Category Archives: Uncategorized

One, two, three…Query!

Posted on August 5, 2017 by ginachoward

The first draft took me four years. The second, three months. The third, four weeks. Then I went on vacation. Now that I’m back, it’s time for the dreaded Agent Search. Other than marketing ourselves, there’s probably nothing we writers … Continue reading →

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Let’s put on a show!

Posted on May 13, 2016 by ginachoward

I haven’t written a word in 10 months, but it hasn’t been writer’s block. Rather, I have poured myself into Carolinas WordFest. A baby takes less time to gestate. The celebration of North and South Carolina writers has grown from … Continue reading →

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Why I am not writing

Posted on July 17, 2015 by ginachoward

An unseen hand dials back the blue, turning up the fuchsia and coral. Greens fade to black, impressionist trees against dusk sky. The bay basks in reflected glory. Like a besotted teen, I cannot turn away. At four, 14 and … Continue reading →

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Freezing laughter in amber

Posted on December 22, 2014 by ginachoward

Put down that pen and look around. As writers, we can get stuck inside our heads, spending more time with our characters than with those around us. Bad idea. We need the real world to inform our writing. The way … Continue reading →

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Departure

Posted on August 11, 2014 by ginachoward

Dark clouds on my horizon creep in with summer’s heat. Weighing me down, making me sluggish, Like July’s humidity.   Encompassing blackness looms inexorably closer. Dragging my soul, consuming my thoughts, As oppressive as August.   Hatless officers sowed seeds … Continue reading →

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No sunglasses required

Posted on June 24, 2014 by ginachoward

Thoughts walking the beach on a cloudy, cool day We are the seekers. The stone skippers looking for one more hop to shatter the lake’s glass. The hunters after increasingly elusive Petoskey stones. The pilgrims yearning for respite, refreshment. We … Continue reading →

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Paradise (with the occasional snake)

Posted on June 16, 2014 by ginachoward

A slash of red is the only reminder that a family once lived on this strip of green. The house and the children that played tag in its backyard are long gone. The property has more value – at least … Continue reading →

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Deconstructing a home

Posted on March 31, 2014 by ginachoward

Thoughts on a man slowly taking apart a house and the family that once lived there: The unkempt man hired to disassemble the house was in no hurry. He had no obligations and dropped by only when he needed the … Continue reading →

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When mom’s away…

Posted on August 12, 2013 by ginachoward

No sooner did the lock click behind me as I headed to the airport than the word was telegraphed: Mom is gone. And you know what that means – PARTY! It wasn’t like they had been unsupervised. Leigh had stopped … Continue reading →

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Tug-of-love

Posted on August 5, 2013 by ginachoward

There’s a dynamic tension in familial relationships. And because they are based on love, the stakes are high. As children become adults, their parents have to bite their tongues – and often don’t – to keep from warning their grown-up … Continue reading →

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