One of my favorite novels (probably my favorite novel of all novels I've read) is Robert Olmstead's A Trail of Heart's Blood Wherever We Go. It is quirky, yet so normal. It's lean in its writing, even though at times -- admittedly -- it goes on a bit … [Continue reading]
For me, September is my writing new year. There's just something about the arrival of the month that turns summer into fall that I love. Even though it stays hot in Texas into late October or early November, September is when it seems like I get a … [Continue reading]
Growing up, it was never lost on me how fortunate I was to have the women in my life who helped me become the man I am today. In some cases, the women were authors I'd never know: women who'd written books that floored me and gave me a different … [Continue reading]
Life Changed in 1979 I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else. — Gary Gygax Chris Bichler opened the door for me in 1979, when I was in … [Continue reading]
Last weekend, it was back into the woods of East Texas for the annual writing retreat. This year, a friend and I spent a few days in Daingerfield State Park. My wife and I went to the park for her birthday last October. (Photos for those who want … [Continue reading]
In two and a half weeks, I will be writing at a very spartan table on a very hard wooden chair. For a long weekend, I'll be writing in silence in a cabin in East Texas, seated across from a best friend, while he does the same. This year marks the … [Continue reading]
It's been a month since I posted something, here... That usually means I'm swamped with day job work or...that I'm writing what I'd rather be writing. I'm pleased to say it's the latter... The Timeline The current book is the first of … [Continue reading]
In junior high I was pulled out of several normal classes and put into L.D. L.D. stood for "learning disability." (Seriously, that's what they called it!) I was not a permanent resident like some students, but it was enough of an embarrassment … [Continue reading]
I slept in this morning. I looked at the clock around 4:30 and thought, "Up now, or another hour of sleep?" I opted for another hour. I did the same thing at 5:30. (I like getting up between 5:00 and 5:30 to write on days I work from … [Continue reading]
I've been thinking quite a bit, lately, about how I work; or, as the case may be, sometimes don't work. Sure, I get plenty of things done. I always finish tasks at my day job, and I've done a weekly podcast for 4 years without missing an episode. … [Continue reading]
The most recent story on Not about Lumberjacks was written as a gift for a friend. If you have 6 minutes and want to listen to how the story came to be, go here. If not, here's the quick version: a good friend in a writing group I was once in rolled … [Continue reading]
Earlier, I read this review of the movie Paterson. (There are spoilers for the movie contained within, and I suppose I should mention that because of that, there are spoilers in this blog entry about the review. Hell, I spoil the end of the review in … [Continue reading]
I've mentioned many times that artists inspire the way I look at writing as much as other writers. One of my favorite art blogs is Muddy Colors, where I'll stop what I'm doing in the morning to read whatever Greg Ruth writes about and … [Continue reading]