It has been a MINUTE! Actually, almost a full year.
I went from an elderly sick dog to grieving the loss of my dog, returning from grief, raising an 8-week-old puppy to now owning my 7-month-old new puppy.
Also, my previous writing group dissolved, I found a new one, and still getting into that new schedule this year.
I’ve read great books, written new stories, and revised old ones in ways I never thought possible. I have a lot more ideas on the way. Ideas for picture books, of course, but also middle grade and more.
I’ve been slowly picking up my journal again, and yesterday I remembered something I seemingly had forgotten: that writing helps me.
There’s talk therapy, art therapy, writing therapy, and much more. My previous dog Scarlett Grey was my unofficial therapist. I didn’t realize how much until she was gone. I still feel her loss. The new puppy isn’t quite at that level, but she’s swell. Check out my IG account if you’re into loads of puppy pictures. Dogs consume my life, as is apparent on that account. But I am, as I sometimes have to remind myself, more than the dogs in my life. Writing just isn’t photogenic.
That’s the end of my update. There’s no point in saying more in the world of TicTok and Reels and short attention spans. Just a hello and a way for me to reconnect to this page.
Hope all the writers out there are doing better than me right now! Cheers!
Tag: writing community
12 Days of Writing
Twelve Days of writing for writers. It’s an annual event that Julie Hedlund of 12×12 Picture Book Challenge offers. We were asked to put together many lists, and she suggested we post our “successes” list. I did that last year with what felt like a rather pathetic list. This year is no better. Although I have successes, nothing is worth sharing and, nothing is inspiring. She also asked us to create a cover for this project we’re creating and, although I do not consider myself an artist, I did sketch something.
Creativity feeds creativity, so on occasion, I bust out some pencil or charcoal to make something when words are giving me trouble. Which they are today and have been for a while. Not exactly what you’d call writer’s block. I have several ideas and stories bouncing around loudly in my mind, but sitting down and concentrating on them has been a challenge. Drawing and seeing more immediate results can help me feel accomplished somehow. It feels like my creativity still exists and takes the sting out of my low word count.
I warn you again, I am no artist, but I share this sketch because the idea of sharing our personal stories is helpful. Yes, read the blogs and websites of successful writers and illustrators, listen to the podcasts of their journeys, follow them on Instagram. But also know there are others out there like you still stuck in the darkness, trying to keep their creativity lit.
Perhaps this year will be our year, whatever that means for you.
Happy New Year.

The Unadjusteds
By Marisa Noelle
Science Fiction – Dystopia / Young Adult
(This book will be released November 1st, 2019 but you can pre-order now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Book Depository)
My Synopsis
In the future you can take pills to alter your DNA giving you all kinds of gifts or powers depending on what you’d like; fairy wings, strength, intelligence, you name it. But they aren’t perfect, you can’t always get the pill you want, and taking too many or the wrong one can kill you. The main character, Silver Melody is proud of her unadjusted state, and against the pills due to her friends death. Silver’s parents happen to be the scientists who developed these pills but they did not intend for their overuse or their side effects. When they refuse to continue their work, her mom is put in jail for treason and her dad is under strict observation, all three end up enemies of the government. Continue reading “The Unadjusteds”
Get Some Help
When I groom dogs sometimes I simply cannot finish a face. I look at the dog and know something is off but I can’t see why. It doesn’t help that this piece of art moves around and doesn’t sit still, no matter what, it really is an art form. Sculpting dog fur on a live canvas is not easy. Neither are words. Sometimes that sentence or plot point feels off, yet you are incapable of knowing exactly why. In both vocations, you have options to deal with this dilemma. Continue reading “Get Some Help”