Author: Rhonda Wiley-Jones

Wiley-Jones is fiercely committed to guide life-sojourners and travelers toward supercharged writing benefits to unlock transformative experiences. She will unpack journal-writing techniques, tools and tips with which you can experiment. She can facilitate exercises for you to delve into the depths of yourself, and/or to write stories for yourself, your family, and/or for publication. She is a skilled facilitator with a Masters degree in Adult Learning and 40+ years in creating safe envirionments and intentional workshop experiences. Wiley-Jones is an award-winning travel writer. She has two published books, 1) a coming-of-age travel memoir, and 2) a travel adventure historical novel. Her work other work can be found in national anthologies and local lifestyle magazines. Her motto about life-long learning can be summed up by an E.L. Doctorow quote, "Writing (or learning) is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way." That's true in life, writing, and travel.
Posted in Awe, Circle of Life, Life-narrative

The Circle of Life 2.0 — Predator and Prey

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

AFTER EUTHANIZING MURPHY

I did not expect to return to this subject after writing about it last week, in The Circle of Life: Life and Death. The baby Barn Swallows’ arrival had been a joy, after having put down our sweet sixteen-year-old Shih Tzu, Murphy. The distraction of baby birds turned sadness to contentment.

 

THEN THEY WERE FEEDING

I could observe their daily feedings from my kitchen window. They’ve sprouted a few pin feathers on the top of their heads, making them look like cartoon characters.

MORE OF THEM THAN WE THOUGHT

 

We counted three, then discovered another begging beak. We’d only had clutches of three before.  This created a larger-than-usual family of hungry babies. They appear to be singing in this photo.

FATEFUL MORNING – THE PREDATOR

The parents of the babies were swooping and diving around the porch, in and out, up and down. Rather manic. Since the babies were not showing their heads, I thought, the mama and papa were trying to awake them.

The next time I caught a glimpse of their nest, I saw a large dappled creature. I could NOT imagine a snake had made it to their nest. I opened the front door to check. I indeed saw a snake lounging in the nest and witnessed two baby birds on the porch floor.

Incensed, Lynn grabbed a pole to knock the snake out of the nest. As we prepared to do that, one of the babies on the ground moved. I rescued it so the snake wouldn’t go after it, using utensils, so I didn’t leave my scent on it.

Lynn poked the long pole at the predator. The snake hissed each time Lynn attacked it, until finally the predator took a fall to the ground and slithered off.

Lynn googled how to rescue barn swallows safely. As he researched, I was keeping an eye on the baby. I didn’t want the snake returning to finish the little one off.

While I surveilled the surviving chick, the female Barn Swallow flew around and lit on an emptied Barn Swallow nest that clung to another patio wall. I took that as a sign.

Lynn’s research results told him that Barn Swallows would not reject a baby if handled by humans. We hoped that was true. I transplanted the baby bird to the nest Mama had chosen.

WE SAVED ONE

The Mama came back to the nest and seemed to be bobbing her head into the new home.

Later the porch was quiet. No baby bird chirping for food. No parents swooping in with insects. No life apparent.

I guessed we had failed. We did what we thought were the right things.

Then later in the day we saw both feeding, Mama with a white breast and Papa with a russet breast. The little one was flapping its wings. Chirping for more and more. Deprived for a while this morning and now starving for attention, comfort, and food.

My prayer: May the adult Barn Swallows return again to offer another clutch after this baby fledges.

OBITUARY

August 22, 2026

Our rescued-from-the-ground Barn Swallow led a short and eventful life. A snake invaded the nest. The nestling was the only one of four that survived. After being rehomed to another nest it lived another week. As a fledgling it made its first fearful flight and fell to the ground just below the nest. There were no signs of damage to the creature, just a broken neck. We are saddend to lose this one, but we did what we could.

My prayer still stands: May the adult Barn Swallows return again to offer another clutch this summer.

Posted in Travel Writing

How to Start Travel Writing

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

Travel Opened my Eyes

Travel has opened my heart and my mind. It has taught me to be curious. It has guided me to an openness of other people. To how they live, work, and love differently than we Americans do. For me the world is a kalidiscope of colors, shapes, and landscapes. — Rhonda 

My coming-of-age, travel memoir, At Home in the Worlds: Travel Stories of Growing Up and Growing Away

I loved travel stories, especially those of people living in other countries, who navigated a maze of practical, cultural, and language differences. One day I realized I had stories of my own and paid attention to the call to capture them in a book. Stories that indicated a trajectory of my life. Those stories became my coming-of-age, travel memoir, At Home in the World: Travel Stories of Growing Up and Growing Away. When you read the book, please write a brief review on Amazon.com. 

