A few weeks ago, I was in the kitchen listening to NPR and I heard an author (successful, I think) say that when she switched from being a journalist to being an author she had to learn to "show people and not just tell them." She had to practice making her descriptions of events and characters full enough that everyone reading her books could easily picture in their minds what was coming from the pages.

One of the things I am trying to do with this blog is learn how to create compelling stories and images using words. I may try to describe people and places with the text and then put in photos at the bottom so you can see if what I wrote matched what was in the picture. It sounds like a challenging exercise to me, but one that is certainly worth it. Becoming a good storyteller is one of the most critical skills that we can learn, because stories are the best way to convey information and affect the minds and hearts of those around us. By nature, I keep my stories to myself and this is an opportunity for me to break out of that pattern. I hope you enjoy it.