traveling opens up your mind in
so many ways. You learn so much about different cultures, places, sometimes languages.
I always find my mind working better after a travel vacation. It could be because my
mind needed that rest and I just didn’t know about it.
All in all, we shouldn’t neglect our family or ourselves. It is only when we balance our
lives, our work becomes better.
Aditi Chopra is a motivating leader, process consultant and a creative writer. She is the
author of Ten Mistakes A Manager Should Avoid.
She utilizes her experience in software engineering, people management and
communication strategies to help create value for organizations. You can find her on
/>Chapter 6
Gift From Heaven
Dorothy Davies

My working day begins with reading over breakfast. My e-reader is my joy, it’s so much
easier to hold than a book when eating cereal … then I drive to work, accompanied by
rock music from favourite artists. That’s the first ‘me’ time, driving and singing along to
the music.
I run a small publishing company and work in an office with my partner, who has his
desk opposite mine. Even with that arrangement, if I want his attention, it is quicker to
email him … so I do! I do the editing, the book layout and blurb-excerpt preparation
work, he does the cover design and puts the whole thing on our website.
I leave work around 4 PM to do the banking and post the orders; then I go home to my
daughter who has been taking care of the house and all the chores that go with it whilst I
have been out.
By 5.30 I have my home computer switched on in my office. I either work direct with the
keyboard or use voice recognition software, depending on who is writing with me.
The first task is to read the stories which have come in for my ongoing Static Movement
anthologies. If I decide the story is not right, I send feedback on it so the author can, if
they wish, decide whether to rewrite or ignore me. It’s always their choice.
Once that is done, the stories slotted into the anthologies, the contracts sent out, I start
work on my books or short stories. By then the spirit author who works with me on the
horror writing is usually around; I sense his presence and hear his laughter. If he’s not
there, it’s one of the other spirit authors who are waiting to write their life story. I always
know who it is without anyone telling me, it’s that vivid an impression. It’s one of the
joys of being a medium and all the joy of being a writer.
In some ways the books are not ‘mine’ but in others they are, as the words come through
me to be translated to the screen. The ‘voice’ in each book is very different but overall
the control is mine. It makes the books distinctive and still have my touch.
It’s a life I would not trade with anyone else!
_____________________________
Dorothy Davies, full time editor and owner of a small publishing company, editor for
Static Movement anthologies and I also feature heavily in other editors' anthologies too.
My books:

Death Be Pardoner To Me, the life of George, duke of Clarence (Wars of the Roses)
channelled from the duke himself
I Diced With God, the life of Henry VIII channelled from the King himself
Thirty Pieces of Silver, the three years Judas Iskariot spent with Jesus and his part in the
final act channelled from Judas himself
I Bid You Welcome an anthology of horror stories channelled from horror/ghost
writers in spirit.
In case it is not immediately apparent, I am a medium as well as
writer/editor/photographer and publisher of my own quarterly spiritual magazine.
Chapter 7
Never Off Duty
Harper Donohue

I had not thought about writing stories since I was a child but in 2007 I was absolutely
compelled to write one. I was not writing to be published. I spent every spare moment I
had over a period of three years writing that story and when I wasn’t writing I was
thinking about it. I thought that would be the end of the whole experience but then I
found I needed to write another, and then start on yet another before the second was
finished.

I get very frustrated at not having enough time to write. I have two children at home, a
job and on the bigger timeline have started writing quite late in my life. So, there is not
that much time now and probably not as much as I need in the future. While I don’t have
the number of hours I would like to sit at the key board, my way of overcoming this is to
think the story through continually. This may be while dropping off to sleep, in the bath
or walking to school to pick up the children. There have been points where my attention
to my fictional world has impacted on my real world. I suddenly realised I should have
got out of bed half an hour ago or I’ve got out of the bath forgetting that I was supposed
to wash my hair.


I also tune my brain to listen out for relevant discussions and spot pertinent articles or
documentaries. I might look up something I need to find out about early in the morning
and let the information percolate through my mind during the course of the day.
Sometimes I must come over as really nosey when I meet a person who relates in some
way to one of my fictional characters. I probably ask them way too many questions as I
try and find out more about what makes them tick. I can’t believe how many of the things
I write about do subsequently crop up in real life. I spent hours researching possible
wedding venues all over the country for a story before eventually choosing a suitable
candidate. The next day my eldest son was invited to a wedding at that very place. I guess
rather than a time for writing and a time for real life I have them both running in parallel.
I’m never off duty either way.

