Leigh Macfarlane
Bio
With a Creative Writing MFA, Leigh loves writing, photography, music, family, animals, stargazing, swimming, coffee, chocolate. She raised 4 children, bravely works in a daycare and hates car problems. Mosquitoes and Lily the dog love her
Stories (14/0)
Time Management for Authors
It's that time of year again, when summer is ending, the season is changing, and kids are heading back to school. For those of us who are writers with children, back to school can require a significant change in organization in order for us to continue to find time to write. For all creatives, though, it is important to learn time management skills. This can be an essential skill to have if you are a writer who is selling a novel with a time schedule to meet or even just attempting to finish a draft.
By Leigh Macfarlane3 years ago in Journal
Podcasts for Writers
The first podcasts I ever listened to were about visual arts. I had been tasked with writing a blog for an art school on the subject, and I thought it was kind of fantastic that I could be out in the yard mowing my lawn while listening to a podcast through my headphones, and I could bill for my time. I could drive into town to go to the grocery store and listen to a podcast in the car -- and bill for that time. How awesome was that? That's what I call multi-tasking! I was hooked. As soon as that article was submitted, I switched up the topics of the podcasts I was listening to until I had compiled a list of podcasts on romance novels, on writing and marketing tips, and on topics which were generally interesting or entertaining to me. Here is a list of some of my favourites!
By Leigh Macfarlane3 years ago in Journal
Why I Write Novels
Over this past week, I have been fortunate to be offered a couple of writing jobs. Getting paid to do what I most love to do has inspired me to spend some time searching out ways to make more cash doing the same. Today, I signed up for an online tutorial on writing guest posts. Her seminar didn’t do much for me. She spoke – as infomercials so often do – over and over about the business value of contributing guest posts, but said nothing about how to make that happen.
By Leigh Macfarlane4 years ago in Journal
Lay Dee Pete
"Lay Dee Pete, get your butt back here!" I was dressed in riding boots and a brown velvet hard hat, and tears were flowing down my cheeks. Not from a fall, or anything that drastic. No, I was crying because my twelve-year-old Palomino Quarter Horse mare, Lay Dee Pete, had escaped and taken it upon herself to trot down one of the busiest streets in the town where I lived. So far, she'd trotted past my elementary school, past the bus loop, the local hospital, and was now on her way to the local fire station. I was trailing, miserable and afraid, down the street in her wake. She had her tail up jauntily. Just another blond out for an afternoon jog.
By Leigh Macfarlane4 years ago in Petlife
Healing at an Artisan Fair
10-ish years ago, I suffered a triad of athletic injuries. First, I tore all the ligaments in my shoulder during a tennis forehand. Second, I tore all the ligaments in my ankle during a tennis dash to the deep far right of the court. And a year later, I tore my hamstring while doing the splits in yoga. No irony there.
By Leigh Macfarlane4 years ago in Longevity
Autumn in Peachland, BC
Long before I lived in the Okanagan, the little town of Peachland on the shores of Okanagan Lake had captured my imagination. Watching Real Estate TV from the comfort of my Burnaby home, I dreamed with longing of the day I would become a Peachland resident. Well, I haven't made that happen, but I am now close enough to visit regularly and spontaneously.
By Leigh Macfarlane4 years ago in Wander
Iron Deficiency: One Woman's Story
It had been an unusual year in my life. I had changed jobs, changed social circles, had my adult children move home. The previous year I had been leader of two different bands, and my life had been immersed with music, but I had stepped out of both—a huge change. I’d had car troubles repeatedly—was in a collision with a deer which totaled one vehicle and left me healing from whiplash while the replacement vehicle I purchased for cash blew its engine after only six weeks. Worse was the sad reality that nine people within my social circle had died in a fifteen-month period. I was exhausted. A year of relentless stress had taken a huge toll.
By Leigh Macfarlane6 years ago in Longevity
Inspiration's Directional Arrow: Setting and Genre
This abandoned barn is located adjacent to the daycare where I work the early morning shift. I discovered it at 8:30 am, while leaving for the day. It was the day after a snowfall, and everything about the scene screamed at me and said, "Write me!"
By Leigh Macfarlane6 years ago in Journal
Horse Leasing for Dummies
As a gift for graduating from University, my parents decided to lease me a horse. They would pay $150 for one month, and I would have access to a horse for three days of the week. After that, I could continue the lease arrangement if I wanted to make the payment.
By Leigh Macfarlane6 years ago in Petlife
