Writing Archives - Page 20 of 26 - Ellen Morris Prewitt

Podcasting or Hacking Through the Jungle

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 24, 2018. Posted in General, Writing. 12 Comments on Podcasting or Hacking Through the Jungle

I did it. I recorded the podcast that will accompany the release of TRACKING HAPPINESS: A SOUTHERN CHICKEN ADVENTURE. The podcast, which I’ve named ELLEN’S VERY SOUTHERN VOICE: NOVELS TOLD WRITE, offers an extended version of the novel. Each of the 26 chapters has accompanying commentary with Helpful Train Hints and Fun Chicken Facts....

TRACKING HAPPINESS: Cover Reveal

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on May 16, 2018. Posted in GRIEF, LOVE, Writing. 13 Comments on TRACKING HAPPINESS: Cover Reveal

Here it is. The cover for TRACKING HAPPINESS: A SOUTHERN CHICKEN ADVENTURE. I love this cover. My sister Elli shot the photo—yep, she’s a professional photographer. That’s Goldie the Chicken as the chicken cover model. For the record, I am walking down abandoned railroad tracks. I wasn’t going to get hit by an oncoming train....

Bead by Bead: The Ancient Way of Praying Made New

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on March 13, 2018. Posted in General, GOD, Writing. 4 Comments on Bead by Bead: The Ancient Way of Praying Made New

My definition of the Holy Spirit at work is when you think you’re doing a very important x, but, unbeknownst to you, the true point of your activity is y. You trundle along, doing your x, and all the while, God is doing y. Suddenly, a beautiful thing blooms into being, something you had no idea was in the works, and all you can do is stand in...

The Pope’s Cat

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 25, 2018. Posted in General, Writing. 6 Comments on The Pope’s Cat

When I read a book to my grandsons, I read from the beginning. Specifically, we pause and read the page containing the author’s name and illustrator’s name (I’m sure there’s a fancy word for this page, but I don’t know what it is.) I start here because I want the boys to understand that who wrote the book is important and who illustrated it is...

Chiseling On Through, Y’all

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on February 6, 2018. Posted in Writing. 8 Comments on Chiseling On Through, Y’all

I have just completed another rewrite of Jazzy and the Pirate. I created a document to hold the cuts I made, in case I wanted to add them back in. The document is 31,252 words. That’s 124 pages. The finished version of this draft is 48 pages shorter than my last draft. (I read once that you don’t have a first draft until someone reads it; I had...

After a Year, Enough

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on December 10, 2017. Posted in FASHION, GOD, GRIEF, HOMELESSNESS, LOVE, Racism to Reconciliation, Writing. 11 Comments on After a Year, Enough

I have lived in shock for a year. I could not believe that a man who put himself at the center of the universe and tore down everyone around him in the ugliest manner possible had been elevated to the presidency. The vote of my fellow and sister Americans sanctioning his behavior felt like gaslighting, an attempt to convince me that all I saw...

Cherry Bomb, St. Mary of Egypt, and Redemption

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on December 7, 2017. Posted in General, GOD, GRIEF, HOMELESSNESS, LOVE, Writing. 5 Comments on Cherry Bomb, St. Mary of Egypt, and Redemption

At one point in my life when I was struggling with betrayal, I went to my Episcopal priest for advice. He suggested that during this difficult time, I might find it easier to pray to Mother Mary. I followed his suggestion, and thus began a lifelong relationship with the mother of God. CHERRY BOMB takes this concept and expands it to a near-magical...

I Bet You do it Too

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on November 16, 2017. Posted in General, Racism to Reconciliation, Writing. 6 Comments on I Bet You do it Too

The first Community Writers Retreat I put together for Door of Hope Writing Group, the panel of facilitators was white. Every writer I’d identified to come and teach us about writing in an all-day conference was Caucasian. I wasn’t being racist. I was asking for favors: will you come—unpaid—to the Retreat and teach a workshop on writing? Of course...

Recording Under a Train

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on October 25, 2017. Posted in General, GRIEF, Writing. 8 Comments on Recording Under a Train

Recording this TRACKING HAPPINESS novel is about to do me in. The final take is almost in the can (is that an appropriate phrase for a recorded novel?) I’m laying in bed, worn out. I’ve recorded the durn thing three times. On the first take, the quality sucked. I hadn’t yet found the Amazing Black Box that Eats Ambient Noise...

Recording TRACKING HAPPINESS

Written by Ellen Morris Prewitt on October 18, 2017. Posted in Writing. 7 Comments on Recording TRACKING HAPPINESS

I’m deep in the middle of recording my novel TRACKING HAPPINESS. My followers fondly refer to this novel as “the chicken novel.” Earlier, I traveled to Jackson, Mississippi where my very talented sister shot a photo for the book cover. Next, my graphic artist transformed the photo into a true book cover (featuring a chicken,...