author, educator, lover of books, angels, & dragonflies
PortiaLily shares her thoughts and research regarding various aspects of writing and publishing.
“It’s difficult for someone these days, to understand what it was like, to suddenly have a ray of light in the dark. That’s really what it was like.” District of Columbia student Ken Howard regarding the 1963 March on Washington On August 28,1963, over 250,000 gathered for what came to be known as the March… Continue reading The March on Washington through the Eyes of a Child
by PortiaLily Taylor “Publishing a book is like stuffing a note into a bottle and hurling it into the sea. Some bottles drown, some come safe to land, where the notes are read and then possibly cherished, or else misinterpreted, or else understood all too well by those who hate the message. You never know… Continue reading Shell Shock, a Screenplay, “Hurled into the Sea” of Books
“Literature is the art of discovering something extraordinary about ordinary people, and saying with ordinary words something extraordinary.” Boris Pasternak Novelist and poet Boris Pasternak described “literature” as finding the extraordinary in people and relating that discovery through “ordinary” words. He does not list the types of writing that meet this threshold. However, other definitions… Continue reading Screenplay as Literature: Shell Shock, a Book to Be Read by PortiaLily Taylor
“When obstacles arise, you change your direction to reach your goal; you do not change your decision to get there.” ― Zig Ziglar Although my professional life involved writing legal documents, policy-based materials, and academic curriculum, I always aspired to write fiction. To support that interest, I took creative writing classes, joined writing groups, and read… Continue reading Changing the Direction of My Publication Goal by PortiaLily Taylor
"The perfect is the enemy of the good." Voltaire I haven’t blogged in a while. I blame my procrastination on the sentiment of the saying attributed to Voltaire, “The perfect is the enemy of the good.” While working on completion of my novel, Sarah Finn, I began sharing my efforts with a new online, writers’… Continue reading Accepting My Writing Isn’t “Perfect” by PortiaLily Taylor
"Music, once admitted to the soul, becomes a sort of spirit, and never dies." Edward Bulwer-Lytton The words of English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton resonate with the thought that music is more than mere sound. It can be something ethereal that seeps into one’s very being and doesn’t leave. Then music, especially when intertwined with lyrics,… Continue reading Music as Social, Personal, and Literary Inspiration as Exemplified by “We Shall Overcome” by PortiaLily Taylor
Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone is a writer. Some are written in the books, and some are confined to hearts. – Savi Sharma Each person’s lifetime exists in a compilation of stories. Some are joyful. Some are tragic. Others are filled with humor while still others are cast in tears. People may share… Continue reading Writing Your Holiday Story by PortiaLily Taylor
"What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we have." -- Oprah Winfrey You have probably heard words similar to those of Oprah Winfrey regarding the power in speaking one’s truth. But, what is meant by “one’s truth” and how does that relate to a person’s writing, especially… Continue reading Writing One’s Truth through Fiction by PortiaLily Taylor
“Don't be dismayed by good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” Richard Bach My best friend died this week. Her name was Kay Mahaffey. She did not achieve world fame or monetary riches, but her life was filled… Continue reading Saying Farewell to a Friend by PortiaLily Taylor
“Hidden histories are events of the past that are not widely known or taught. Most of the time, these histories which are not well known have a negative connotation. They are not favorably viewed for one reason or another and so they have been suppressed. Usually, hidden histories revolve around controversial events such as the… Continue reading The Tulsa Massacre of 1921: Writing about Hidden Histories by PortiaLily Taylor
PortiaLily Taylor 