I recently decided to experiment with e-publishing. I must admit that I did waste a whole
afternoon of writing time one day as I got hooked on following my ranking on-line. I
have also got a bit hooked on on-line writing groups over the last two weeks. It’s a phase
though and it will pass. My story is called ‘The Last Day the Sun shone’.
/>_________________________
Harper Donohue is a writer living in London. Following many years of working with
people in a variety of ways she remains fascinated by the complexity of individuals. In
addition to her natural interest she has formally studied child development and human
psychology. In her writing she explores the continual struggle created by the human
desire to relate to one another.
Chapter 8
Part Of My Nature
Myron Edwards
For me, being creative and balancing my day is part of my nature. In my working life I
am a copywriter and marketing man, called The Advertising Man based in Cyprus. The
problem is CY doesn't have too much in the way of funds for advertising and what little
there is, gets picked off by the bigger boys.
So I also try to balance my working day with freelance articles for magazines. This is

also a great way to keep the gray matter flowing and to stimulate ideas. I also try to
market wherever possible my book and my dream to get it made into a movie. I
bamboozle (great word) as many people as I can and look for angles everywhere to try to
get people to invest in the movie.
I have also completed two other books. The longest one I ever wrote was over 600 pages
and that was mainly because I was banged up in hospital with a broken hip for six weeks
so that gave me the opportunity to work on the book.
I came into writing by the comedy route and day-to-day basis worked as a travel agent.
But moderate success gave me the start that I needed and I started freelancing for the
BBC in London writing comedy sketches and one liners. It was whilst I was at JWT in
the travel department that I took the giant leap and moved to the creative department
becoming a copywriter in the 80's.
That was a long time ago now. But I still remember fondly the great characters and gurus
of those days who were stars in their own lifetime. I am still in touch with a couple of
them.
It’s an interesting premise balancing life as a creative with who you are in your daily life.
For me I am always looking for angles or ideas in all that I do, whether that’s dish
washing or cleaning the car. It’s always for me a good way to think and to conjure.
________________________________
Myron Edwards, 59 married with three children, former BBC Comedy script writer with
credits such as The Two Ronnies and A Kick up the 80’s, Hudd Lines and Weekending.
Moved to Cyprus 2004 and now freelancing as a copywriter n Limassol. Enjoys writing,
reading, TV and Cinema, sports, mainly football watching too old too play now .He lived
in Essex and North London during his early career where he worked in a variety of
different companies which varied between the travel industry and sales and marketing.
Here he was able to combine his creative talents and writing skills in a variety of
different projects and opportunities., before moving out to Cyprus with his family.
The Mistress of the Rock is his first novel.
SHE'S HERE.
FOR 5,000 years she has been hidden from sight.

Generations of people have visited; not knowing of her existence.
UNTIL NOW !
The mystery of Aphrodite's Rock is finally revealed in this sensational new novel
THE MISTRESS OF THE ROCK
"Undoubtedly, the best kept secret since The Da Vinci Code"
"BRILLIANT I couldn't put it down ". Ann Channing Epoiskopi

Myron has managed to breathe new life into the ancient enigma of Aphrodite’s Rock.
Richard Cole’s discovery contemporises the legend of the Goddess of Love."
Mat McHale, Associate Producer TalkbackTHAMES.
As featured on BFBS Radio - CBBc Radio, Cyprus Mail, Paphos Post, Lemesos News,
Cyprus Gold
THIS ISLAND WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!
Chapter 9
The Non-negotiables
Austine Etcheverry
Balance is defined in Algebra as equalizing both sides. As a resource teacher, mom of
two kids and 6 animals, wife, media specialist, assistant, writer and mentor I have eight
hard and fast non-negotiables that keep me standing in the middle of the balance beam
instead of leaning into the tar pit of unbalance and unrest.
Rule number 1: Early to rise. I go to work early, 30 to forty minutes early. This way I
have plenty of time to socialize, make last minute copies or adjustments for my class as
needed. Time to sit and just enjoy a good cup of coffee or write the IEP I forgot about.
This helps me start my day fresh, instead of rushed.
Rule number 2: Commit to quiet work time. One day a week I lock my door on my prep
and turn down the lights. This allows me to complete all of my lesson plans for the week,
make copies and power points or whatever is needed for the instruction. This also helps,
with being organized when the student has a meltdown in the hallway, or you have a last
minute scheduled meeting. No worries, because my assistant can pick up the class if I
can’t because everything is already mapped out.

