Writer’s Notebook

Monday, May 25, 2026

It’s been raining for four days. Usually, Fridays are the days I cut the grass, and it sure does need it, but this week’s cutting has been put off until we dry out a bit. So, what to do on a string of very wet days?

I’m a foodie, so my first go-to is the kitchen. I made brownies, about a gallon of fresh tomato sauce to freeze, played with wasabi mayonnaise to get the heat just right, and made my grown-up version of mac and cheese - again, enough to freeze for nights when I don’t have time to cook.

Between bouts of cooking, I read, worked on a sweater I’m knitting, and wrote. I’m writing a book based on reality that I’m fictionalizing. My first draft was the reality - the whole wonderful, awful, crazy bit of it. Now I’m taking that and turning it into a readable story - or trying to. Fiction is not my genre, so this is tough. I’ll edit a paragraph, read it, decide that I hate it, and edit again. It’s a slow, painful process, and I love every minute. There’s something indescribable about the feeling I get when a paragraph - or even a single sentence - works just right. It paints a picture, evokes a feeling, and trusts the reader enough to give him or her a look inside a very private place. I want my readers to feel like they’re there, experiencing what I’m experiencing, laughing or crying along with me. That takes work.

I live in a tiny historic house in a quaint village on the banks of the C&D Canal. It has two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a bath and a half. That’s it. Just the right size for Anna and me, but there is no dedicated office space. Most of my work is done in the living room in a big, old squishy chair. Most of the time, that’s just fine, but there are often interruptions from Miss Anna Potcake, who truly and deeply believes that my time is hers. I’ll be banging away on my laptop when I feel two brown eyes drilling into my face. If I return the look, she’ll wag her gorgeous tail and step forward to put her front paws on my lap. Hard. A returned glance clearly means to her that it’s playtime, or tummy rub time, or game time. I’ve found that if I hold my cup of tea next to my right thigh and tell her that it’s my tea time, she’ll reluctantly back away and curl up in her bed. For a while.

If this only happened infrequently, it would be no big deal, but that’s not the case. So here I sit, aged hot MacBook on my lap, typing with my left hand only because my right hand is busy convincing a dog that I’m completely engaged with a mug of tea. As they say, “You can’t make this stuff up!” It’s non-fiction at its most endearing and frustrating. I am very right-handed; typing with only my left hand is damn near impossible and, frankly, hilarious.

However, this fiction needs to happen. I’ve given myself a timeline (which was probably foolish), but between my very real difficulty writing dialogue that sounds genuine, Anna, and shiny things that need my attention, this is hard. Eleanor Roosevelt keeps posthumously whispering, “You must do that thing you think you cannot do,” in my head. So, okay, Eleanor, I’ll keep hammering away, editing, re-writing, reading, deleting, swearing, avoiding eye contact with my dog, and doing my best to create something worth a reader’s time and attention.

I do wish that it would stop raining.

**********************************************************************************************

A BONUS: Oeuf Mayonnaise avec Wasabi

One hard-boiled egg

2 tablespoons good mayonnaise (like Hellman’s or homemade)

¼ to ½ teaspoon wasabi paste, to start

½ teaspoon lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, ¼ teaspoon wasabi, and lemon juice. Mix well and taste. If it’s too bland, add more wasabi, but do so carefully - that stuff is HOT! Taste again. Keep this up until you have the right amount of heat for your liking. Slice the egg in half vertically, then spoon half the wasabi sauce onto each half. OMG…amazing!

**********************************************************

Friday, May 29, 2026

Last night, I watched a video presentation by an author named John David Mann. It was serendipity that his topic was just what I’ve been struggling with in writing this non-fiction-to-fiction book, so I hung on every word he said.

He talked about finding your “core concept,” the central focus of your book (or essay, or story). He said that it’s “ the seed that grows the book; the big idea that infuses the whole work.” THAT’S what I’m missing! Eureka! So far, this book is just a compilation of stories about people and events in my life, but with nothing - no core concept - to hold it all together and give it meaning. Confession: That’s just what my editor questioned me about. “What’s its purpose?” he asked. I just stammered.

Mr. Mann gave an equation that made so much sense to me: low-watt idea vs high-watt idea. An example was taken from Harry Potter - An orphan goes to boarding school vs the school he goes to is a wizard school. Another one taken from the book The Chain by Adrian McKinty - Your child is kidnapped vs to get her back, you have to kidnap a child. Chilling, isn’t it, but boy, it’s compelling. Think of a mathematical equation: A+B=C. Simple, right?

He described it as a so-what idea paired with a surprise, something totally unexpected and gripping. So, apparently, I have some work to do. I’m flummoxed as far as finding that all-important equation. The book is about my life - a relatively happy childhood followed by an excruciatingly challenging adulthood; one with some beautiful highs and soul-breaking lows. But what is my equation? What is my core concept? Or, as my dear editor asked, “What is its purpose?”

Darned if I know.

BONUS: A little slice of my life…a pensive Miss Anna and way, way too many cheese twists!

Cheese Twists

1 box frozen puff pastry, just thawed

1 large egg + 1 Tbl. water (for egg wash), beaten slightly

1 ½ cups cheese, grated (I use a blend of sharp cheddar, parmesan, and Gruyere)

¼ tsp. Cayenne pepper - mix into grated cheeses

A pinch each of sea salt and freshly ground pepper - into the cheese mixture

Preheat the oven to 400 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unfold the pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface for rolling.

Roll out until the sheets are about 1/3 again their original size - not too thin.

First layer: Lightly brush one sheet of pastry with egg wash. Sprinkle half the cheese mixture evenly over the dough.

Stack the second sheet of pastry on top of the cheese. Lightly roll over the top to press cheese into the pastry.

Second layer: Carefully brush the top with remaining egg wash and add the rest of the cheese mixture.

Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into ½ inch wide strips. Take each strip by the ends and twist in opposite directions to create a spiral. Carefully transfer to baking sheets.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

Recipe courtesy of The Food Network

YUM!