Sarah Madson is a freelance writer and author living in Seattle. A former news editor and biographer, she founded Life in Writing, a company aimed at writing family histories and biographies and creating portrait art. She has written for several print and online publications and is presently working on her latest novel. She currently serves on the board of the Northwest Christian Writers Association, and organizes its critique groups. A native of California’s Bay Area, she moved to Seattle nearly a decade ago to attend Seattle Pacific University, and currently lives in the Phinney neighborhood with her husband, son and their two cats. A favorite nook? A waterfront view by a fireplace in an overstuffed chair. Add a cup of Market Spice tea or a smooth, full-bodied merlot or cab-sauv and she’s set.
Daytona Strong is a freelance writer and former television journalist. After spending years writing and producing for a Seattle newscast, she sought a job that didn’t require her to work at night and sleep during the day. With a love of the written word, Daytona devoured vocabulary in high school and perused magazines to collect words and phrases that sounded like music when combined. She went on to study journalism in college. She is currently writing her first novel, and is the voice behind Outside Oslo, a blog exploring her Scandinavian heritage and love of good food. A favorite writing nook? The lobby of an elegant hotel, sipping a glass of earthy Walla Walla wine.
About Nooks & Cranberries
The secret is out. We’ve found the two ingredients essential in the winning recipe for writing:
- A place to be inspired–a cozy corner, a pillow under a spruce’s shade, a sun-drenched bay window
- and bottomless inspiration stewing, waiting for ideas to be released–countless ruby-colored capsules ready to pop, releasing a character, a place, a piece of dialogue.
Combined with the sugar and spices in your writing place, and simmered with some encouragement (which you’ll find here), the ideas congeal, creating your plot, and ultimately your finished product.
Those are the Nooks and Cranberries that we, as writers, need.
There are many excuses not to write, but we’re here to ensure that a lack of creativity isn’t one of them.
Our pledges to you:
- To encourage you as a writer—based in the Pacific Northwest or elsewhere—to find and explore inspiration everywhere.
- To seek out places to provide the refreshment your imagination needs.
- To inspire and encourage you to achieve your writing goals.
- To help you hone your craft and strengthen your versatility as a writer.
- To stretch and exercise your literary muscles.
- To teach you to embrace Nooks and Cranberries, wherever you find them.
