On Tuesday, I took a chance and did the podcast recording I told you about last week. As it approached, I wondered what and the heck I had done! But I loved the outcome!

Preparation

I had wanted to finish revising the manuscript of Eyewitness to Healing/Life (tentative title), my new autofiction book, but I didn’t get it all revised. However, I did scan the last six chapters I hadn’t gotten to and realized I have a lot of work to do on them.

When the time drew near, I showered and even put on makeup—I used to wear makeup every day. Since the pandemic, I have really slacked off, so when I do it, I’m amazed at the woman I see in the mirror!

The Actual Recording

Over the years, I’ve done several podcasts, but I forgot that this one wasn’t going to be live. That’s what I prepared for. Thankfully, they plan to record it and edit it, send a link for me to okay it, then it will be the substance for the One Brilliant Arc podcast on April 7 at 5:00 PM EST.

Ceylan from Let’s Fix Stories, this free program they offer, welcomed me onto the platform. They use, Riverside Studio which I had never used before. I thought I had downloaded it several weeks ago, but when I went to look for it in my app folder, it wasn’t there. So quickly I downloaded it about ten minutes before we started.

First, she said usually they have two people on the video, but Charles’ mother has cancer and was dealing with chemotherapy issues, so he wasn’t there. But he shared his input on all of the documents I received.

Then Ceylan explained the procedure:

1. Focus on What’s Working
2. Focus on What Needs Work

At this point, I laughed to myself, because that’s the exact procedure we used in any writing group situation I’ve ever been in.

What’s Working

Ceylan’s opening note absolutely confirmed what I knew in the depth of my heart:

Larada—this is not a light story. And you are not telling it lightly.

This manuscript carries decades of lived experience: trauma, treatment, relapse, recovery, processing, and now advocacy. What makes this project compelling is not simply the subject matter—it’s the intentional decision to transform private pain into public witness.

There is real bravery here. Not performative vulnerability—earned vulnerability.

This report is designed to help you strengthen the structure, pacing, and thematic clarity so that the emotional weight you carry lands with maximum clarity and impact on the reader.

As I listened to her comments and Charles’ about what worked in the first fifteen pages, my heart soared. I realized they got it—the message of this book and the difficulty in writing it!

Clear emotional honesty

• They said, “This is one of my strongest assets.”
• My Response: I have chosen to tell the story of my incest in a fiction format because the topic felt too grueling to write as a memoir. But I have felt compelled to tell what happened in this time of silence and coverup to sexual abuse.

The Epigraph & Framing of the story

• MY EPIGRAPH: “Everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” — Sylvia Plath
• They said, “Your Sylvia Plath quote and dedication immediately signal:
  • This book is intentional
  • This book is for survivors
  • This book is about courage
  • That framing is strong positioning. It tells the reader what kind of emotional terrain they are entering. Keep this.
• My Response: Repeatedly, I search high and low for Epigraphs for each book to frame the story. I totally believe this one does.

Poetic Instinct

• They said, “Your poetry background is a strong advantage. Keep leaning into your unique writing style like this.”
• My Response: I celebrate the fact they saw my poetic nature as a strength. I just need to be aware and use it to strengthen the book.

Dual Perspective Structure

• They said, “Alternating chapters between Ellen and Laura is a strong structural instinct. It allows:
  • External witness
  • Internal experience
  • Contrast between perception and reality
• My Response: In this book, Ellen (Ellie) and Laura are featured in alternating chapters, so the reader meets and sees how Laura’s experiences affects each of them and their husbands. Ellie witness Laura’s healing.

Clear Core Theme Emerging

• Ceylan specifically asked me what the core theme of the book was and I didn’t hesitate, “Horrible things happen to people, but healing is possible.
• My Response: Identifying the theme has helped me focus on what to do with the revisions I have left to do. It has become the touchstone for how I move through the story.

What Needs Work

Because Ceylan and Charles (in his comments) set such a warm and welcoming environment, I knew this part would be safe.

Repetition Slowing Pacing

• They said, “When repeating a scene from a new POV, ensure it answers a question the first POV could not. Otherwise, compress. Keep an eye out and rework sentences that make information or word choice feel repetitive.
• My Response: I told the key beginning event in both Ellie’s chapter and Laura’s which slowed the pacing of the reading. DON’T DO THAT! What a wonderful revelation.

POV (Point of View) Anchoring & Narrative Authority

• They said, “When in Ellen’s POV, only describe what Ellen sees, hears, senses, or assumes. When in Laura’s POV, only describe what Laura internally experiences. This will eliminate accidental repetition, increase reader immersion, and strengthen your realism.
• My Response: As I had been doing the revision, I saw that alternating between the two main voices, I had to make sure to keep it clear. Immediately Ceylan saw me waiver in the first fifteen pages and not be clear on whose point of view I was featuring. Such a key element to the story.

