Hello, Writing Friends! During National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) last year, I finished the first draft of my debut novel. Exciting! As I go through the editing process, I wanted to share a short story from my world of Symphonia, and give Helana Glasglo her debut to the world. The story I am about to share with you is a work in progress, and I plan to make changes in the future. At the end of the story I will have my notes on revision and will share the final draft here when it is complete. My concept for [...]

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may get a small compensation. The opinions expressed are mine alone* Hello writing friends, It's 2021, and Writing Tips and Sips is almost a year old. I have learned so much about running a blog, teaching creative writing, and finishing my debut novel's first draft. To say I am proud of everything accomplished here is a definite understatement. For my first post of 2021, I want to do something a little different. This post isn't going to be a how to [...]

I am a big believer in the power and benefits of meditation and how they should be incorporated into everyone's writing routine. I always start a writing session with an entrance meditation and it instantly clears my mind putting me in the state to write. Today, I share with you my essay "On Meditation" talking about the spiritual and mental benefits of taking up a meditative practice, and how that practice can turn into everlasting mindfulness. On Meditation Each passing moment changes and flows like a stream runs down a bank. The water is in no more control than [...]

The eyes of a child can turn the mundane into something extraordinary. They can see the littlest of details that adults gloss over in their daily lives – grinding to pay the bills. A field of grass in a park becomes an open plane, and orcs surround you. A sandbox is a beach at the end of the world, and you must protect it from the invading pirates. The neighbor's dog is a Cerberus from Hades protecting its horde of treasure. There is a treehouse that can instantly trigger my child's eye. 1. The Library My child's [...]