Rule number 3: The dinner table. No work during dinner! No phone calls! No text
messaging! No T.V! This is my number one time with my kids. On the drive to and from
work I have to admit I’m normally on my phone. Catching up with friends, chatting about
work or other items that have been set to the side and forgotten. But at dinner all of this
get’s put away. It helps me re-charge my batteries and reminds me what’s really
important.
Rule number 4: The great balancing act. I always read a bedtime story to my kids. This is
another great way for me to slow down and re-charge. Plus I get to share in a character’s
adventures with my sons. We can fight off pirates, learn about volcanoes or get a sneak
peak into the life of a twelve year old in the “Hunger Games.”
Rule Number 5: Time for me. For one hour every weekend I do anything I want to do. I
might shut my bedroom door and read a book or write. Sometimes, I take my dogs for a
walk and other times I watch a movie I’ve been waiting to watch. But whatever it is, if
people want to join me great, if not that’s fine to because it’s about me doing what I want,
not what anyone else wants.
Rule Number 6: Time for adult conversation. This is a little steamier and is not for young
eyes. Right after the boy’s go to bed, my husband and I take some time together. We talk
about what we need to, enjoy each other’s company and hang out. If he starts doing
something before I’m finished reading to the boys, I simply interrupt him, to get the
attention that I need. Helps me to re-charge the batteries. (Okay, well it wasn’t that
steamy, but you get the idea).
Rule number 7: Time to reflect. I don’t have to even leave my kitchen if I don’t want to,
but it leaves me with the flexibility to do it wherever and whenever I want. Drink a great
cup of coffee. (What did you think I was talking about something else?) Anyway, I take
my time once a day to sip a great cup of coffee with the perfect creamer, perfect blend of
flavor and a small amount of quiet. In this coffee world, for the moment I can dream,
think, build a house or plan a birthday party. It doesn’t matter because the focus is on the
coffee.
Rule Number 8: Feel the beat. I dance to the music and sing in my car as loud as I can.
When I know that I have a busy day at work, I remind myself that the only way to keep

the balance is to do the inverse. My inverse is singing as loud as I can in my car on the
way to work. It makes me happy and to dance ridiculous because that embarrass my kids.
Which is a perk to being a parent.
In my life balance is achieved by truly living each day for the day while planning ahead
for the future to make sure the past doesn’t sneak up on me, and dump a pile of work on
my desk when I’m on a lunch break. The art and skill of balance is organization in my
work life, home life, children’s lives and writing life.
___________________________
Austine is a mother of two boys, three cats and three dogs. She has been married for
three years and works full time as a special education teacher for sixth through eighth
grade. She is a writer of Women's fiction and Young adult science fiction. Her first
book, "Flight of the Water Planet," will be published and available for sale on April 18,
2012. She enjoys sunsets, log walks with her dogs, watching movies, hanging with
friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee.
Find her here:
The Exodus Series Blog
The Exodus Series Website
Twitter
Chapter 10
Everything Does Not Have To Be Perfect
Mary Firmin
My darling husband, Bill, bought me the publishing package for Deadly Pleasures as a
Christmas present in 2010. He went crazy and ordered all kinds of services, and he loved
doing it. What he, or I, did not know is that he would pass away in his sleep six months
later. The editing, choosing a cover, and all the things that go into a new book actually
saved me from spiraling down into a deep depression. I had to keep moving. I had to do
the work whether I felt like it or not. Now, the book is out and doing quite well. I have
done TV interviews, radio interviews, newspaper and blog interviews. My only wish is
that he could be here to be a part of all this.
My plan is to write a Trilogy of Deadly books, using some of the same characters. Right

