I just got back from Career Day at Chisholm Trail Academy, and one of the decisions I made early on was to be frank and honest with them about writing as a career. I focused on three words for success as a writer: Tenacity, Versatility, Dependability. You have to want it enough to persevere through … More We are the 99 percent
I am off in less than an hour to the local high school to talk for Career Day. They want me to talk about being a novelist; I think because it is “career” day, I will talk to them about being a writer instead. I have wanted to be a writer my whole life, and … More Career Day
The Atlantis Gene: A Thriller (The Origin Mystery, Book 1) by A. G. Riddle. 452 pages. What drew to me this book was the premise. What kept me going in the book was the action, complete with multiple twists and turns. The Atlantis Gene is a first novel for A. G. Riddle, but it is … More Review: “The Atlantis Gene” by A.G. Riddle
My students have gotten used to the silent treatment that I have been giving them on and off for the past three weeks. You see, I have a bad case of laryngitis. My wife got a bug, then I got it, then she got it again, then I got it again. In hopes that we … More Giving the World the Silent Treatment
Last night I had yet another confirmation as to why I am an indie book author. For those of you who don’t know, I started out as a book and magazine editor and published with two traditional publishing houses, starting in the 1980s and continuing until about 2000. Two of my six books in those … More Twenty Seven Dollars
The following is the result of an exercise on intimacy that my Narrative Writing class did this morning. I felt it was only fair that I participate in it as well. We sit on the back porch, he and I, facing the setting sun. And the irony of it does not escape me. His face … More “Sunset”
It is my privilege to teach writing in a university, something I thoroughly enjoy. This semester I am teaching a class called Narrative Writing, which is a lot of fun. We have 10 students who take turns submitting their short stories (at this point; novel pages later) for critique by the class. It’s tough to … More In Search of Intimacy
A hot cup of coffee cures a lot of ills, but not everything. It can start your day, it can calm your nerves, it can wake you up. But it can’t make you any more attractive than God created you. I thought about that as I stared at the ugly, old man sitting handcuffed in … More “Rules of Engagement”
A few years ago, I can’t remember how many, I wrote a blog about visiting my daughter’s high school in east Texas, where I was the guest of their creative writing club. Seven girls and one boy grilled me about the harsh reality of being a freelance author. Finally, one of them asked me, “How … More Getting Paid
Stephen Baxter is one of those science fiction writers with the background (mathematics) to back it up. He writes what some might call “hard” science fiction, putting a lot more emphasis on the science than on the fiction. And that’s OK. I only state that to give you a heads up for what to expect. … More Review: “The Time Ships” by Stephen Baxter
The Great Adventure 