Tag Archives: Writing

Lucky Star

My mother kept the yellow star she had to wear during the war. She never showed it to me. It must have been in the back of a drawer in a dusty envelope. At some point in the mid 70’s she donated it to the Jewish Historical Society of Greater Hartford (JHSGH). What she remembersContinue reading “Lucky Star”

University of Hartford Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies Awards Evening

Monday night I attended the University of Hartford Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies Awards Evening. It was an evening of acknowledgment for hard work, academic rigor, teaching and learning, and appreciation for the donors who made it all possible. Avi Patt and Matthew Rubin presented the Joseph Zola Memorial Holocaust Educator Award to meContinue reading “University of Hartford Maurice Greenberg Center for Judaic Studies Awards Evening”

Writer’s Block (Or How I Got Stuck but Am Finding My Way Back)

Recently I hit the wall. I got stuck. I contracted a case of writer’s block. All of that is an excuse for the simple fact that I lost confidence. I wanted to make my manuscript better, and I didn’t know how. So, instead of buckling down and working harder, I turned my back on theContinue reading “Writer’s Block (Or How I Got Stuck but Am Finding My Way Back)”

True or False?

I had my first nibble and my first rejection from a literary agent this month. I have an author friend with an agent, and I decided to check out what types of books her agent was interesting in representing. Her website mentioned history, and narrative nonfiction and YA. This could be the one, I thought.Continue reading “True or False?”

The Devil Really is in the Details

How do I turn a vague memory into a well-written moment in my book? My mother remembers that her father’s car (before the war reached the Netherlands in 1940) was light blue and had a rumble seat. Her parents rode in the front and when the weather was nice, she got to sit in theContinue reading “The Devil Really is in the Details”

Home from the Writing Seminar

Where do I begin — with the clothes piled in the hampers or the rewrite of a chapter that is swirling in my head? I have been at an intensive week-long writing seminar and re-entry into the real world is difficult. I have spent the last five days focused on free writing. Our teacher, theContinue reading “Home from the Writing Seminar”

The Most Important Critic – One Year Later

I printed off a copy of my manuscript and sent it to my mom. She has spent the better part of yesterday and today reading it, interrupting herself occasionally to call me with a question or email with a comment. A few minutes ago, this is what she sent: You are able to put yourselfContinue reading “The Most Important Critic – One Year Later”

I finished my first draft! Now what?

First of all a glass of wine and a shout out: Yippee! Hooray! This weekend I finished the first draft of my book. At this point all the chapters have been written — some several times and some just once. The pictures have been chosen and inserted into the text. I even have a tableContinue reading “I finished my first draft! Now what?”