now I am trying very hard to get back to my second book, Deadly Secrets which is about
half finished. The synopsis is complete, and I am ready to continue writing, but with all
the promotion and interviews on Deadly Pleasures, it is hard to find the time. I have to
again revert back to the Harold Robbins theory, which is “Put some Ass Glue on your
chair and do not get up until you have written 5-10 pages.” When I do this, I produce.
Early on, in my writing, I had to drag myself away from the computer because I had so
much to say. I researched Voodoun Fire, my first writing attempt, to death. I spent every
waking hour obsessed with writing. In order to keep my marriage and family intact, I had
to come up with a better system. Since I am a night person, I chose to work at night. I
promised myself to get up and go to bed after three hours, and sometimes I did. Since
most of writing is re-writing I am fortunate that I like to re-write. Getting that new idea
out onto a blank page is very hard for me, it is like giving birth. It was only when I
convinced myself that everything did not have to be perfect the first time I wrote it down
that I eased up on myself. I don’t know if I expected Ernest Hemingway to imbue my
spirit and guide me down the path of the perfect sentence, but it definitely did not
happen.
I have consciously chosen to make my writing as invisible as possible so that my readers
may glide over the words and see only the picture I am trying to paint, or feel the feeling
I am trying to evoke. If I can do that I think I will be a good writer. I love to read the
writings of the great Masters but I know I will never be a writer like those people. First of
all the cadence and manner of speech was different from the way ours is today. I mean,
how well would those guys do on Twitter? I rest my case.
I hope I have reassured at least one person out there that you do not have to be perfect in
your writing, but you must START. After you have written your words down on paper it
will all come together like a giant jigsaw puzzle with words instead of pieces. I wish you
all the best of luck with your writing –but above all have fun.
___________________________
Mary Firmin was born in the North of England, emigrated to Canada, then traveled to
Florida where she owned and operated an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. She moved on
to Santa Monica, California where she worked in Real Estate Sales and eventually

became Vice President of a large firm on the West Side. She began her writing career by
attending many classes at local colleges, including UCLA, and then moved on to private
writer's groups. As active members of a Southern California Yacht Club, Mary and her
husband traveled up and down the California Coastline for years, and spent many days
on Catalina Island. Upon moving to the Desert, Mary wrote a society column for a Palm
Springs newspaper.
It is from these experiences she forged her characters and the story of Deadly Pleasures.
This book is a fun, casual read with a little romance, some deviant sex, and a sick serial
killer. It is sure to keep your attention to the very end. Mary's loving husband, Bill,
passed away this year. She has three children, one gorgeous grandchild and lives in
Rancho Mirage, California. Mary is now working on her second book in this series,
Deadly Secrets.
Chapter 11
Writing and Balance in Everyday Life
Jeanette Fratto
I’ve always loved to write and have done so all my life – short stories, essays, and
articles. I’ve even won awards for some of them. It wasn’t until I retired from a 26-year
career in law enforcement that I decided to write my first novel. That’s when the desire
for balance really set in.
All of my previous writings were efforts that only required a few pages. I could write
most of it in my head while cleaning the kitchen or driving to work. When it was time to
put it on paper it didn’t take me long to have a finished product. Balance with my day to
day activities was never really an issue, as I was able to fit my writing in “here and there”
when I had some time.
Writing a novel seemed to be a natural progression of my writing experience. After much
thought, I decided to make it a mystery that unfolded through the inner workings of the
probation department, where I had worked. My reasons were two-fold. When I worked I
realized that most people outside the field did not know what probation officers did, and
as a mystery reader, I noted that writers rarely mentioned probation in their books, and it
is an important part of the criminal justice system.

For something as complex as a novel, I knew I needed a writing plan more specific than
when I could find the time. So I began the search for the “holy grail” of when, and how
often, I should write. My husband and I had many activities we enjoyed together,
including extensive traveling, and I didn’t want to give those up. A book requires
dedication, so I looked for ways to write with optimal results, while still living an active
life.
I attended book festivals and endless workshops of published writers. When questions
were taken from the audience I would always ask, “how often do you write, and when do
you do it?” The answers I received were as varied as the authors. Some wrote between 5
a.m. and 10 a.m. every day. Others started writing at midnight after their children were in
bed and the house was quiet. None of these plans appealed to me. Most wrote every day,
which agrees with what most writing tutorials say to do – WRITE EVERY DAY.
I started out writing every day, usually after breakfast. But then my exercise class
interfered. So I moved to the afternoon, but someone would drop in. Each day writing
would nag at me until I sat down and wrote a page or two. If I missed a day I felt like a
failure. This was obviously not working for me. Then one day I read an article in Writer’s
Digest by an author with young children. She said she knew she couldn’t write every day
so she didn’t obsess about it. Instead she wrote a few sentences when she could. She had
certain designated times which were devoted to writing, but they were short periods.
Eventually her book was finished. Her advice – there is no one best way to write. It all
gets finished in the end. The best way is the one that works for you.
I felt like a weight had been taken from me. What if I made one day a week my writing
day? Only in rare circumstances would I let anything interfere with it. The rest of the
week I would think about my plot, maybe jot down notes, but there would be no more
daily nagging because I hadn’t yet written anything. My mind would be free to think
about my story without feeling the obligation to put something on paper. I chose my day
and announced to my husband that he needed to find something interesting to do on his
own, because I'd be unavailable from 9 to 5. He was fully supportive.
My first novel was published two years ago, and I just finished my second one. I still
follow the one-day-a-week schedule. It may not work for everyone, but since it works for