3 Key Elements of Travel Writing 

When it comes to travel writing, there are several aspects that set it apart. Three key elements contribute to distinctive travel writing:

#1 Personal Travel Perspective

Unlike other forms of writing, this allows an author to share their personal experiences, perspectives, and emotions while or after exploring a particular destination. It goes beyond just describing a place. It also delves into the author’s individual encounters, interactions, and reflections. This personal touch adds depth and authenticity, enabling readers to connect with the writer. The “I” is acceptable, unlike what we learned in high school English. You’re the main character, telling the story from your point of view.

#2: Cultural Exploration through the Senses

The “scent of place.”

Travel writing often entails a deep dive into the destination’s cultural fabric. It involves immersing oneself in the local traditions, customs, cuisines, and ways of life. Through vivid descriptions using all five senses and storytelling, travel writers have the power to transport readers to other corners of the world. It also enables them to experience unfamiliar cultures vicariously. By highlighting unique aspects of a place’s heritage, rituals, and values, travel writing fosters cultural appreciation and understanding. “A sense of place” and all that entails is a central character in travel writing.

#3 The Mindfulness of Travel Reflection

Travel writing, by its very nature, chronicles exciting journeys, thrilling escapades, and discoveries off the beaten path. But it can also be a quiet moment in time or an encounter with someone. The skill of paying attention is the key to reflection. Journal writing or taking notes makes recollection easier. Whether hiking through rugged terrains, navigating bustling markets, or uncovering hidden gems, writers can captivate readers’ imaginations. Learn how to find “the so what?” in your travel journals. You writing can create compelling reading but also inspire readers to embark on their own voyages of self-discovery.

Summing it up

The uniqueness of travel writing lies in its ability to weave personal experiences, use place as a character in your writing, and a sense of reflection on captivating narratives. What did it mean to you?

Through the lens of the writer, readers are transported to fascinating destinations, to immerse themselves in different cultures and gain a fresh perspective on the world. So, regardless the type of traveler you are, travel writing may offer an enriching literary journey that transcends borders and broadens horizons for you the traveler and for your future readers. 

Revise, then Edit

Beyond these three things, there is the same gold standard of good writing that stands the test of time for all publications.

  1. Read Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style, 2025 edition, or On Writing Well by William Zinsser, both classic writing books.
  2. Keep your audience in mind, write for a specific reader to make it easier to focus how you want to tell your story.
  3. Revise the story until it sings, then edit until it is flawless.

 

Posted in Awe, Circle of Life-Life & Death, paying attention

The Circle of Life — Life and Death

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

Each of us can recall the soaring music of composer Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice in “The Circle of Life” written for the Disney movie, The Lion King, when it is simply mentioned.

We hear the crescendo of a piano and symphony, recognize the Zulu beat and chant created by Lebo M., and feel our hearts expand with the message.

We’re All Connected 

We, and not just we humans, but we as in all living beings, including plant and animal, wind and rain, flora and fauna, water and mountain are all connected. At least that’s been my experience this week.

One End of the Circle — the Sad One 

Yesterday, my husband Lynn and I experienced the circle of life come to an end for our Shih Tzu Murphy. You can see our forced smiles in this picture just moments away from putting him down.

He was an old man, 115 years old by human years, if we multipled his age, 16.5 x 7 = 115. He was blind and deaf, tired and achy from arthritis, and weary from a persistent cough due to a collapsing trachea.

MEMORIES

Murphy was a champ for not barking at other dogs penned up behind gates and fences. He was rather arrogant, when he turned his head in the opposite direction from a barking dog, as if to say, “You are not worthy of my attention or response.” He never barked at the golfers that played on the 4th green just out our back yard. Yes, he barked, but not impolitely.

He greeted company at our house with enthusiasm and a sniff at their feet. Then he would settle back to his living room bed (Or throne, should I say?). He never jumped up on guests or begged at the table.

He was good with other dogs on the street. Sniff one end, then the other, then go on his way. We walked with different dogs on the street, sometimes 4-5 of them at a time. He was the elder of the street and perhaps “King.”

Murphy was a very polite little boy, turned old man.

He was active in his younger years. When we’d toss a ball from one of us to another, Murphy would take off in that kind of “running close to the ground” die trying to catch the ball from us.

He tried to chase the squirrels, but darn it all, he couldn’t climb that dog-gone tree. He even took off after a small herd of deer on the golf course one day. I was worried he’d get hit by a soaring golf ball, while he was single-mindedly focused on the white tail of those deer.

But he was a bossy little guy from early on. It took me 2 weeks to potty train our first dog in 1985 but 9 months to train Murph in 2009. As a smart boy, he learned all the commands and would hesitatingly conduct them.

