Category Archives: careers

Part I – Books versus TV, Narrative Voice versus Scripted Scenes: Longmire, Outlander

July 19, 2020 by Mara Purl

A Guest Post by Mara Purl

Every author wants their novels to be made into a film or a television series. Right?

So let’s take a look at how these two worlds of “series”—both the readable and the viewable kind—connect, overlap, or compete. Some people discover a great series first on TV, then want to dig deeper by reading the original books. Some don’t want to see the adaptation on a screen until they’ve delved into the books, sometimes referred to by producers as “source material.”

Here we’ll take a look at works by Diana Gabaldon (the Outlander series), and Craig Johnson (the Longmire series).… Read more

Posted in Art and Entertainment, BBC Radio, Books, careers, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, narrative voice, Novel series, Radio, Radio Drama, Serial Drama, Soap Opera Fiction, Television series, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Untangling Our Strings

December 31, 2019 by Mara Purl
Maybe there’s a knot of resentment that we could untangle with a bit of patience and forgiveness. Perhaps there’s an interlocking loop of mistaken communications that could be smoothed with a phone call or a note. Or it could be that a few moments of stillness—a walk in the woods, down a street, or along a beach—would allow us to relax the tension on those strings and let them disentangle and unfurl like strands of kelp in a gentle tide.
Posted in Acting, Art and Entertainment, Audio Drama, authors and entertainment world, Creativity, Family, family history and genealogy, Family values, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, head and heart connection, Heart and head connection in books, heart of an artist, Integrating lifes purpose through art, life's purpose, Mara Purl, mission and core purpose in life, musician-singer-songwriter, Opening up to New Worlds, screenwriting and acting, Uncategorized, voice performance | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Polishing the Silver

November 27, 2019 by Mara Purl
I enjoy the work as a meditation of gratitude—which often begins around Thanksgiving week. It’s a reminder that our gifts—and talents—need to be polished so they shine brightly enough to be shared.
Posted in about issues of the heart, AHA Moments, Art and Entertainment, Authors, Connecting through books, Creativity, family history and genealogy, Family values, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Gifts, Gratitude, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, life's purpose, Live Your Best Life, Mara Purl, Metaphors, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, mission and core purpose in life, Mother, Mothers & Daughters, Nurturing the soul, power of the universe, self-growth, sychronicity of life, Women's Fiction | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Doobie Brothers Next Gen

July 6, 2019 by Mara Purl
Everybody is there for one reason, a joy we share. It’s an overwhelming feeling of being accepted and included. That’s one of the best reasons to go to a concert and listen to live music.
Posted in about issues of the heart, Artists, Authors, Creativity, Doobie Brothers, familial history, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, musician-singer-songwriter, Nurturing the soul, voice performance | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Why Do Words Count?

March 27, 2019 by Mara Purl
Words are the connective tissue between idea and expression. We tell ourselves about our ideas with words, using them to move from vague conjecture to clear concept.
Posted in American West, Authors, Book Marketing, Books, Colorado, community and transformation, Connecting through books, Editors, Heart and head connection in books, history, inspiring through fiction novels, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, life's purpose, Live Your Best Life, Louis L'amour, Love of Books, Mara Purl, Personal Essays, Publishing, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Paternity Test

June 14, 2017 by Mara Purl
My father let us see that love really is reciprocal. I helped him walk when he was ninety-nine, reassured him his journey made sense, made a difference, and had value greater than the gold of kings. When it came to the real paternity test, he passed with flying colors. Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Acting, AHA Moments, Art and Entertainment, BBC Radio, Family, family history and genealogy, Family values, Heart and head connection in books, Integrating lifes purpose through art, Japan, life's purpose, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Mother, Writing | 5 Comments

The After Days

August 19, 2013 by Mara Purl
Projects have always been a way of life for the Purls. Sometimes a bane, sometimes a boon, projects define our time and express our various core purposes. That’s what I’ll miss the most, I think—that I won’t get to do the next project with Mom.
Posted in about issues of the heart, AHA Moments, Authors, Bellekeep Books, Creativity, familial history, Family, family history and genealogy, Family values, flow of life, head and heart connection, head and heart connection, Heart, Integrating lifes purpose through art, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, life's purpose, Love, Magical moments, Mara Purl, mission and core purpose in life, Mother, Mothers & Daughters, Nurturing the soul, Personal Essays, power of the universe, relationships, self-growth, sychronicity of life, synchronicity, Transformation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A Year for Mom: The Big Day

July 14, 2013 by Mara Purl
The Purl Family “A Year for Mom” are posts written the year of my mother’s illness and her passing. It had started as one of Mom’s bright ideas. Though she and Pere had been unable to fly to California to see my sister Linda perform the remarkable one-woman show The Year of Magical Thinking, she imagined that, somehow, the show could come to her. Read more
Posted in Acting, Art and Entertainment, authors and entertainment world, Family, family history and genealogy, Family values, Heart, Integrating lifes purpose through art, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, life's purpose, Magical moments, Mara Purl, Mara Purl, mission and core purpose in life, Nurturing the soul, Personal Essays, Public Speaking, Transformation, Women authors | Leave a comment

Step-Mothering is All Heart

May 9, 2013 by Mara Purl
Amelia-Mara-cropOne of my favorite roles in life is that of step-mother. Any more than one can plan or train for motherhood, one can’t schedule the unexpected eventually of becoming a step-parent. The job comes with its own prickly difficulties, but also with a series of gifts that continue to leave me, by turns, breathless and grateful. Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Art and Entertainment, Books for Baby Boomers, Domestic Violence, Family values, forgiveness, Head & Heart, head and heart connection, Heart, Heart and head connection in books, involvement in issues near and dear to heart, life's purpose, Live Your Best Life, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Personal Essays, relationships, self-growth, sychronicity of life, transformation through AHA moments | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

God-Mothering from the Heart

May 8, 2013 by Mara Purl
Mara-Sami-graduation-crop Nothing could have been a greater honor than my friend's request that I be her baby's God-mother. We didn't know exactly what that might mean, as this special relationship would occur without religious affiliation. But since Erin and I refer to one another as spiritual sisters, it made perfect sense that I'd be involved in the spiritual life of her daughter. Read more
Posted in about issues of the heart, Books, Collaboration with other writers, E-Books, e-books by Mara Purl, Family values, Finding treasures of the heart in books, Head & Heart, life's purpose, Love of Books, Mara Purl, Milford-Haven Novels & Stories, Personal Essays, self-growth, Women authors, Women's Fiction | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment