Okay, I’ll admit it. I have stress dreams. For many years, my stress dream was the same as everyone else’s. The typical one of showing up in a public place, usually in class, or at work, or at church, in my underwear or with even less on. And what’s interesting is that that dream is … More Stress Dreams
Like most of my short stories, this one is based loosely on a dream. It was an ordinary police station, for the most part. The main desk where the sergeant usually sat was situated front and center, with half a dozen desks organized carefully in rows behind. Glass partitions separated a few, more private areas, … More Short Story: “The Night King”
I started off writing poetry a long time ago, and once in a blue moon something strikes me that calls for a poem. Poetry is good for stirring up our descriptive abilities, so there’s that. Anyway, this comes from a dream I had about a month ago. Enjoy. CARIBOU White snow, white fog, white … More Poem: “Caribou”
This is graduation weekend, and this morning I sat on the stage, looking out on students I have been teaching (and trying to teach) for the past four years, as well as their parents. In addition, I am bumping into recent graduates who are here because younger siblings are finally getting their diplomas. Some are … More It’s Not About How Good You Are
Today, is November 30, the last day of National Novel Writing Month. I’m supposed to be completing my 50,000-word novel today, but I probably have 14,000 words written on Tesla’s Ghost this month. Instead, I am philosophical about it. I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo, not because I had anything to prove–I’ve won five times … More Grateful
I’m back in the office. My summer is over with, voluntarily. I’m thinking that I could use the extra time to get ready for the class I’ll be teaching this fall, but I’m also hoping that the time in the office will force me to get back into writing Tesla’s Ghost. The other motivator came … More A Rose By Any Other Name
I’ve been asked what the hardest part of writing a novel is, and my answer tends to be directly related to how well my novel-building is going at the time. My dad used to have a saying: “Some days you eat the bear, and some days the bear eats you.” Some books come together quickly … More Brick By Brick
I had my usual dream last night. Of course, when you’re dreaming, everything is real. It’s not only real, in fact, it’s common sense. It’s very obvious that if I only concentrate I can raise myself off the floor and float free in the air. Levitation. I’ve had the dream for years in various forms, but … More The Art of Levitation
There are moments, events that stick with you. Moments that you will never forget, that you can remember as if they had just happened. I remember holding my son for the first time. I remember giving my daughter her first bath. I remember giving my wife our first kiss. I know I talk about how … More That Perfect Moment
No, I am not talking about literal messages from beyond the grave. But for you to really understand what I am talking about, I have to back up. My father died in 1993. Of those of us who are still alive, I suspect I knew him (arguably) better than anyone else. It was the usual … More Advice from My (Dead) Father
The Great Adventure 