The command that was key to his safety, COME, was the one he refused to honor. He’d plant all 15 pounds of him, as if he had four-wheel braking power, and yank my arm off, if on lease, or sit stubbornly on the other side of the street from me.

Some neighbors called him independent, reluctant, a dog with a mind of his own. I called him, my stubborn little shit. I loved him, but found him more recalcitrant as the years went by.

He has been our little buddy for 16.5  years and we missed him dearly this morning, when he didn’t arrive in the kitchen for his splash of milk and dry food, his trip out to potty and to gain his first treat.

The Other End of the Circle — the Cheerful One

Earlier this summer the barn swallows returned to our house after providing us 3 sets of babies last year after the tragic July 4th, 2025 Guadalupe River flooded here in Kerrville, Texas. Those baby birds gave me solace after the community’s loss of lives and river landscape.

In recent weeks, the barn swallows have built a new nest, laid eggs, and the female has nested deeply in the home they created for their new family. This specie of birds mate, but others also help out. The male and female share the load in varying ways.

A GIFT

Today, 24 hours after we gave up Murphy, the female barn swallow that had roosted deeply in the nest is sitting higher. I see more of her profile.

And then I see her and her mate taking turns depositing nourishment to apparent new baby birds. Their little becks have yet to tower above the side of the nest.

What a gift of nature, of our connectedness to the natural world.

God knew Lynn and I needed something to distract us from the loss of Murphy with the start of new life just outside our kitchen window. We are grateful!

Posted in Creative Writing, journal writing

“To Find the Light” Creative Journal Writing Workshop.3

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

I’ll facilitate a 2-hour workshop, “To Find the Light” Creative Journal Writing from 1:00-3:00 PM on July 4, 2026 at Unity Church of the Hill Country, 1016 Jefferson Street, in Kerrville. I hope you will join me. 

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EXPLORE THREE POWERFUL WRITING EXERCISES

Through guided prompts, personal reflection, and optional group sharing, participants will gain new insights in a welcoming and supportive space.

  • Reflect on life’s challenges
  • Discover the meaning we give those challenges
  • Move toward healing, hope, and light

WHAT PARTICIPANTS HAVE SAID ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP

Amy W. “I loved this class, the only writing I have ever done was the ‘to do list!’ So excited to start this next chapter of journaling through life.”

Liz A. “Thank you, Rhonda. This far exceeded my expectations. You had us traveling on our journaling journey and it was incredibly moving! Thank you.

YOUR FACILITATOR 

You will be in the hands of a skillful facilitator.

I hold a Masters of Adult Learning degree (M.Ed.). As a capable presenter and workshop facilitator with 40+ years of experience helping adult succeed in the workplace, I bring unique abilities to guide participants in meaningful/soulful exercises. You’ll have quiet time to write and group sharing, though sharing is optional. My classroom motto is “we learn with and from each other.” You’ll experience an interactive workshop with as much sharing as you choose to contribute.

Also I’m a local award-winning travel writer, novelist, memoirist. You can learn more about me, my blog, books, and publications on my website: Paying Attention: The Best Investment You’ll Ever Make (in Life, Writing, and Travel).

I look forward to seeing you there.

 

 

Posted in Travel Writing

“To Find the Light” Creative Journal Writing Workshop.2

Posted on by Rhonda Wiley-Jones

I’ll facilitate the following workshop next month.

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Unity Church of the Hill Country, 1016 Jefferson Street, in Kerrville will host a 2-hour workshop, To Find the Light Creative Journal Writing from 1:00-3:00 PM on July 4, 2026 with local author Rhonda Wiley-Jones facilitating.

JOURNAL WRITING EXERCISES 

Journal writing workshopYou will gain insight from guided journal writing to illuminate or uncover your spirit-filled light in spite of or because of life’s challenges or obstacles. Writing activities will address 1) the difficulties of life; 2) the meaning of these times to you personally; and 3) how to search and find the light that guides each of us.

Multiple journaling prompts in each of the three exercises will appeal to different learning styles and personalities, so there is something for everyone.

“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” ― E.L. Doctorow, Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews, 2nd Series

MY FACILITATION STYLE 

I  will guide you in the exercises, allow plenty of quiet time to write, and facilitate group sharing; however, sharing is always optional. My classroom motto is “we learn with and from each other.”

I’ll see your there!

WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS HAVE TO SAY

Shelley B. “Now I’m more interested in journaling. Really enjoyed being able to write again. The prompts were useful and fun.”

Kathleen H.  “The handout gave great guidance. I uncovered many new ideas.”

Diane F. “These workshops have helped me to know and understand myself better.”