How Writing Fiction Made Me Feel More Alive at 70

A journey back to joy, one story at a time.

Less Than 1 Year Ago

When I first began writing on Substack, I was excited to write fiction and share chapters weekly with subscribers. It was a newfound passion. Posting to Substack gave me a place and self-imposed accountability.

Wanting to grow my list, I followed the advice of many marketing experts and turned to creating a nonfiction connection to my fiction. I’ve spent several months moving in this direction.

And it worked… to a point.

My time has been split between stories and nonfiction (Life’s Threads), and I’m not having as much fun as I was when focused solely on fiction.

Just the other night, I thought, “Why not write the nonfiction Threads through the eyes and conversations of my characters?” And I quickly rewrote this week's Life’s Threads piece as a dialogue among the five women of Women of the Canyon.

A Full ⭕️

Once again, I’ve come full circle: I will no longer write nonfiction about life’s lessons as they relate to my stories.

I can’t wait to concentrate 💯% on writing fiction. In fact, as of today, I’ve started

I now write Life’s Threads through the eyes and wisdom of my fictional characters. They will be the ones sitting at the table, asking the questions, offering the insights, and holding the mirrors up to our lives. Their conversations become a bridge: fiction that reveals truth, stories that spark reflection. My job is to invite you into the circle.

Life’s Threads isn’t about lessons handed down. It’s about moments shared. Fiction that feels true enough to spark your own reflection. At the end of each Life’s Thread story, you’ll find a few prompts to carry with you, threads to tug on in your journal or conversations.

Three types of fiction - All Free on Substack

Same characters throughout - women, in later life seeking their purpose, friendships and perhaps, a legacy

📕 Chapters from the Women of the Canyon series - weekly when I’m actively writing the books. I won’t be writing new chapters when I’m editing a book for publication.

🗓️ Daily Dose of Fiction - short daily stories centered on a weekly theme of friendship, connections and purpose. Featuring the characters from my novels.

💫 Life’s Threads - Another short story taken from the weekly Daily Dose theme, along with a few journal prompts to help you explore the stories more deeply. And link them to your own.

I appreciate you. Come along for the ride - Subscribe today. It’s all free.

Ps. If you’re wondering how I make any money, I’ll be asking you to buy my books when they come out. The first one, Whispers of Echo Canyon with all of these characters, will be out this fall.