me, I’m sticking to it.
______________________
I live in southern California and am a graduate of California State University, Fullerton,
with a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Social Science. I planned to be a clinical
psychologist when a flyer on being a probation officer caught my eye. I applied, and
after a rigorous four-month process, I was hired and began training. I had a wonderful
26-year career and retired as a Division Director. I'm now concentrating on being a
novelist and have begun a series about a female probation officer and her adventures. I
have two adult children and three grandchildren. My husband and I travel, take pilates
classes together, and enjoy life. He supports my writing efforts and is my best publicist,
promoting my work everywhere he can.
My Books
NO STONE UNTURNED was my first novel. It is available in paperback, on-line, and
as an E-Book via my website, which is: It
follows the experiences of probation officer Linda Davenport, who comes to California
for new beginnings and gets more than she bargained for.
NO GOOD DEED will be out July 2012. It is a sequel to my first book and continues
with Linda Davenport's experiences. Both books are in the mystery/romance genre.
Readers can connect with me in a variety of ways, as follow

/>
I'm also on Goodreads and Linked-In and I promise to respond to any contacts I receive!
Chapter 12
A Positive Habit
Gunnar C. Garisson
I am a 42 year old Engineer, Construction Manager and small business owner. I recently
suffered a severe injury while on a rooftop that all but cost me my career. After about two
days of feeling sorry for myself and getting bored senseless by television, I remembered
that I was also a writer who suffered years of "If I only had time to write" syndrome. It
was then that I remembered one critical fact: writers write!!! They don't try to "fit it in"

when it's convenient, as there will ALWAYS be something in the way believe me, as a
father of two, I know this to be true above all else! The sky is blue, you'll eventually die,
and there will ALWAYS be something in the way! Solution hmmm, yeah that part.
Well, it seems obvious to me that there are only two workable scenarios, regardless of
who you are, or what specific challenges you face in your life. You can adjust your
environment to fit your lifestyle or you can adjust your lifestyle to accommodate your
environment! Bingo! Door number two, please!
For me, this was a no brainer. After the injury, we quickly spiraled downward from living
in a large home on 5 acres to being crammed, dogs, cats and children into a 36 foot pull
behind trailer where there is absolutely no privacy or even desk space. I made two
changes then and there that changed my life for the better and have since then helped me
to produce two novels out of a trilogy, as well as a myriad of freelance work. I
downscaled my operation to a laptop, and I started waking up at 3am every single day!
Ironically, all the "night owls" at my house are completely asleep by then and I also get
the benefit of harnessing the period of post-dreamstate haze that lends itself so well to the
type of surrealistic, cutting edge science fiction and fantasy that I love to write! I simply
got sick and tired of trying in vain to find a niche in the chaos where I could consistently
write in peace and quiet! Peace and quiet yeah, right! As any family man (or woman)
can attest, there is no such thing! Children, God bless 'em, are quite simply the loudest,
most demanding full time job imaginable, and anyone, male or female, that doesn't think
of homemaking as a stressful, full time job, is being very naive! The trenches of
construction were a vacation by comparison! At least there you had the benefit of being
able to punch out and call it a day!
Getting up at 3am has worked out great for me, and isn't anywhere near as hard as it
sounds. Even just getting up a couple hours earlier than normal and using the time to
work on writing is a huge productive jump in the right direction! It really amounts to
simply creating any kind of positive habit that one can. A steady habit, however
seemingly insignificant, will often enough turn the tides from wishful thinking and being
an "aspiring writer," to full blown productivity and realization of one's dreams. This is
also a far better and less exhaustive route than trying to find the time at the end of one's

day when your mind is cluttered, fatigued, stressed, and you are fading off toward sleep.
Of all the different time slots I've tested, this works the best for me, plain and simple, and
believe me, I've been pushed around the clock in an effort to find solace enough to write
at all, much less steadily enough to self produce two full length novels, and dream up a
third!
___________________________________
Gunnar Garisson is an old soul, warrior poet living well out of his time in modern
society. In addition to writing full time, he spends a vast amount of creative energy
designing off-grid, self sufficient homes, medieval weaponry, music and a better and
stronger horn of mead.
He has a passion for the wilderness that was instilled at a very young age, and is a
devout member of the church of the highest peak he can find. Alongside years of multi-
disciplinary Martial Arts training and an Engineering degree, he is an avid swordsman,
and can often be found deep in the woods sparring with his brothers, steel on steel. He
enjoys loud motorcycles, small animals, and riding pretty much any kind of board, but
his deepest love will always be family.
Only without the bonds of family are we are truly alone
For current, up to date news, new novel release dates and ordering info, as well as
contact information, visit:
www.gunnar-garisson.com

