I finished a story for the next episode of Not About Lumberjacks on Wednesday. My wife read it yesterday and came back to the office to tell me she finished it. She liked it quite a bit, which is always good. (Especially because I wasn’t sure how this one would sit with her.) And then […]
Year Seven
Seven years ago, I was working for an aviation consulting firm. I was regularly traveling to Oregon, helping a client take over my job. (I also traveled to Washington and Georgia (for two months) with that job.) On December 17th of that year — shortly before Christmas — I was laid off after the company […]
Is Writing Hard Work
For me, Labor Day weekend is usually three days of writing. This Labor Day weekend, canoeing got in the way — and I’d be foolish to complain about that. Yesterday morning, I ate breakfast on a small island inhabited by only my wife and me. There’s nothing bad about that! (Or heading out Friday to […]
Off to a Good Start
We all have our seasons. For me, there’s something about the time from September and all the way into April that is wonderful. Specifically, though, the next three months are usually my best writing months. Mornings are dark, meaning quiet time as people sleep longer and the world stays hushed just a little longer than […]
LitHub Interview with Ann Patchett
A bit of time yesterday morning was spent reading this interview with Ann Patchett on LitHub. Patchett’s Bel Canto hooked me with how complex it is in its simplicity, and her essays are some of the best I’ve ever read. She’s so understated — and perhaps because of that, she’s massive. Next month, Patchett’s next […]
Remembering the Right Paths
One of the most difficult things I found to do during my first forays into social media breaks was rewiring the pathways in my brain during quiet moments at work and in life. Get up to make tea at work and check email, social media feeds, and things like that while tea steeps. Picking up […]
Change is in the Air
We will see more 100-degree days in Texas, no matter how many people say, “The hot weather’s done for the year!” while looking at thermometers reading 97 degrees. But it is that time of year when things seem to change. I suppose the biggest change for me is, after four years with the big department […]
Wading In
Growing up in northern Illinois, I was never far from a lake. I could stand on the shore and guess what I’d feel stepping into the water: slimy tree branches, rocks, and fish. After stepping on glass a couple times, I added glass to that list. Later: fishhooks, rope, and plants waiting to wrap around […]
The August Hush
My friend Tom Wideman dubbed it the September Silence…at least I think that’s how it got its name. It’s that time of the year when I log out of all social media (not just Facebook) for a month. (And yes, I realize it’s not yet September. And…I may stay away longer…dunno if I’ll beat the […]
Of Ups and Downs
My wife and I don’t watch much television…at least in a traditional sense. Oh, sure — yesterday it was cloudy (and not a bazillion-and-seventy-two degrees outside), and we wanted to watch something soothing. We ended up watching a few episodes of Ask This Old House. A couple weekends ago, we consumed Stranger Things in two […]
The Importance of the Inbetween
One of the first things I read this morning was this Greg Ruth post on the Muddy Colors blog. A self-professed workaholic writing about realizing how important the unseen work that happens when we’re not “working” is a great way to begin a busy day. It’s often during those inbetween moments that some of the […]
Finding Your Way In The Dark
I’ve met many people who talk about the stories they want to write, but never actually write them. And why not? Once you’ve regaled a group with your brilliant ideas fleshed out enough to something with a vague structure, the satisfaction of telling a story is there. (Why spend years writing a novel when you […]
Shedding Ice
Growing up, I thought Sherlock Holmes knew everything. Later, when I read the stories, I was amazed to find out that he had no desire to carry anything in his head that was not needed. He forgot much of what he knew in order to not crowd his thoughts. He let the things he never […]
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