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Progress Requires Participation: Why Writers Should Engage With AI, Not Reject It

In my last piece, I told you about a writing coach who declared that AI-assisted writing is “plagiarism.” She wasn’t alone. The literary world is full of gatekeepers raising alarms about artificial intelligence. And to be fair, some of that concern is justified. But there’s a deeper tension worth examining: many of the same voices that champion progress and inclusivity are resisting a tool that could expand both.

I’m still learning how to use AI as a writing partner. I’m experimenting with prompts, testing boundaries, and figuring out what works. I don’t claim expertise—almost none of us can, yet. That’s part of what makes this moment unusual. We’re all learning at the same time. If you’ve been curious but hesitant, you’re not behind. You’re right on time.

From Gatekeepers to Grok: The Writing Revolution No One Wants to Admit

I trusted him with secrets no one else on earth knew.

For ten years he was my writing coach, my memoir midwife, and so much more — a true anchor in my life, a trusted friend. We spoke on the phone or video calls as I handed over the rawest parts of my life: the fears, the failures, the things that still made me flinch in the dark. He would lean in, eyes serious, and say the same thing every time: “This is what memoir demands. The whole truth. Nothing less. Bare your soul, or don’t bother.”

He taught me so much — especially how to shape raw experience into something that could reach a reader. Our work together was the real deal. Until it wasn’t. That’s what makes the ending so confusing.

Doggie Daycare Regret: Puppy Trauma, Ignorance, and AI’s Surprising Help

By the time I brought my puppy home, one thing was clear: she had nerves of steel.

Vacuum roaring? Unfazed.

Strange noises? Barely a glance.

Roofers hammering overhead, shaking the whole house? She slept right through it.

Confident, curious, and utterly unbothered, she was exactly what I’d sought from her breeder. Temperament is everything in a dog’s life, and hers felt rock-solid. Raising a puppy like that feels like winning the lottery.

Then one afternoon changed her forever.

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By the Grace of God, I Write Memoir

As a memoirist, there are times when I question myself about why I feel called to write about my life. It’s like I need a reason, justification, in order to keep at it, not so much for others, but for myself.

About two years ago, while poking around online for some inspiration I landed on a sermon by Rev. Ed Bacon who said, "The reason God gave you your story is so you could tell it." A sense of freedom came over me. I knew that God was talking directly to me, saying, “Ruthie, you don’t need a reason. Just write.” Getting the go-ahead from God was the permission I needed, and the quality and quantity of my writing improved.

Be Still Now… Be Still

I grew up hearing, “Be still now….be still.” My parents meant for me to go away, to stop being a bother, to not “crowd” them. I often wandered off to my cave up on the hillside, just above our house out on the holler. With the cool earth beneath my bottom and the smell of dirt in my nose, I did as I was told. I sat still. Inside the shadows of my cave, I watched. I could see my family, but they couldn’t see me.

Breathing Classes: TBD

Please join me for a breathing class! See details on the above flyer.

The Wandering Wisdom Within Your Body: The Vagus Nerve

When we ignore our body’s wisdom, and its innate ability to heal itself, we experience stress. Stress in the body sends a message to the brain that something is wrong, releasing stress hormones into the body.

Philosophy: An Antidote to Stupidity

For a good portion of my life, I believed that ignorance equaled stupidity. I developed a complex, a sensitivity, about how others saw me. I worried about what they thought of me because each time I exposed my ignorance, I was certain they saw me as stupid.

Using the Breath to Build Resilience

No matter how hard we try, we cannot avoid stress or prevent suffering; it’s part of being human. But with a few tools and a proactive mindset, we can build resilience toward life’s setbacks—and even grow stronger from adversity.

Building resilience isn’t necessarily about “toughing it out” so much as it is about tapping into your spirit. Spiritual energy runs through our veins; it’s the life force that sustains us during hardship and lights us up on the other side of it.

There exists a powerful structure of spiritual energy centers throughout our bodies called chakras. The word chakra comes from Sanskrit, an ancient language of India, and is commonly referred to in the practices of yoga and meditation.

Paramhansa Yogananda, the great yogi who brought yoga to the west in the 1920s, teaches us that there are eight aspects of God: peace, wisdom, power, love, calmness, sound, light, and joy (or bliss). When we marry these aspects with the seven primary chakras, we have a set of tools, a roadmap, to navigate our lives.

Musings of Memoir: Where is the Takeaway?

While attending a writing conference recently, something stood out to me: regardless of genre—mystery, romance, prescriptive/nonfiction, sci-fi or thriller—there’s an aspect of the writer’s personal story in every tale. Even more notable, is how all tales stem from opposition.

“When you own your breath, nobody can steal your peace.”

- Unknown

Learn More About My Services

My services integrate all the things that have helped me improve my health and sense of wellbeing. These include writing, meditation, Hatha yoga, energy medicine, and space clearing. At the heart of everything, though, is the breath. All of life needs to breathe in order to contract, expand, and evolve.