Author of Critical Mass
eBook link: />paperback: />
Planeshifters: Critical Mass, Book: II
eBook link: />A free, chapter by chapter clickable preview for both novels is available at:
starting at: http://shape-
shifter.hubpages.com/hub/Author-Introduction-to-Critical-Mass
Or check out his book trailer at: />Chapter 13
Conscious Choices: the Pathway to an Authentic Life.
Mary Jo Guglielmo

Sometimes when you’re looking for balance in your life you just have to jump ship.
That’s what happened to me 18 years ago. Having had my first child in my thirties, my
identity was very much defined as a working professional. With two young children, my
life was hectic, but seemed to have a manageable rhythm. I loved my job, the
environment, the fact that every day was new with its own rewards and challenges. Yet I
felt stuck on a treadmill I couldn’t stop. I was a member of the generation that believed
that you could have it all—work, motherhood, a great lifestyle. Eventually, I began to
realize that for me having it all came at a price. When I was finally willing to examine
my true heart’s desire, I quit my job to be home with my children.
I pruned away an identify that no longer fit, shed possessions I didn’t need, released
desires that weren’t real and created an authentic life. Financially at first, it was a real
stretch but we cut back on expenses. It didn’t seem like we were depriving ourselves;
instead we were making conscious choices. It wasn’t about planning for the future and
worry about the past, it was about making the most empowering choice possible by
grabbing what I truly wanted in the present moment. I learned the importance of defining
your core values and then living a life that reflects these values.
It’s a process I’ve done many times since then. We’ve been through many different
stages at my house and at each new juncture I ask myself what’s most important in the
present moment. What makes my heart sing now?
Maybe an outside force will give you the push to re-examine your life and assess what’s
most important to you. But why wait? Two of my favorite questions to start this process
are:
1. What's working in my life . . . what's not?
2. What in my life brings me joy?
When you determine what you truly value, review the things you do, the things you own,
the way you spend your time and resources. Are these things supporting your core
values? The balance in life comes when your daily activities reflect what you value
most. There’s no better time than now to explore your true desires. You might not need
to jump ship like I did, but you may need to throw a few bags overboard. Happy Travels!
___________________________

Mary Jo Guglielmo is an intuitive life strategist. She helps clients push through their
blocks, envision their path and take the necessary action to live their true north. If you
are interested in an Artist Breakthrough session or a Personal Mentoring Program go to
/>For more information check out www.DoNorth.biz or folllow her at:


/> />Chapter 14
A Desirable Point
Matthew Hayduk
Depending on what type of balance you are looking for, Wikipedia defines the
metaphysical definition of balance as a desirable point between two or more opposite
forces. If I were to take my writing and put it on one side of the scale, the necessities of
my life would be far outweighed. On one side of the scale I’m a rookie writer at the age
of 50 looking to achieve something similar to Grandma Moses but in a literary sense. On
the other side of the scale I am a recovering alcoholic, a father of three sons, a husband,
an employee at a large chemical storage company and a son to a mom with moderate to
severe Alzheimer's disease. That’s the necessary stuff. There is a lot of peripheral stuff
that I can add to that side of the balance but I need to draw a line somewhere.
As you may begin to see, there really is no desirable point between the opposite forces in
my life if you look at the necessities versus writing but if I take the things that I need
most and divide them by six. I can give an equal amount of time to each one. Maybe not
an equal amount but compartmentalize each component and address each responsibility
as needed.
The most important part for me is this recovery business. Without that I can’t be any of
the other titles that I listed. I learned that important lesson almost 25 years ago. The
spiritual values are what gives me that desirable point between two or more desirable
forces. When I maintain that balance, then and only then, can I have the emotional
balance to not only put things in my life but also be able to handle life on life’s terms. I
attribute those spiritual values in helping our family get through one of “life’s” most
difficult moments when we buried my oldest son after a valiant fight with leukemia.

