How To Start Over and Finish “IT”

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Julie Tallard Johnson

Starting over doesn’t mean to start over “at the beginning” but to start over from where you are now. Starting over is just as much of an attitude as an approach to the writer’s life. Most of us tend to write our first pages, introductions, or first chapters over and over. Or we write lots of “starts” to great stories, piling them up like a hoarder for that special time. This becomes a seductive loop of feeling as if we are moving forward when in fact we are stuck in a cluttered place. Here are three ways to generate momentum and … Continue reading →

Keep Us From Destroying Ourselves

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Julie Tallard Johnson

“The purpose of a writer is to keep civilization from destroying itself.” – Albert Camus There’s a Native American story that goes something like this: The Creator was about to destroy humanity because we were causing so much harm. At that same time Eagle had been called to a ceremony. In the ceremony the people thanked the Earth for Her abundance and announced their citizenship. Eagle heard their prayers. She then flew up to the Creator and asked for mercy for humanity. So the Creator gave Eagle the responsibility to check-in on us, and if one person was still doing ceremony, … Continue reading →

Something Missing?

Posted on December 17, 2014 by Julie Tallard Johnson

Something missing in your writing experience or writing project? Are you finding it difficult to stay with an idea or to follow-through on a project? Do you sense an internal divide? Are you experiencing a lack of intimacy with the world around you? I am. I fear our attachment to the web creates a bigger divide between us and the natural world, each other, and to our creative potential. The internet can be an impressive tool for research, communication, and getting news. For the writer the internet can be an optimal way to research books, ideas, find publishers, as well … Continue reading →

The Physics of Opportunity

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Julie Tallard Johnson

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When in life is there not opportunity? Of course we experience times when possibilities are not so abundant–or, is that our perception that limits us? Perhaps the way to frame this is: In every moment there is potentiality to perceive and create opportunity. An analogy for this is when we discuss feeling “disconnected to someone,” or feel alone and separate from others. When are we not connected? We may feel separated and isolated but in truth we are intimately connected and part of the activity of life, all the time. Inherent in each experience are a multitude of possibilities and potentialities. … Continue reading →