Hemlock Haven

Hemlock Haven

Hemlock Haven was my mother’s place.  She discovered a quiet grove of hemlocks on the southern point of the Tennessee property.  The hemlock branches were low and stately and ferns grew in the bed of needles beneath them. My father built my mother a little bench under...
The Pond

The Pond

October 11, 2012, Thursday As my writer retreat wears on, I’ve developed a routine. I rise early and take a quick walk around the mountain ridge with my dog Wilson. And then return to the cabin to let the morning mists dissipate. (In the mists, all stumps look like...
Running into Plot

Running into Plot

On social media some writers set store by whether someone is a “plotter” or a “pantser.” Do you try to outline your story first, charting the direction of the plot and planning the different characters? Or, do you just “fly by the seat of your pants,” letting the...