Being a responsible productive member of my family is paramount to my writing. It has a
track record of providing the material things needed to sustain my family’s life. I don’t
want to mislead anyone here but my writing has not made a mountain of cash yet. I
would love to write for a living. I had the second most successful book signing by a local
author at our little local bookstore here in Manasquan NJ. I consider that a huge success
because I was second to Mary Higgins Clark. Not too shabby for a rookie author who
may not have literary balance but has some figuratively.
Husband and father of three, Matthew Hayduk spends his summers in Spring Lake
Heights as well as his springs, winters, and falls. Matthew is a kinder, gentler, United
Steel Worker, heavy equipment operator. Local 397! An aspiring author with his wife
Nancy, and their two boys, they share their home with a rescued golden retriever named
Belle and her dog therapist another golden retriever named Mack. Having been a friend
of Bill Wilson’s for well over 20 years, Matt felt a need to share his experience on
dealing with his loss and grief of his son Matt. His mission is to bring some hope and
comfort for those daunted by the task of caring for a terminally ill loved one. Readers
need not to be in recovery to relate to this book. Matthew wrote this for people that suffer
from grief, loss and those that watch Crossing Over on demand. In his spare time Matt is
obsessed with surviving one more round of zombies and going for really long bike rides
along the Jersey shore.
Chapter 15
The Year Of Kira
Kira Janene Holt
I’ve always wanted to write novels. I wrote short stories as a teen and took a few creative
writing classes in college. I started a novel in the 1990s, and after completing close to 200
pages, shared it with a friend. One negative response and the project ended.
I spent long hours at work. I’m a professional and it seems as if more is heaped upon
employees who do their job. I have a large circle of friends and family so there are
unlimited opportunities for celebrations and parties. I love to travel and live the stories I
wanted to write. The novel was pushed further and further into the future.
I met a new man. Relationships take lots of energy. We literally built a house on some

land I had owned for several years. We moved in when the walls were studs, and we had
to string in a light from the pole outside. We washed our bodies and our dishes using a
hose tied over a tree branch. Building a house is a never-ending endeavor.
Suddenly I was about to turn fifty. I realized the future was forever and that the one
creative passion I’ve had my whole life could be put off and never realized. I had spent
my adult life putting everyone else’s goals and desires ahead of mine, and it had to stop. I
meant it too.
I declared my forty-ninth birthday “The Year of Kira.” To hell with housekeeping. Cut
out the obligations. I can’t go to yet another party. Work will not steal all my energy and
time so that someone younger can push me out when I’m exhausted. My husband can fix
his own damn meals. He understood since he’s also an artist. He’d been encouraging me
to write.
I started waking up at 4:00 a.m. to write while I was fresh. I cut out checking my emails
every twenty minutes to see if there was an emergency. I took the hotel time from my
travel job to write instead of reading reports. I even wrote at work. Within a year, I had a
first draft. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite!
That was four years ago and my novel comes out May 2012. It’s titled Rapid Descent –
Nightmare in the Grand Canyon. Turn hedonistic travelers out into an isolated
environment and emotions run rougher than rapids.
I’ve never stopped writing since. Fantasty Rocked Reality, the sequel to Nightmare will
publish in 2013. I’ve written the first draft of a third novel. I entered a MFA in Creative
Writing program although I’ve about decided it’s not for me. I have a non-fiction piece
titled Cookbook for Getting Your Kid to College that is next in line for publishing.
I don’t believe I can tell anyone exactly HOW to balance life against writing. My advice
is that each writer needs to look at what’s of value in his/her life. What can be cut?
Where does a writer want to spend his/her time? Life is a series of choices so choose
what matters most.
________________________
Kira Janene Holt lives and writes on a hill outside of Austin, Texas. Her Upcoming
novel, Rapid Descent – Nightmare in the Grand Canyon, was short listed in the 2010

Pirate’s Alley William Faulkner Creative Writing Contest. During the day she works on
college readiness issues. Cookbook for Getting Your Kid to College will publish in late
2012 as a guide to help parents guide their kids through the college search, application,
and admission process. She also blogs at kiraholt.com or find her at
kiowahillpublishing.com
Chapter 16
Life Begins At Sixty
Carolyn



