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Choices Creativity Death Different Fear Purpose

Death Stinks

Authors and Writing Birth Death Living

What if Death Quit Her Job?

Choices Creativity Death Grateful Love

My Last Day on Earth

Choices Creativity Different Fear Truth

Confirmation Bias

Choices Dance Death Different Fear Truth

The First Time

Authors and Writing Choices Creativity Death Life Living Truth

Once Upon a Time …

Choices Creativity Dance Death Different

Productive Waiting

Authors and Writing Choices Creativity Different Music

EMBRACING IMPERFECTION

Authors and Writing Creativity Dance Fear

Feedback Is a Gift

Authors and Writing Choices Dance Music

Everything Rests on the Tip of Your Motivation. What is...

Life,Living,Love Yourself,Purpose

Purpose

Someone in the audience asked, "How do you know you're living your life's purpose?" Good question!  How DO we know? Here were the answers from others in the room: "No other place I'd rather be." "I'm happy." "I'm in a state of flow." "It feels like I'm being me." The women's group in our neighborhood met to share business ideas and to talk about ourselves. Our SELVES. What do we fear? What do we seek? What do we need to feel like we are living our life's purpose? How do we say "no"? As in NO. How do we protect...
Children,Control,Death,Future,Life,Living,Time

Temporary

We just dropped off our twenty-year-old son at the airport. He is so, well, twenty. After raising two boys to manhood, I know that Kahlil Gibran was probably right: Our children are only on loan to us. I had heard it, but I didn’t have a clue of what that meant. When they were little, I fooled myself into thinking they were mine. But now I’m not so sure they ever were. Yes, they pretty much did what they were told—most of the time— because they didn’t know any better. However, those times didn’t last. And the boys often made...
Authors and Writing,Chances,Choices,Learning

What Comes Next?

Note to reader: This is a story with no end . . . yet. You can finish this story however you would like. How does the sentence end? What will happen? Who comes in the room? Who leaves the room? Would you like this kind of chance? Can you relate? Enjoy! The principal of the school sat in her office pondering the student— a girl who had been referred to the office for yet another dress-code violation. It was Thursday morning. “What?” the girl said in a slouching stand, her hand on one hip as attitude permeated her skinny little...
Life,Love Yourself,Plans,Time

Flip

The calendar doesn't care. Its pages flip. The new day comes into view. If it's a plain daily calendar, it's not much fun. The best calendars are those big monthly calendars with images that take your breath away. The ones that make you smile, even sigh at how beautiful they are. Some are sweeping vistas of romantic places. Some are such unique animals that you question if they really exist. Calendars do this on purpose, so you don't have to suffer as much with your life's passing. I have a favorite calendar. It's from Paper Source, and I buy one...
Finishing,Learning,Living,Lucky,Starting

Starting

Oh, my goodness. I had this fine idea that everyone is great at starting projects and that finishing is the problem. I forgot that many times people fail to start because they fear they will never finish. So finishing is still a huge challenge, no doubt about it, but the more pernicious problem is that a finely honed track record of non-finishing keeps people from the unbridled giddiness that comes from starting something. That, and fear of looking really dumb. I hope you can take the first step. Whatever it is, try something new this week. It doesn't have to be huge. You can...
About Me,Authors and Writing,Speaker

Kathryn Atkins — Short Bio

Kathryn Atkins is a native Californian. She is a writer, mom, wife, and a flamenco dancer. She loves to play the piano, read, and do yoga. She has published two books and has been featured in online and print magazines for over fourteen years as the owner and creative director of Writing World, LLC, a professional business writing company. In the early years of Writing World, Kathryn published a column in the Orange County (California) Register. Her Berkeley BS and MBA have served her freelance business writing company. Her eight-year membership in the California Writers Club has fulfilled her desire...
Authors and Writing,Learning

Writing Terms

Do you need to know what the following terms mean to call yourself a Writer (with a capital 'W')? Not really, but if you want to extend your knowledge around your craft, you might want to have at least heard or seen these words.  Besides, "Practice Makes Perfect," and learning your trade is practicing. Here you go. Oh. And keep writing! Litotes: \ ˈlī-tə-ˌtēz -- Understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary (as in "not a bad singer" or "not unhappy") Ablaut:  \ ˈä-ˌblau̇t -- a systematic variation of vowels in the same root or affix or in related roots...
Authors and Writing,Happy

Open Responses

HELLO FELLOW WRITERS! I am tickled to announce the obvious: Writers write! We love an open space, a challenge to play with words and to evoke a reaction from our musings. And so, I throw down this gauntlet and invite you to see what you would respond to these "openings." I guess you could copy paste this worksheet into your computer and play. Then keep it for yourself, or share, or return it. Whatever makes you happy as a writer, and as a person. Enjoy. I see an . . . My Response is to Your response is to…? Open wound. Sew...
Authors and Writing,Finishing,Publishing

Book Launch Photos!

[gallery ids="594,593,592,591" type="rectangular"]   What a lovely book launch! I had so much fun, and my friends Dave and Carmel Fleck took great pictures that I'm excited to share with you. The top left --  c'est moi. The second from the top on the left is a photo of my brother Bob and me. Bob flew in from Utah to attend. YAY! The bottom left photo is of my husband, Don and my son Ted with me at the Gatsby Books signing. My talk on the Challenge and Joy of Finishing was also received well, I think. The photo below is Dave Fleck....
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