I’ll rush to defend a friend, but cringe and sometimes fall silent when it comes to defending myself. I once loved to argue. I am still easily riled up. When it comes to protecting time to myself, to write, to sleep, to speak to no one, I am apologetic yet fiercely determined. I explain to my husband that my attitude of distant exhaustion is not so…
We all read out loud. It's part of daily life. But what many of us don't realize is that reading out loud is a skill, and, with a little practice, it can be honed in a way that transforms anything we say. A mediocre story can become something fantastic with one simple tweak—the voice-acting of the narrator who breathes it to life. A well-written piece of…
I'm astonished I never saw the bias before. I didn't realize how hard it truly is to thrive as an introvert in American society. Reading the book Quiet by Susan Cain has deeply impacted my thoughts on the subject. I wrote about my initial reactions here, as a guest post on my publisher's website. Read my post on Quiet Power.
To come "out of one’s shell” is an interesting idiom. I imagine the little turtle poking her head from her glossy green shell, wishing she could just stay home. It always seemed that the turtle was expected to chuck that embarrassing shell and get on with her life. But a turtle can’t actually leave its shell. I can’t actually shirk my need for quiet time. It’s…