Howard-Johnson
Sometimes the big barriers in life aren’t abject poverty, dreaded disease or death.
Sometimes it’s the subtle ones set upon us by time and place. The ones that can’t be seen
and can’t be acknowledged because we don’t know they are there. They creep up silently
on padded feet and, if we sense them at all, we choose not to turn and face them.
The decade of the 50s was a time when these kinds of barriers faced those with dark skin,
those who lived in closed religious communities, and those who were female.
When I applied for a job as a writer at Hearst Corporation in New York in 1961 I was
required to take a typing test. I was piqued because I wasn’t applying for the typing-pool,
I was applying for a post as an editorial assistant.
I was told, “No typing test, no interview.” I took the test and was offered a job in the
ranks of those who could do 70 in a minute. I had to insist upon the interview I had been
promised. I was only twenty and had no real skills in assertiveness. I am amazed I had the
wherewithal to do that.
The essentials of this anecdote lie in the fact that I was putout for the wrong reasons. My
irritation was a reflection of hubris. However, that pride was probably what goaded me
into speaking up; pride is not always a bad thing to have.
It certainly never occurred to me that this requirement was one that applied only to
women much less that I should be angry for the sake of my entire gender. Prejudice is

sometimes like traveling on well-worn treads; you have no idea you’re in danger. It also
feeds on the ignorance of its victims. They benignly accept their lot because they know
no better.
Something similar was at work when I married and had children. I happily took a new
direction to accommodate my husband’s career and the life the winds of the times
presented to me. I left my writing with hardly a backward look. Back then, in the days
before women had been made aware, the possibilities were not an open book to be denied
or accepted. I just did what was expected by the entire culture.
Things are so much better now; I don’t think women younger than their mid-fifties have
any idea or how ignorant most women were to their own possibilities. That there was a
time when we didn’t even know we had choices is not fiction.
I had always wanted to sit in a forest or an office or a newsroom with a pencil in my
hand. I dreamed writing, lived writing and loved writing. I wanted to write the next
“Gone With The Wind” only about Utah instead of about the South. I had a plan that was,
itself, gone with the wind.
It was the 1950s and women in that time, and especially in that place, had a notion of
who they should be, could be and, mostly, they got it from those around them because
many of them couldn’t see the difference from society’s expectations and their own.
“You can’t be a nurse,” my mother said. “Your ankles aren’t sturdy enough.” I also was
told I couldn’t be a doctor because that wasn’t a woman’s vocation.
“Be a teacher because you can be home the same hours as your children, but learn to type
because every woman should be able to make a living somehow if their husband dies.”
Writing was not a consideration. It didn’t fit any of the requirements. So when I gave it
up, it didn’t feel like I was giving up much.
When I began to put myself through college I took the sound advice and studied
education so I’d have a profession. I made 75 cents an hour (this was, after all, the 50s!)
working as a staff writer at the Salt Lake Tribune. That I was making a living writing
didn’t occur to me. I met a handsome young man and we were married. His career took
precedence; that was simply how it was done. Then there were two children, carefully
planned, also because that was how it should be done. By the 70s we both yearned for a

career with autonomy, one where we could spend time with our children and be in
command of our own lives.
My dream was a victim of the status quo. It never occurred to me to just strike out in my
own direction when my husband and children needed me. The pain was there. I just
didn’t recognize it so I could hardly address it and fix it.
My husband and I built a business. We raised a lawyer and a mathematician, grew in joy
with a grandson, lived through floods and moves, enjoyed travel. For forty years I didn’t
write and, during that time, there were changes. Women had more choices but more than
that they had become more aware. The equipment, gears and pulleys were in place for a
different view on life. In midlife I became aware that there was an empty hole where my
children had been but also that the hole was more vast than the space vacated by them. I
knew I not only would be able to write, I would need to write.
Then I read that, if those who live until they are fifty in these times may very likely see
their hundredth year. That meant that I might have another entire lifetime before me -
plenty of time to do whatever I wanted. In fact, it’s my belief that women in their 50s
might have more time for their second life because they won’t have to spend the first
twenty years preparing for adulthood.
One day I sat down and began to write the “Great Utah Novel.” I thought it would be a
lot easier than it was. I had majored in English Lit. Writing a novel should be pretty much
second nature.
It wasn’t long before I realized that it wasn’t as easy as writing the news stories I had
written as a young woman. There were certain skills I didn’t have. It was a discouraging
time. I might not have to learn speech and motor skills and the ABCs but there sure was a
lot I didn’t know about writing.
Somewhere after writing about 400 pages (easily a year’s work), I knew something major