If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. – Cicero * No matter how big or how small a library is, I love the feeling of walking inside and sensing the books call to me. I’m also amazed at the 19% of Americans who say they have NEVER visited a…
Finally…The Name of My Upcoming Novel Came to Me (with help from my mother)
A postcard for you, my dear readers. 🙂 And a special thanks to my mother, for the constant inspiration and support of my side-career.
7 Takeaways from Blogging on the 8th Anniversary of Steph’s Scribe
I was sitting in my office approving students for registration when I saw an alert from WordPress, my blogging platform. It said, “Happy Anniversary.” It hadn’t even occurred to me what today was because I’ve been so busy and in so much pain recently due to my herniated disc, but I can’t talk about that…
Late to the Game of Thrones Party, #writerssupportingwriters & Elizabeth Sagan
LATE TO THE GAME OF THRONES PARTY Yes, I know. This show has been around for a while. And I have to admit to having tried the show two or three years ago and not being in the mood for it after watching the first episode. Sometimes you just have to be in the right…
My ER Visit, Back Pain, and The People You Can Count On
Well, dear readers, it’s been a while. I’m offering my apologies and an explanation. Had I not been flat on my back and/or writhing in pain for the last 11 days (although each day did get a little better), I may have been able to concentrate and write a blog post. Being immobile for a…
Fictography For Old Time’s Sake and as a Teaching Tool: Back Home
/FICTOGRAPHY/ def. — The intersection of photography (submitted by readers) and fiction (written by me!). A few years ago, I executed a writing challenge whereby readers submitted travel photos they took, and I would write the story that I imagined went along with that photograph. Today, as I write this, my students are engaged in…
Childhood Magic: The Hill with the Rock
I grew up in a ranch style home in Bowie, Maryland. The yard was large, and contained a big hill in the back. In the winter, our family and neighbors would go sledding in our yard, until before long, the entire neighborhood was partaking in the fun. The toboggan was filled with adults and children…
Conversations with My Daughter: Breakfast with Michael Bublé
In honor of Michael Bublé‘s concert tonight in Washington, D.C., and to toast that my daughter and I will be attending this concert together now that she is a teenager who loves going to concerts, I thought I’d repost one of my favorite blogs from 2012. My daughter was 10 at the time and has…
Update on My (currently unnamed) WIP
On Friday night, I reached over 71,000 words on my #WIP (work in progress). I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love the direction change I made with this story back in December. Now, the novel has glue and a backbone and characters I wish were my friends. I still have a…
A Valentine’s Poem
What the heck. How about a little Valentine’s poem written by yours truly? Happy Valentine’s Day, you all. I hope it’s a great one. * * The Part That Came After | by Stephanie Verni Lovely, lovely… Thoughts of you gallup through my mind On a rollercoaster of ifs and whats And then there was…
Three Important Tips Writers Should Always Remember
Two of these tips I want you to remember are from writers—Mark Twain and E.B. White; the other one above is from Steve Jobs. There’s always “stuff” going on in our heads as we write: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Sometimes when our writing is thriving and it’s good, we feel fantastic. Other…
Anxious for Spring
Usually by the time March rolls around, I’m more than ready for spring. Unfortunately, for those of us in Maryland, spring really doesn’t begin until late April or early May. It’s been that bad for the last few years that I’ve still be in my tall boots on May 5. Today, I took a little…
