AmiMaxine

I Put a Bow On It

To say that this semester has been the hardest of my career feels woefully inadequate. Yes, it was worse than Spring 2021 when we had to shift mid-semester to fully remote teaching. Honestly, that semester seems like a breeze in comparison. And I’m sure you’d think that after that plus an entire other academic yearContinue reading “I Put a Bow On It”

Save Me From Myself

When you know it will be at least six weeks, probably several months, before you’ll get a response, but you can’t stop checking your email.

And So It Begins. Again.

Two weeks. Two weeks until the end of the hardest semester of my thirteen year teaching career. Yep, even harder than that semester when we had to shift suddenly to fully remote teaching in Spring 2020. This semester has sort of been like those scenes in films with the trick lens where someone is sprintingContinue reading “And So It Begins. Again.”

You Never Know Where Learning Can Lead You

There is little more that I love than learning new things. I haven’t always enjoyed sitting in a classroom learning, but after about four years out of grad school, I found I did miss that, too. So in 2012, I began taking classes to earn a couple of graduate certificates over at Northern IL University.Continue reading “You Never Know Where Learning Can Lead You”

A Long Overdue Love Letter to Coffee

For the first three decades of my life, I couldn’t stand coffee. I didn’t like the taste. Couldn’t stand the smell. I have memories of my sister and me tagging along to the bowling alley where our mother participated in league. (She once bowled a perfect game. They gave her a mug and all relatedContinue reading “A Long Overdue Love Letter to Coffee”

#10Queries and #DVPit Updates

Alas, no bites for #DVPit – which might just be the universe reminding me that I don’t need to be adding anything to my already packed to do list. I shall focus on surviving the semester and perhaps starting to query one of the manuscripts over winter break. As for #10Queries – I had heardContinue reading “#10Queries and #DVPit Updates”

When it Rains…

I often joke – give me a flat surface devoid of even a spec of dust, and I will find something to trip over. Sadly, it’s not so much a joke as it is the truth. I’m the sort of klutz who catches her elbows on doorknobs and who discovers bruises of unknown origins justContinue reading “When it Rains…”

#10Queries and #DVPit

Life has been chaos. I feel like I’ve been saying that a lot the last year and a half – and I feel like it’s often met with nods of exhausted agreement. Within that chaos, I’ve not really had the time or the bandwidth to write much of anything new, or even to spend aContinue reading “#10Queries and #DVPit”

What Do You Call Those Insects That Glow?

I recently presented at a conference for an online global writing group of which I’m a member. We spent the entire day with presentations and sharing knowledge. One of the presentations I gave was about building characters – a discussion I’ve had… who even knows how many times at this point? It was an abbreviatedContinue reading “What Do You Call Those Insects That Glow?”

I Swear I’m a Writer!

Me: [sitting at a table and editing; needs a moment to sit back] Person one at nearby table: Murder also works. Person two at same table: I mean, it can solve a lot of things. Me: [quickly averts eyes and goes back to editing] Clearly, these two were joking joking, but still – this wasContinue reading “I Swear I’m a Writer!”