Journal Tone vs Dramatic Narrative

• They said, “Journaling explains. Narrative dramatizes.”
• My Response: As many of you know, I write in my journal almost daily, and it showed up in this book. I love that they identified that for me. I’m anxious to see how to fix it.

Flashback Integration

• They said, “Before every flashback ask: “What in the present action triggered this memory?”
• My Response: Because past events deeply affect each of the characters in this story, I share lots of flashbacks, and they slow the pace of the action down considerably. I love this question and their suggestions.

Strengthen Realism and Contrast for Thematic Clarity

• They said, “Make the world harsher at the beginning. Let your readers notice the empathy and understanding that is missing for Laura. This makes the healing more powerful at the end.
  • Show a world where healing is absent
  • Show systems that fail survivors
  • Show silence
  • Show discomfort 
  • Show avoidance
• Then allow Ellen to stand out.
• My Response: At the big event at the beginning of the book, I had a crowd of people be unrealistically patient and kind and loving to Laura’s unusual behavior that affected them—not realistic at all! To me, this was the key takeaway from this experience—to show the contrast in the two worlds of unsympathetic observers/abusers and compassionate loving support to survivors and healing.

Finally,

I took a chance; I received strong advice and clarity about keys issues with the start of my new book that could have ruined it right from the beginning. Ceylan presented all this information in an acceptable manner that didn’t feel judgmental or ugly. Charles shared strong suggestions! I felt empowered with the video recording and the paperwork they sent me outlining everything. There’s more wonderful suggestions than I shared here—lots more!

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My Newest Books

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Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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A few weeks ago, I decided to do something different. I had the offer to go on a podcast after sending them the first fifteen pages of my new book which has a working title of Eye Witness to Life/Healing. I go on the podcast, Let’s Fix Stories, Tuesday, February 17 from 5-7 EST. Here’s why it is so different.

How I Connected with One Brilliant Arc

In my book coaching group, someone referenced One Brilliant Arc for interviews for Indie (independent—self-published) authors. So, I connected with them and tried to get an “Indie Authors Spotlight” interview, but we had scheduling conflicts because I missed any February time slots they had, and I’m going to be in the states for March. I didn’t want to complicate my time there with this. We’ve put off the interview for now, because they suggested something I could do sooner.

Then How I Connected with Let’s Fix Stories

After the scheduling problems, I received this message from One Brilliant Arc:

“In the meantime, if you would like some support with the current story you are working on revising, our team of editors offers free story audits as part of another podcast we do called “Let’s Fix Stories” where we edit your first 10-15 pages for free. Let me know if this sounds like something you would be interested in, as we would be happy to support you in writing such a heavy but important story 🖤” and the rest is history.

Wow! They are going to offer free editing suggestions for the first fifteen pages! How could I turn that down? But wait—I’ve worked with the same editor on my last five books, and I love her. Sometimes her revisions upset me, but I mostly love and accept her changes. What will this be like in front of their audience?

How I Have Prepared to “Do Something Different”

So, I sent off the first fifteen pages of my book and received a confirmation they were interested.

At that point, I realized I hadn’t seriously touched this story for ten years, so I had work to do before the podcast.

Next, I opened up my Scrivener’s file of the manuscript and a .pdf version so I could keep track of pages. I also created a checklist spreadsheet to note what I needed to do or what I had done. By chapter five, I changed my procedure when I revised the manuscript. For chapter one – four, I didn’t identify in the Scrivener document when I added or revised text. I made note of it on the checklist, but I realized I didn’t like that—I needed to make note in the Scrivener document by highlighting the addition or revision and make a comment. In the comment, I simply said, “Added.” Once again, I decided to do something different, and this feels so much more efficient because it’s all in one document.

Starting on February 3, I worked nightly on the re-acquainting myself with my story. Surprisingly, a lot of it seemed new and exciting! I loved the twists, but immediately I saw holes—places I needed to add more detail, and I had to fix it, them—oh, my goodness!

After reading Thomas Merton’s A Year with Thomas Merton: Daily Meditations from His Journals, I realized that I had left out landscape and setting. Merton specifically draws in nature and his physical surroundings in his book, something so important for the reader to connect with. So, in my revisions, I added landscape and descriptions of place. So, I filled in the holes, but that took more time than I thought it would.

I spent two weeks working on the revisions, the revisiting my work, but. . .

I Ran Out of Time!

