Water intimidates me. Going to the lake means I will strategically position an umbrella and a blanket several yards from the water while I lounge on a sandy beach and watch others splash around in the murky pools of the unknown. I am a human not a fish.

Promoting my writing provides the same trepidation. Sitting in front of a computer in my padded office chair with music serenading my meditation while words flow onto the paper provides comfort. I am a writer not a marketer.

However, just as the time eventually arrives that the blazing sun forces me into…

I remember when my mother passed away. After the tears from the initial shock, our family sat in the living room and shared memories. We talked about her love and compassion towards other. The lessons she taught us about honesty. Then we started sharing memories that made us smile and eventually each of us began to relax and tell stories that made us laugh.

• Once when driving down the freeway, she stopped the car because a strange creature was roaming in the middle of the road. …

The most satisfying humor comes unexpectedly. Think about those times you laughed uncontrollably. The harder you attempted to stop, the more you giggled until a healthy belly guffaw escaped. Though some people deny it, most of us have laughed so hard we’ve peed a little. Ever wonder why? When your body is consumed in laughter, the muscles relax — all of them.

The positive effects of laughter are documented by research, but sometimes life gets busy. On those days, when I find myself consumed by tasks, worries, and goals, I forget to enjoy the moment. During these times, I see…

In writing, a transition serves the purpose of creating a smooth and easy to follow exchange in ideas. Their addition to writing increases understanding as well as the pleasure of reading. Think of a transition as a bridge linking ideas. Without transitions in writing, the reader is required to leap from one idea to the next and can then fall into the chasm of misunderstanding.

Transitions create links

They can be placed between parts of sentences, connect sentences together and attach paragraphs. Notice how one word unifies the following four sentences.

Before

The three-year-old girl swam and giggled as she played in the wading…

As a youth, I would lay sprawled on my bed writing to express my thoughts. I collected inspiration in a spiral notebook. I copied poems from books, ripped inspirational quotes from magazines, and pilfered clever sayings from friends. I glued notes that were passed between classes onto the lined papers, cut out handwritten comments from birthday cards, and highlighted phrases that made me smile. In the ‘70s, specialty stores sold 3.5x2” cards with motivational sayings and words of wisdom that fit in the empty spaces of my notebook.

The final product reflected my thoughts and emotions of the time. I…

Writers who allow me to visit the setting of the story captivate my attention. I love to experience a new place through the words of a gifted writer who provides details that arouse my senses. They inspire my desire to continue reading. The ability to describe an environment requires a writer to share the smells, tastes, sights, sounds and feelings through their attention to detail.

Have you ever smelled an aroma that escorted you back in time? Have you ever heard a song that sparked a memory from the past?

The smell of cinnamon carries me to Mom’s kitchen where…

Yes, this is another one of those articles but with a new twist. Every time I see a title that promises to increase my readership, I pause and skim the contents because isn’t that what we all want? More readers. We don’t sit and talk to the wall, at least most of us don’t, and we don’t want to publish our writing just to take up space on the internet.

These are common ideas to catch readers’ interest

The ideas below are discussed on Medium repeatedly in numerous articles. After spending hours searching and reading, I am sharing articles, with hyperlinks, that have been valuable to my writing…

With school beginning soon, teachers are preparing lesson plans and developing worksheets. Generally, the focus is on subject information but with the turbulent times, youth are feeling an increase of stress in daily life activities. Most didn’t attend fulltime, in-person classes last year so the idea of leaving the comfort of home and entering a larger, unknown environment can be intimidating. Parents, educators, and adults who support the emotional wellness of our kids will find benefits in the investment of time — investment in youth.

Now…