For the Criminally Inane

 I published my first book with the Wild Rose Press nearly ten years ago now. It's been an amazing journey. I have learned and grown so much! Here are a few things I wish I would've done when I first started writing. Start a newsletter and social media before publishing. I wish I would've let more people know I was writing. I was a little shy about it. It also took me a long time to figure out how to write a book, so partially this was because I wasn't sure I could do a good job. But having a group cheer you on, follow your journey, supporting you spiritually is such a blessing. I see other authors just starting out with their friends cheering them on. Realized this is a business, not just art. When I first started writing, I was creating stories that were personal, deep and complicated. Now I wish I had just written stories that were more marketable. So many people ask me what I write and often I can't exactly say. If I had started with a business mindset, I think ...

 I'll have to say, when I first saw Spirited Away with my husband after we were first married, I was uncomfortable. The movie didn't employ usual Western storytelling techniques and I couldn't predict the ending or what would happen next. Although the animation was beautiful and the characters were interesting, I still struggled. Now, fast forward twenty odd years. I'm so glad I raised my kids on Studio Gibli films. In case you are unfamiliar, let me give you a summary of my favorite ones and then I'll explain what I feel these movies do over other animation studios. Here are a few of our favorites Spirited Away: a young girl gets separated from her parents in the land of spirits and must work in a spirit bath house to find her parents and to find answers. She befriends lots of people who help her reach her goal. Porco Rosso: A young girl engineers a bi-plane to help a pilot win an arial battle post the Great War. Howl's Moving Castle: A young girl gets turne...