Oops and Daisies

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Oops, Daisies, and Dreams: Interview with Author J.M. Guilfoyle

December 3, 2025 by Liz SanFilippo Hall

J.M. Guilfoyle

A supportive writing community can make a world of difference in an author’s journey, and that’s precisely where I met Jenn, who publishes under J.M. Guilfoyle. Our local writing group hosts more than just educational monthly meetings; the group features a number of “paths,” based around interests. From a critiquing group to a tech path (which Jenn leads), there are an incredible amount of ways to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Interviews with Creative Moms, More than Mama, Work From Home, Writing tips Tagged With: author, creativity, interview, interviews with creative moms, j.m. guilfoyle, types of writing, writing advice, writing community

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oopsanddaisies

Developmental Editor | Creative Writer & Author | Coach
Just an imperfect mom trying to inspire and support women who want to write and create 👇

What happened with your first attempt at a novel? What happened with your first attempt at a novel?Complicated friendships have long been one of the many tropes that I enjoy writing about, so it only made sense that it played a central role in the very first novel I wrote while I was in high school.The general gist: Meg and Bliss haven’t been best friends in years, but after Bliss dies, Meg needs to cope with the permanent loss of someone who meant the world to her, even if they had grown apart.I wrote a lot of the book by hand; then again, back then, we only had one family computer. I took a few years to revise it, with fabulous input from my “first editor,” a high school friend that I also went to college with, and then I started querying it.Spoiler alert: it was not ready for the public. Now I consider that novel attempt my “training wheels”: not only did it teach me what goes into writing a book, but it also proved that yes, I could write a whole novel. While that story will never ever see the light of day (there are no ‘stakes’ in the book), it was a huge learning experience for me.#LizsWritingJourney #WritingProcess #BookWriting #AmWriting
Did I have three journals open in my lap the other Did I have three journals open in my lap the other day? Why yes, yes I did. I normally only have two journals going at a time (my bullet journal and my writing journal) but I’ve started plotting a new idea… and it needs its own journal! 😅🙌Can’t wait to share more about it with you when it’s ready! #Journaling #AmWriting #WritingLife
What is journaling to me? A place to… * Explore What is journaling to me?A place to…* Explore everything: from my thoughts and lived experiences to anything that catches my eye* Play with words and images and meaning* Capture things I NEED to remember* Record of my memories and my life* Challenge myself without expectation* Work out the ideas behind my stories, poems, and essays* Toy around with new ideas and thoughts* Reflections (and a lot of deep thoughts)Journaling is the quiet engine underneath my creative life, and I do not know where I would be today without it. Is journaling a part of your life?#WorldJournalingDay #MomLife #AmWriting
Do you remember your first big writing “accompli Do you remember your first big writing “accomplishment”?I don’t even remember what the short story was about, but I do remember opening the envelope. The letter had been printed because this was around 1994.I had won.The arts council chose my story—mine—for an award, and they were honoring me at an upcoming reception. They liked my story!!! The sheer fact that someone enjoyed my writing thrilled me… but I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I put the letter on the counter and left it there.My mom found it later that day. “You won?!” she had asked me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”Decades later, I honestly still don’t know. I was beyond proud of myself… but I didn’t want to toot my own horn. I knew my parents would find out, eventually, because, duh, of course I wanted to go to the reception, but for some reason, I just didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.Writers, have you ever had a reaction like this to one of your accomplishments?#LizsWritingJourney #WritingLife #SelfDoubt #ShortStory
3 signs your writing spark is still there… waiti 3 signs your writing spark is still there… waiting for you to be ready. #MomLife #LifeWithKids #Writing
I launched my in-person journaling workshop today! I launched my in-person journaling workshop today!We’re harnessing the power of journaling to unlock our voices and stories. Week one was all about different ways to journal that I have personally used many, many times over the years. We talked about 10 different techniques and put one of them into practice… can you guess what the 10 are?#WritingLife #Journaling #YourStoryMatters
Ready to make some big progress with your writing Ready to make some big progress with your writing this year? But feel like you need some accountability? I’m hosting a free Creative Writing Accountability Club every Thursday, starting 1/8 at 10:30 am Central. Think of it as a co-writing space, where the only goal is to give ourselves permission to sit down and work on our writing projects. We’ll start the hour with super quick intros, then spend at least 40 minutes working in silence together. Who this is for:* Anyone who wants to make progress with their creative writing in the new year. * Anyone tired of *thinking* about their ideas and ready to get them onto the page. * Anyone ready to work on their writing. Rules: 1. Show up on time 2. Be supportive of one another. That’s it! When you show up, you’re showing up for your goals. We’re aiming for progress, not perfection, during this Creative Writing Accountability Club.Interested in joining? Send me your email address!#WritingCommunity #NewYearGoals #CreativeWriting
I may have already posted my 2025 wrapped, but I I  may have already posted my 2025 wrapped, but I feel like I need to give a special shoutout to the things I was up to in December specifically. Because, if I’m being honest, I’m spending a whole lot more time focused on writing projects… both paid and (currently) unpaid ones (like drafting and editing my New Adult manuscript). 2026 is the year I publish more… which means I’m pitching more. Writing more. Editing more. More of everything I love to do!So, what work-related “accomplishments” did I have in December? Here are some of them: * Completed my first editing project for a Big 5 publisher* Launched my 28-Day Creative Spark Workbook digital download for moms who want to write* Drafted a poetry collection (43 pages and counting!)* Started conducting interviews with people about creativity and how they fit self-expression into their busy lives (if you want to chat, message me)* Wrote myself an editorial letter and started to dive into developmental edits for my NA contemporary manuscript* Published one post over on OopsAndDaisies.com* Inched forward on my content audit of all my past publications (this is taking longer than I expected, because, let’s be honest, it’s at the bottom of my list right now)* Sent out multiple pitches for literary essays to a variety of publications and anthologies* Applied to multiple grants to scale Oops & Daisies* Announced Sparks & Scribbles, a free 12-week writing challenge over on Bluesky - we started today; come join us!So much writing and creating is going on! Cheers to the new year and giving ourselves permission to carve out time for the things that fire us up.*** Hi, I’m Liz, and I’m a creative writer who is learning to step out of her own way. I’m also an editor and creativity coach who helps people and companies tell and share their stories. Interested in working with me? I’d love to hear from you.#WritingProcess #CreativeWriting #LizsWritingJourney #WorksInProgress
Why yes, I did write an editorial letter to myself Why yes, I did write an editorial letter to myself. Before I dive into developmental edits for my own New Adult contemporary book this week, I wrote a letter similar to the ones I write for my clients. I always start off with what I like about a manuscript, and, not gonna lie, it felt pretty nice to compliment myself and what I like about the book, even if it was a super messy draft zero!#WritingLife #BookInProgress #AmEditing
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