Tag Archives: writing the book

Revisiting “The Artist’s Way”

A friend recently lamented that she wished she was more creative. “I am so left brain,” she said. “Everything I do is regimented. I would love to lose myself in some artistic project.” She had retired about three years ago and needed some help in reinventing herself after a successful nursing career. That night—I doContinue reading “Revisiting “The Artist’s Way””

Write What You Are Afraid Of

Originally posted on Nursing Stories:
I didn’t attend the 2011 Fall Conference in Asheville sponsored by the North Carolina Writers Network but I kept this description of one of the master classes: “If You’re Afraid to Write About It, You Probably Should Write About It”    Often a writer’s breakthrough comes when he finally faces up…

THE WEIRDEST HOME VISIT

Originally posted on Nursing Stories:
When I worked in the home care program at a VA hospital in Illinois, medical students sometimes came along with us nurse practitioners while we made our visits. I enjoyed showing them the reality of delivering care in the patient’s home—where we were guests—the subtle line between suggestion and decree,…

My Book Comes to Life

This past weekend I traveled to Chicago to attend the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the clinic where I worked 30 years ago. The clinic sets the stage for my memoir: Playing Sheriff: A Nurse Practitioner’s Story. The formal function on Friday had 500 in attendance but it was to the intimate and informalContinue reading “My Book Comes to Life”

PERSISTENCE

Originally posted on Nursing Stories:
In 2014, I finished my memoir. In spite of myself, I persisted and finished. Ten years ago, I left a full time nurse practitioner job and began to write in earnest. The book I just birthed is not the one I started then. It has been configured many times: moving…

WET YOUR LIPS

Linda Jay, Michele Murdock and I are all writers. We are all of a certain age. And we all want to have a professional photo for our future book jackets. Enter Layne Sizemore, an accomplished photographer with patience, humor and appreciation of the older woman. Linda’s post tells the story of the photo shoot session andContinue reading “WET YOUR LIPS”