Life got in the way. I had stomach cramps on Tuesday this last week and then still felt slightly down on Wednesday, so I lost those two days. Believe it or not, I have a busy life here in Panama, and I don’t have the time I had in Tijeras, New Mexico to dedicate to my writing. Time escapes me here with all the distractions surrounding me: 120+ restaurants to try, beautiful scenery, Zumba class, Boquete Knitters & Quilters group and a host of new friends to grow relationships with and more!

So, I have gotten as far as chapter 8, page 84. I’m going to work as much as possible tomorrow and Tuesday. I have seventeen chapters and 201 pages in the whole book. Can I finish it tomorrow and Tuesday before 5:00 PM? I hope so. I’ll let you know next week.

Summary of My New Book

I wrote about my new book in the Ultimate Blog Challenge, Day 27, but many of you may not have read it. The blog title was AutoFiction: Fiction Based on a Part of My Life Story! Here’s the link:

Day 27 – AutoFiction: Fiction Based on a Part of My Life Story!

The Cliff Notes Summary of My New Book

When one woman finally confronts her incest history and begins true recovery, her healing creates ripples that transform three other lives. This unflinching autofiction blends personal experience with fictional storytelling to explore trauma, alcoholism, codependence, and the courageous path to wholeness. Raw, honest, and ultimately hopeful, this narrative proves that breaking silence doesn’t just free the survivor—it creates space for others to heal too. A testament to resilience, recovery, and the contagious nature of courage.

Finally,

I decided to “do something different.” As they focus on my work Tuesday night on the Let’s Fix Stories podcast, I know I will enjoy the privilege of talking about my book, my words, my life and its implications for this world.

What are your thoughts?

Do something different today—out of the ordinary!

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My Newest Books

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Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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Over the last five years, I have written thirty-five posts with haikus in them or references to haikus, and the results surprised me. Why do I continue?

The Results

My first post of the thirty-five with a haiku in it was May 23, 2021, Haiku—A Trip Down Memory Lane.

At this time, I became intrigued with haikus and wrote them as a response to walks I took when so much of my life was shut down because of the pandemic. Yes, I had taught my students to write haikus in a poetry unit when I was teaching language arts and literature so many years ago, but I never wrote them myself then. I just respected the form and the concept and loved the ones my students came up with each year.

Five years later, my most current post on January 22, 2026 just references haikus as part of one of the hats I wear, Day 22 – The Many Hats I Wear: Changing Constantly!

The results of these thirty-five posts shocked me: the most looked at was Mary Oliver Helps Me—Haikuing Through Life! with 1400 views! Various other posts received less, but in looking at the stats, I feel more assured in sharing more haikus, so here we are.

My Haikus About Lin’s Garden

For several years, Lin and I hosted a garden party in June or July to share his majestic garden with friends in the area, starting in 2022. People came from as far away as Santa Fe, New Mexico to see it. In 2024, I wrote the following haikus, printed them up for our guests and handed them out. I received wonderful responses to my writing.

The First Year I Wrote Haikus, 2024

Could this be heaven?
Birds, chirping, flowers blooming.
What could be better?

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Red, pink, purple, green,
Yellow, and peach flowers bloom!
I could dance for joy!

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The world the gardener makes
has plants I have never known.
Lin creates magic!

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Lin's garden is an
oasis to rest my soul!
His flowers bathe me!

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Lin has created
a sanctuary for us.
Welcome, come join us!

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The Second Year, 2025

Who made this garden?
Lin works together with God!
They work side by side.

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Do you doubt there's a
God? How, when in a garden?
A rose shouts, Hi, God!”

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How important is
A garden? More than pretty?
Ask the bees and birds!

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Do you realize
What you created, dear Lin?
1. All the birds thank you!
2. All the bees thank you!
3. And my heart thanks you!

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From a wasteland to
An amazing garden—WOW!
Hard work & Lin’s love!

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Finally, after thirty-five,

This makes number thirty-six! You can see I love to write haikus and share them with my readers. Down the road, I plan to publish a book of haikus because I’m already on journal #4 of haikus I’ve written in response to my meditation group’s topics.

For me, the world prompts me to think in haikus—3 simple lines that focus laser-pointed on the details that might slip by unnoticed. Do you notice them?

Interested In the Thirty-Five?

If you are interested in my variety of the posts of haikus or references to haikus, go to Larada’s Blog and search for them! Then let me know what you think—I appreciate feedback.

Join my email list and you might win a second FREE e-book of mine! How do you join? Sign up for my email list here and receive Is My Truth Universal? A Woman’s Poetic Odyssey, the prequel to my Navigating Life’s Journey Series.

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My Newest Books

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Buy My Audio Books:

This Tumbleweed Landed

Let Me Tell You a Story 

Hair on Fire: A Heartwarming & Humorous Memoir Audiobook

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