In January, when I returned from my first pandemic vacation, visiting our son and daughter-in-law and grandkids in Mexico (where I had indulged in lots of beer and guacamole), I stepped onto a scale for the first time in two years and weighed in at 178 pounds, which is pretty much the top of the […]
When in Tuscany, Do as the Italians Do Read More »
I’m a phone addict. There’s no doubt about it. My laptop and my phone are extensions of my being and my fingers. My work life is entwined with them. My teaching is entwined with them. My home life is entwined with them. I write on them, communicate on them, blog on them, post on them,
Traveling Without a Phone Read More »
Despite a loud party going on outside our hotel window last night, .5 mg Ativan and my c-pap machine helped me sleep through the night. I woke up at 5:00 AM, which is pretty much when I’ve been waking up in Santa Cruz. I got up, checked the weather—60 degrees and heading up to 88—and
Early Morning Walk Firenze Read More »
An uneventful flight in cattle class. Flying internationally is one of the places my childhood training in dissociation comes in handy. I can sit in one of those squished seats overnight and nap and watch three movies: the new West Side Story, a documentary about a big wave surfer, and a father-son saga set in
We Made it to Tuscany Read More »
It’s 4:00 PM and I just changed my outgoing voicemail message for the first time in three years. Because that’s how long it’s been since I flew abroad. When I arrive in Tuscany to lead my Write, Travel, Transform retreat, I’ll be buying an Italian SIM card and won’t be able to get calls on
Almost Ready to Go Read More »
It’s a weird time to be going on vacation, especially an international trip to Europe. Of course, leading a trip and facilitating a creative retreat experience for others isn’t the same as taking a private vacation. But having led these trips for ten years now, there’s an unfolding in the lead-up to each new adventure
Going on Vacation in Tuscany While the World Goes to Hell Read More »
Spend months in the summer of 2019 meeting with Graseilah, your tour guide partner, designing a dreamy ten-day writing retreat at a Villa in Tuscany, a place you’ve never been. Drool over pictures of the Villa you’ll be staying in: the gorgeous swimming pool, the beautifully set outdoor table, an albino peacock strolling through the
How to Lead a Writer’s Retreat in Tuscany During a Pandemic Read More »
In which Laura reveals the secret for accessing the deepest part of the story.
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Finding the Story Under the Story Read More »
In which Laura learned how to create tension in a relationship on the page.
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What Pulled Us Together and What Pulled Us Apart Read More »
In which Laura learns one of the secrets of how to cut 50,000 words out of manuscript that is WAY too long.
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Establish and Move On Read More »
In which Laura struggles to decide what her memoir is about.
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What the Hell is This Story About? Read More »
In which Laura shares the letter she wrote to her family about her forthcoming memoir.
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What I Told My Relatives About My Memoir Read More »
In which Laura unlocks the superpower of our obsessions.
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The Power of Our Obsessions Read More »
In which Laura shares what she knows about writing about—and around—dissociative incidents.
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How Can I Write About It if I Wasn’t There? Eight Tips for Writing About Dissociation Read More »
In which Laura learns the importance of choosing precisely when to reveal information to readers.
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When to Reveal and When to Conceal Read More »
