A Little Place in the Sun

We can’t always choose the places that inspire us but we sure know them when we see them.

The window seat above did that for me. My husband and I were staying in a Wisconsin bed and breakfast earlier this month and as I poked around the house, I passed by this little nook and had to stop and drink it in. My fantasy of the perfect writing spot; a little place in the sun, no matter what the temperature outside.

You may like a yellow legal pad and a rollerball pen while sitting at your kitchen table, your MacBook Pro on your lap while on a livingroom chair or an iPad at the cafe. Whatever your utensil or place of preference for writing, may it be warm and well lit. May it be your own place in the sun. That’s my winter writing wish for you.

January gave me some wonderful breathing room after a busy end of year with the launch of Thread and the holidays. No workshops were scheduled for the month, but I’ve been working privately with writers on their personal essays, memoirs and novels-in-progress, graduate school essays and business profiles. The month also allowed me time to review Thread submissions. I received some spectacular pieces confirming that there is an overflowing well of beautifully crafted essays to be published. The Summer 2015 issue is almost filled! Then onto Fall 2015.

In other writing and literary news:

There are still spaces left for my 10-week workshop, “Reading, Writing and Telling the Personal Essay” at New Trier Extension on Friday mornings in Northfield beginning Feb 13. Take a look at page 54 of the catalogue for the workshop description.

I’m delighted to be a featured speaker at the Jewish Authors Literary Series. I’ll be talking about Thread, essays and reading selections from my book, Views from the Home Office Window: On Motherhood, Family and Life at Max and Benny’s Restaurant in Northbrook, Illinois at 7 pm on February 23. Head over for an amazing corned beef sandwich and an evening devoted to the essay.

If you can’t make it to any of these workshops or literary events, and you’ve been thinking about getting feedback on a writing project, email me at ellen@ellenblumbarish.com. We can work together in any number of ways to move you to the next step with your idea or work-in-progress.