Six Word Saturday

The calendar says today is the first day of summer, yet I’m not sure how it arrived too fast. My sense of the seasons is off, a fact I attribute to not planting my garden this year. The challenges presented by 2020 meant something had to give.

Moving from spring plantings to summer’s bounty has always been marked by the progression of my tiny farming efforts. Sowing, transplanting, watering, and weeding are exercises requiring patience while we wait for blossoms and marvel as the plants set fruit. Corn, beans, tomatoes, peppers, and summer squash lend to the feel and smells I associate with warm summer evenings. Basil, mint, dill, and coriander provide mouthwatering spices.

There is great joy in grazing in the garden. Bright strawberries get added to beet tops, fresh-cut mesclun, and chives. If we are lucky, the early tomatoes ripen before the lettuce bolts. But the local farmer’s…

Happy Chinese New Year!  Gong xi fa cai  恭喜发财

Today, February 5, is the beginning of the Year of the Pig and the Spring Festival which celebrates the end of the coldest days of winter. There is something I can celebrate. And I love New Year dumplings. Yummy. In fact, I love Chinese food. Not the Americanized versions, although many of them are good, I have a fondness for traditional fare. Friends own a Chinese restaurant, so I have access to almost homemade Chinese food less than five minutes from the house. I am getting hungry.

What does this have to do with writing? Well, if you haven’t started on your New Year resolutions, or you feel you have dropped the ball, today is your lucky day. You can start again.

Dumplings anyone?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Friday arrives with the promise of another iconic date night. Pre-COVID, that meant gathering with friends at local restaurants to catch up on the week’s happenings, have a drink or two and dive into shared plates of delicious food. I am an adventurous eater, so my responsibility was to order the unknown dish on the menu and try to coax the peanut butter and jelly group to try it. We are fortunate to have a vast array of authentic family-run Chinese, Mexican, Korean, Indian, Polish, Greek, Bulgarian, German, Afghani, and Ethiopian restaurants. With such great options, I see no reason for boring food.

That’s not to say I don’t have my favorites. When I was little, we had a Tamale Lady. She ran a roadside stand and my mother often loaded us in the stroller for a tasty afternoon excursion. I have fond memories of homemade enchiladas, burritos, and chili…

I searched for three years. On my quest, as with finding any satisfying relationship, I kissed frogs, toads, newts, and the occasional salamander before I finally heard the angels sing.

Each critique group has a vibe, a personality, a purpose that provides benefits for the members. I wanted something aligned with my goals. The first gathering revolved around coffee, chatting, and offering reasons for not producing. Their coffee was a little weak. Participants at a different venue served as acolytes to a published author. I prefer coffee over Kool-Aid. One bunch focused on everyone feeling “good” about their piece and stipulated they did not permit “harsh words.” In my book, high quality, strong, black coffee, doesn’t need cream and sugar.

Another meeting started with a friendly chat, then they eviscerated my submission. I could have been offended. I could have argued, defended my writing, insisted they didn’t understand and accused them of being wrong…

Have you ever wished you could see angels? Sometimes we wish for a sign, a clue to show you the right direction, the best choice, the correct path, anything to help you develop into a smarter, wiser, or an all-around better human. I have searched billboards, fortune cookie slogans, horoscopes, and messages in discarded bottles. They always disappoint me.

When the world seems full of hate, division, and animosity, I meet everyday angels. No, they don’t sport massive wings, wear shiny halos and flowing gowns, and choirs don’t burst into song when they arrive. They manifest as a call from a distant friend who knows the exact words to ease a worried mind. It is the friendly wave from the stranger you encounter on your daily walk.

Compassion manifests when a person materializes to open a door when you carry a heavy burden. Insight forms when a cashier offers a…

Happy President’s Day to all the Story Empire readers! Best wishes to everyone and enjoy the day if you have time off.

Being a writer is lonely and being a self-published author can be trying to the nerves as you constantly juggle writing, publishing and marketing. The latter can challenge even the most stouthearted among us. The question can often linger in our minds if we’re actually doing anything useful, but we manage to keep going just because we enjoy the creation of a book and we love books!

Our view can often be myopic as we’re just too close to what we’re doing to notice how the writing changes us. But there are changes and there are affects that make a difference. Let’s zoom out from that up-close view and take look at the bigger picture. Here are some ways that self-publishing can benefit you as an author:

1. You…