Where do you want to go next? Since you won't be around for it, why should you care? Well, someone is going to have to dispose of your earthly remains, whether you plan for it or not. So it seems only right that you should let them know how you expect them to deal with … Continue reading Where to Next?
Author: laurisburns
“You Can Fix It Later”
This is one of the phrases that rings in my head all the time these days. Just get writing. All first drafts are crap, so just get it down in words. You can fix it later. Now that it feels like I finally can manage my time to make writing the top priority, I’m working … Continue reading “You Can Fix It Later”
Lost on the Green Train
Confusion on the Circumvesuviana After Rome we headed south by train to beautiful and charming Sorrento, where we had some great food and wine, stayed in a wonderful small hotel down a tiny cobblestoned alley, took day trips to Pompei and Herculeum, and where I had another interesting train experience. From Sorrento, I took an … Continue reading Lost on the Green Train
Cypress Street Secrets
My novel is coming along at what feels like a snail's pace, but it's exciting to see it develop. Ya know how your best friend in the whole world can sometimes aggravate the hell out of you? How you may want to grab her and just shake some sense into her head? Sometimes I get … Continue reading Cypress Street Secrets
Brown Women Have Everything, by Sayantani Dasgupta
Since attending the book launch for Sayantani Dasgupta's ‘Brown Women Have Everything,’ (her third book) last week, I finally found time to sit down and read it. I couldn't put it down. I am struck by how much we have in common, this woman who grew up in New Delhi and I, who grew up … Continue reading Brown Women Have Everything, by Sayantani Dasgupta
Coffee Shop Characters
Coffee Shop Thoughts How much can you know about a person from observing their footwear, I wonder. It looked like half the patrons of my favorite coffee shop today wore boots. Not cute little fashion boots, but the heavy kind that you would wear for serious winter hiking or certain manual labor jobs. These were … Continue reading Coffee Shop Characters
River Stories
It's been a while! Nine months ago, I thought I was ready to start submitting 'River Stories' to agents. Then life happened. And death. Meanwhile I've finally been able to put some final touches on the manuscript. I feel like it's a very solid story and this week I have actually been submitting queries - … Continue reading River Stories
I Never Win Anything – or Do I?
As soon as I read about this gutsy girl in the upcoming middle grade debut novel 'Air,' I knew I had to read it. Since I came across it as part of a contest to win a copy on this blog, I figured it was worth a shot, although I knew I'd never win. I … Continue reading I Never Win Anything – or Do I?
River Stories
There were snakes in that river. That’s why we were never to go there alone. I never saw a snake, but I knew they were there. My mom said so. We had just moved here in June. We would have moved earlier but Mom said we had to wait for the end of the school … Continue reading River Stories
Take a Deep Breath and Exhale
In an ordinary year, I probably would not even notice much of the hoopla around the Presidential Inauguration. But then – I have to admit that I spent most of yesterday watching the inauguration events. At the end of the day, I felt like I had taken a deep breath—and exhaled slowly—at last. After the … Continue reading Take a Deep Breath and Exhale
Why Can I Not Focus?
Cognitive Load Theory I feel like this article in BBC by Dr Christian Jarrett explains a lot about what my mind has been doing recently. More importantly, it offers solutions. If you feel like you’re in a state of constant mental fatigue, you should read this. Cognitive Load Theory discusses the idea that tasks are … Continue reading Why Can I Not Focus?
Imperfections of the Human State
If you have ALS, or if you know someone who has ALS, or if you are in need of a major injection of inspiration or a renewal of faith in the human race, you need to read this. If you have ALS, or if you know someone who has ALS, or if you are in … Continue reading Imperfections of the Human State
I Am That 74-Year-Old Grandmother
Yesterday’s ‘Questionable Statements about the Corona Virus’ award goes to Florida’s Governor DeSantis who said this: "If you're a 22-year-old working in food services, let's say at a supermarket, you would have preference over a 74-year-old grandmother. I don't think that that is the direction that we want to go." DeSantis wants Florida to ignore … Continue reading I Am That 74-Year-Old Grandmother
The Small Stuff
Some mornings it's the small stuff in the news that makes me crazy. President Trump has achieved his goal of destroying another environmental standard created in the prior administration. In a world where 790 million people do not have access to clean water, it's nice to know that some people will be able to wash … Continue reading The Small Stuff
The Val Wood Prize
I've received notice that I am on the short-list for this year's prestigious Val Wood Prize for my short story, 'Mr. Miller.' I am over the hill with excitement. The submission call was for 'feel good' stories. Jess Federle, of my 'Lima' group, had told me about the contest, for which she thought Mr Miller … Continue reading The Val Wood Prize
You Don’t Have to Win
This Kurt Vonnegut quote just grabbed me this morning. I've felt so frustrated this past week. The overthrow of the government in Peru, the attacks on our democracy by a sitting president in the US. And I've been struggling with outlining the plot for my next book. My hero suffers from a need to do … Continue reading You Don’t Have to Win
Lauris Burns 