Today’s post is short! Because the link I’m going to share will take you to my recently launched Patreon page and there you can listen to the short video I recorded on my Elise Stephens Patreon Page. Basically, I’m creating a way for friends and fans to support the writing I’m doing. I've encountered many lovely people who want to help support my writing, but aren’t…
I was hardly prepared for the weekend that just passed. I have a habit of being revved up and excited before a writer’s conference (and grumpy, exhausted, and burned out, after one), but this excited pre-conference state is understandable, right? It’s like being a candy shop of learning that’s jam-packed with people who are just as crazy as I am about how to tell a good…
I'm tougher, stronger, and better from my week in Greensboro, North Carolina. It was hard, but good. The five-hour flight into Atlanta followed by a five-hour drive up to Greensboro, NC was no picnic with my 11-month-old son in tow, but we survived! I managed to fold up my wallet into George's stroller, and then shove the whole think in the trunk of my rental. What…
Some conversations change our lives. Interactions with others make us take our path in a different directions. Some also encourage us to stay on our paths, but to walk with more confidence and courage. I have been so discouraged whenever I catch wind of the implication I must let my dreams fall aside to make way for what my little baby needs me to be to…
I surface. I blink in the watery, clear light of autumn. I cradle a small warm bundle of life in my arms and hear him cry for attention, love, and food. The reason for my long absence from this blog was the birth of my son, George Liam Stephens. He arrived early on August 1st, and my life has turned head over heels: In love. In…
It wasn't a writers' retreat; it was a writers' advance. This last weekend, I took four days away with five other writers for a time of writing, revision, thinking, reflection, encouragement, and rejuvenation. For those of us who take retreats, most of us use the word "retreat" to imply that we're getting away from something. But if you think of that same word in terms of…
When I first began writing, everything was about extremes. I focused on making my characters as beautiful they could be, having as much fun and excitement as possible, and the bottom line was that I kept myself entertained. I wrote because I found storytelling exciting, and all of my stories had the requirement that they continuously enthrall my imagination. My first “writing” was actually illustration with a few…
Are certain places more "lucky" or "fruitful" to write in than others? Are there spots that have proven so inspirational and productive to ghosts of authors past, that writer-pilgrims can visit them and be filled with fresh ideas? While James and I were vacationing last month in Rome, I discovered in my Italy tour book that there was a certain little cafe near the Spanish Steps…
In the art world, and in most places of life, change can come as fast as a tsunami wave--and my reaction to change may be compared to the terror of standing on the beach, watching the incoming wall of water, and wondering if I really am prepared for what's ahead of me. The analogy is imperfect. A tsunami would likely have killed me. The changes in my…
Get up, don't trash-talk yourself, and write/ski/try again. Those of you living in the Seattle area might know that yesterday was the final day the Steven's Pass was open. A generous friend gave my husband and I some free rental and lift tickets and we seized the day for a final sprint on the slopes. My prior skiing experience has been a few lessons from my…