Author Archives: Mary Fran Says

About Mary Fran Says

I am an artist, crafter, designer and writer. I enjoy working with mixed media-- applying visual and tactile manipulations to telling a story. Not a lot of market for that, though, :), so I'm focusing on short story submissions and novel completions. Yes, plural. Lots of beginnings, too many ideas, not enough focus.

WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR!

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Mary Fran Says

I’m not sure any year has been as anticipated (in my lifetime) as 2021.Congratulations, we made it.What that actually means remains to be seen…2020 didn’t get rough until mid-March. Not to be a pessimist, but there’s still time for this … Continue reading →

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Gifts and Gratitude

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Mary Fran Says

This post is about the “gifts” that stay with you, that leave an abiding and memorable impression. Just the good ones, lol. After the year we’ve had, we could use some positive and lasting inspiration. Please take the time to … Continue reading →

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WE HAVE A WINNER!

Posted on December 21, 2020 by Mary Fran Says

TODAY MAKES 500! I can’t even believe it! FIVE HUNDRED POSTS! Thank you to the readers who submitted blog titles to the contest. I was both impressed and amazed at some of the selections. Match Game, a post from July … Continue reading →

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Easy as One, Two…

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Mary Fran Says

ONE Don’t forget to leave me a message with the TITLE of one of my blog posts so you’ll be entered into a drawing for a FIFTY DOLLAR PRIZE! Simply comment wherever you see this post or email me at … Continue reading →

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You could WIN!

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Mary Fran Says

You may remember way back in June, I posted my 443rd blog.Today’s post is #498…I’M ALMOST TO FIVE HUNDRED! In honor of reaching this goal, I’m hosting a contest. My 500th post will feature a WINNER. That winner could be … Continue reading →

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Gifts and Gratitude, Again

Posted on November 30, 2020 by Mary Fran Says

I was really touched by an article I read in the Chicago Tribune last year. “The Gifts that Stay With Us for a Lifetime” was a collection of stories about ‘gifts’ and their lasting effect. You may remember I blogged … Continue reading →

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Imaginate

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Mary Fran Says

When my six year old grandson comes over to visit, he spends a lot of time playing. He runs, jumps, and bounces. He kicks, lunges, and swings various limbs. He lands, tumbles, rolls, and repeats. He hops from chair arm … Continue reading →

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A Patterson Chapter

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Mary Fran Says

James Patterson is a prolific author having written nearly 150 novels. In fact, he holds The New York Times record for the most #1 New York Times best sellers by a single author, a total of 67, which is also … Continue reading →

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Metaphors

Posted on November 9, 2020 by Mary Fran Says

When I was at NIU (the second time) studying Visual Communications, we were assigned a metaphor project. It proved challenging to a lot of us. What exactly is a metaphor and how can we show it visually?! A metaphor is … Continue reading →

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