Barbara Samuel O'Neal is the author of more than thirty award-winning novels, including THE LOST RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS and

The Secret of Everything
The Secret of Everything

A native of Colorado, Barbara loves teaching, travel, reading, writing, yoga, walking, food, cooking, photography and...okay, reality television.

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Showing up

Pretty sure I’ve posted a blog that says more or less this same thing at least 63 times, but it’s worth saying again. I get more work done, more good pages, more excellent rewriting done when I actually put myself in the chair during my most productive hours (8 am to 12 pm) [...]

Right brain book building

My youngest son has a cat named Knucks, a long legged and elegant creature who must be coaxed and seduced into letting me play with him or pet him.  He will play, he wants to play, and he especially wants me to rub his long black nose so he can purr almost silently, nose buried [...]

In the Rain

I’m warmly ensconced at an Italian restaurant in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. I came t0 town to hear Elizabeth Gilbert speak and do some focused work away from the distractions at home. But after three days of my own company, I had to get out of the hotel. It’s pouring rain, which means I am the [...]

Shrinking Violets

I’ve been on vacation in Michigan and will be headed out to the annual RWA conference in five days, so posts have been sparse.  I do have stories for you, and pics, and love (as ever), but tonight’s simple post is a link to a great website I think you’ll love, Shrinking Violets:

http://shrinkingvioletpromotions.blogspot.com/

Run by two [...]

Give me a recipe?

 

 

 

 

 

Creative Commons photo by bookgrl

Headed into the last stretch of the MIP, which was called 100 Breakfasts and will be something else, though we don’t know what yet.   It will be out in January.  (Yay!) 

I’ve hit the stretch of the book when I’m not really doing anything but writing. For most of my process of [...]

Writing as an act of faith

I noticed yesterday that the new book about Columbine is out.  I’m not going to read it.  I remember enough about the day and the subsequent stories to last me the rest of my life.  Enough to say, “what a wretched day” and go on.  But the anniversary will surely mean more coverage, and there [...]

A blog to make you happy

I’m headed out for an Internet fast day, enjoying family (it kinda freaks me out that I can’t even remember the last time I didn’t check email for a whole day), so I’m leaving you with a little Easter present.  Go read Carleen Brice’s blog on being happy:

http://pajamagardener.blogspot.com/2009/04/good-friday.html

See you Monday!

The joy of loving your body

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/omnidirectional/239885913/

One of the big challenges of the writing life is to stay physically healthy when the entirety of your job is to sit in front of a computer and move your fingers.  Or sit in a chair and flip pages while you read.   If thinking burned calories the way riding bikes does, we’d be [...]

Itchy feet

This morning, memories of various travels are wafting through my mind. 

 

-The clever bathroom in Naples, where the long doors opened on to the street and the bay and Vesuvius in the far, purple distance, a mountain with a bite out of the top. 

–The moppet of a youth who was learning how to lead hikes on [...]

Blogging today at Writer Unboxed

My subject is writing pace.  What’s you writing pace? Do you know?

Read the blog here: http://writerunboxed.com/2009/03/25/the-pace-of-you/