When I die, I’ve told my wife, I want them to find me sitting on my riding lawnmower in the back yard. Why? First, it’s a good place to get fresh air and sunshine. Second, it’s about the only place I can find peace and quiet anymore (even with the 4 hp. Briggs and Stratton … More The Creative Side of Mowing Your Lawn
It’s a dangerous life, that of the freelance writer. Not all people can face the daily challenges of getting up every morning, often even before breakfast, and trying to structure a coherent sentence from the muddled mess between your ears. And not only that, but sometimes electronics conspire against you! Knowing how much you depend … More The Blue Screen of Death
As I get older, it becomes easier and easier to see the places in my life that were a turning point. You know, hindsight is 20-20 and all that. What’s interesting about these moments is that when they come, most of the time you don’t recognize them for what they are. Here are the significant … More Moments That Change Us
One of the first tenets that one learns in studying public relations is this: Perception is more important than Reality. In other words, it doesn’t matter how honest, how authoritative, or how sincere you are. If your audience doesn’t believe you, it’s all for naught. You see this all the time in political campaigns. It’s … More If You Can’t Make It, Fake It
Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez. Signet Books. 512 pages. Those of you who have been hanging in there and reading my stuff for a while know that I have a bromance going on with Daniel Suarez. He’s been called the Second Coming of Michael Crichton in the sub-genre of the techno-thriller, but as I have … More Review: “Kill Decision” by Daniel Suarez
Well my fears about getting to my two school presentations this morning turned out to be Much Ado About Nothing. Everything went well. Kids were happy, teachers were happy, and I was elated. Now I am sitting in a IHOP eating a chicken salad and taking my time until my plane flies out of here … More Deep In the Heart of Texas
I love traveling. But I hate traveling for business. Most of the time I just do what I came for, then hole up in my hotel room, just like I am doing now. I miss my family, and when I travel alone, I find myself wishing I had someone to share the trip with. It … More How Can You Be Two Places At Once When You Not Anywhere At All?
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Knopf Books. 352 pages. Ah yes. Another dystopian book. Another flu pandemic that kills 99 percent of the world’s population. Another book where people strive to survive, killing each other in the process. But wait, this book isn’t like the others. It sees the post-dystopian world as poetic, … More Review: “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel
There are two kinds of writers in the world. There are those who are character-driven, and those of us who are plot-driven. Many of my stories are exciting, breathtaking adventures that keep you on the edge of your seat. But I have learned the hard way that, unless the reader cares about what happens to … More How to Care About Your “Care-acters”
There’s an axiom in magazine editing. It goes like this: The first issue is not the hardest one to do. It’s the second issue. Why? Because in our efforts to come up with a slam-bang beginning and get everyone’s attention, we generally end up using most, if not all, of our great ideas. That’s a … More Writing the Second Chapter
