Explore and Discover

How to Thrive and Survive the Writing Life

Posted on October 27, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Claire Rudolf Murphy On October 30, longtime writing friend Sarah Conover and I will present a session on the writing life for the NaNoWriMo Readiness Conference. After two days of sessions about elements of craft at Moran Prairie Library, ours will be the final event of the weekend. I teach in a graduate writing […]

What I learned from Michelangelo

Posted on October 26, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Mary Cronk Farrell I went to Italy and got smitten with Michelangelo Buonarroti. Yeah, yeah, yeah… the David, the Pieta, la Cappella Sistina. His work knocks us all off our plinths. But as I walked the cobblestones of Firenze (Florence), stood in the shadow of the Duomo, and watched the Arno ripple under the Ponte […]

8 things that (mostly) work for me as a writer

Posted on October 24, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Kris Dinnison So first I should say, this isn’t meant as advice so much as confession. These are things I do—some commonplace, some mildly embarrassing—that seem to make writing happen in my life. So take what you will from it and know that every writer I know has a list of their own that […]

4 keys to becoming a successful writer

Posted on October 20, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Kelly Burgess As with any profession, there is no guarantee of success in the writing business. However, regardless of whether you want to break into fiction or nonfiction markets, successful writers have some traits that are crucial to carving out a literary career. Passion Writers write because they feel the need to put words […]

4 NaNoWriMo tips for not winning brilliantly

Posted on October 13, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Stephanie Oakes I have a confession to make—I’ve never successfully completed NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I’ve tried a few times, and always start with huge amounts of enthusiasm, but I’ve never written more than 30,000 words in any given November. But the secret of NaNoWriMo is this—you don’t need to “win” NaNoWriM […]

Bruce Holbert: Late to the party

Posted on October 6, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Bruce Holbert Not long ago, I was asked in an interview, “What took so long?” I was then 52 and publishing my first novel. I don’t have the data at hand, but my guess is I am beyond the mean. The question struck me as impolite. I wasn’t sleeping in doorways or staggering through […]

Irena’s Children: Q&A with Mary Cronk Farrell

Posted on September 22, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Sheri Boggs Local author Mary Cronk Farrell writes about the kinds of people whose stories aren’t widely told, but ought to be. In Pure Grit: How American World War II Nurses Survived Battle and Prison Camp in the Pacific, she tells the story of nearly 100 army and navy nurses who struggled to not […]

James Frye: synesthete artist’s work at Airway Heights Library

Posted on September 16, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge When walking into the Airway Heights Library, colorful art welcomes you from the display case. You’ll see record albums, clocks, people, keyboards, and cats in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors. Inside the library, you’ll see even more artwork along the wall in the children’s section—each tableau intricately detailed and evokin […]

Fall hikes: sorting favorites

Posted on August 30, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Rich Landers Being a trail guidebook author who’s explored Inland Northwest trails for more than three decades, I’m regularly asked a question this time of year: “What’s your favorite fall hike?” The answer is as difficult as naming your favorite child. And as all parents know, even our children are a little more appealing […]

5 Local Writers Talk about Fatherhood

Posted on June 16, 2016 at 6:00 am

By Erin Dodge Today is the 8th Annual Engaging Fatherhood Conference & Resource Fair at Spokane Falls Community College (8am to 3pm), promoting the importance of fathers in healthy child development and family well-being. The event, including free lunch, is brought to the public by the DADS Committee of Spokane. In celebration of dads, paternal […]