Posts by Lynn Slaughter
Playing the “What If" Game
The other day I put my one year old grandson Milo down for his morning nap and retreated to my desk to do some writing, baby monitor in hand. He fell asleep quickly. I eagerly opened up my lap top, figuring I had a good hour and a half to work before he woke up.…
Read MoreHanging with a One Year Old
So, the nanny’s on vacation which is what brings me to NYC for the week to hang with my one year old grandson Milo. Ordinarily, when I come to the Big Apple, I’m running to MOMA and the Met. But this week, I’m doing my running around a roomy loft in Tribeca chasing the world’s…
Read MoreThe Last Time We Say Goodbye, Book Review
Dear Friends, When I fall in love with a book, it stays with me long after I’ve finished reading it. I wanted to share a review I wrote about a novel by Cynthia Hand that deeply moved me. Here goes: The Last Time We Say Goodbye: A Stunning Foray into Teen Realistic Fiction by Cynthia…
Read MoreAbout Caregiving
Dear Friends: Wanted to share these comments I made at a recent church service on caregiving. I’d love to hear from you about any experiences or concerns you have in connection with caregiving. Here goes: A few years ago, a small group of us sat in a circle at church doing some New Year’s sharing.…
Read MoreAre We Always Writing the Same Book?
Years ago, I was at a writer’s conference chatting with a New York book editor. He asked me who my favorite YA writer was. I named her, and he said rather dismissively, “Yes, she’s good, but she always writes the same book.” To which I replied, “But it’s such a good book.” In fact, there…
Read MoreWhat to Give the Writer in Your Life
Since I’m about to finish my MFA from Seton Hill University in Writing Popular Fiction, I’ve been doing some shopping for gifts to express my appreciation to the terrific professional writer/mentors I’ve worked with. Surfing the net for “gifts for writers” has made me reflect on the gifts folks have given me over the years.…
Read MoreIs This Heaven? Reflections on Thanksgiving
When our children were growing up, we had a Sunday evening ritual of lighting a candle after dinner and taking turns talking about what we were thankful for. Our then seven-year-old said, “Now let me just start with my un-thankfuls.” Truthfully, there’s a lot to be un-thankful about this Thanksgiving. In so many ways, the…
Read MoreEaves-Dropping for Inspiration
My husband gave me a gift certificate to my favorite consignment shop for our anniversary. For months, I put off using it. I was knee deep in writing the first draft of my third novel. But the minute I typed “The End,” I celebrated by grabbing my certificate and heading to “Nearly New.” I love…
Read MoreSeven Weeks of Togetherness
For years, I was in a writer’s critique group that included two wonderful writers whose husbands had retired and were now hanging around the house “all the time.” Oh my, the complaints I heard! “Every time I really get involved in a scene, he comes in and wants to show me or tell me something.…
Read MoreYou Might Be a Writer If…
Stepping through the doors of any library and combing the shelves for treasures qualifies as one of life’s most exciting adventures. Really. Recently, I came across Neil Gaiman’s poignant and humorous Newbery Medal Acceptance speech for his novel, The Graveyard Book (2008). In it, he speaks of his devouring (literally) the books at his local…
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