Maureen Joyce Connolly

Welcome to my new life as a writer! In my blog I intend to share what it is like to be a debut author. I hope you will join in this journey of discovery with me. First, the details: after receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Physiology, I worked in the pharmaceutical industry my entire career (a long time, trust me!), which, by default, became my comfort zone. When I received an offer to publish my novel, Little Lovely Things, I decided to end ‘my old life’, and become a full time writer.

I am now determined to structure my days around the creative process and to no longer live by default. Learning to Walk Sideways references my book in which the main character, Claire, must learn to reshape her life in order to find happiness after the abduction of her two children. Ultimately, she learns to take small steps outside the main stream, to challenge her established ‘norms’. While the novel deals with extreme adversity, most of us face small opportunities in our daily lives that allow us to stretch our perspective, to enhance and honor our creativity.

As I begin my second novel, I hope to become a better observer. Writing this, I am looking out the window and taking note of the beautiful soft green canopy of the deciduous trees in early May in eastern Pennsylvania. Soon, many of the leaves will shift to richer hues, ultimately becoming a deep pine-green in August. By observing the subtle changes in color over time, the trees will lead me through the warm seasons as we move from spring and into summer.

What about you? What do you find inspiring? What small steps or ideas or actions can you take in your life to grow creatively? Maybe it means recording simple observations, or making a commitment to spend more time listening to loved ones. Whatever it is, how about we share our insights and ideas? In other words, let’s learn to walk sideways together.