Last week I wrote you about the trauma involved in losing Cooper, my dog of 13 years. He was a good dog and was my companion in many activities throughout the years. He will be missed. A few days later, my daughter Melissa came to stay with us. She lives in Denton, Texas, about 1 … More The Replacement (at least he thinks he is!)
If you’re like me, you’re sequestered in your house, waiting out this whole coronavirus scare like it’s some giant snowstorm that has blanketed the whole world. Wait and see, wait and see. It’s easy to be caught up in what we can’t do, where we can’t be, and who we can’t be with. But having … More What are you grateful for?
In our very expansive backyard, we have a section of lawn that has been designated a pet cemetary. We own two acres and have lived here for 22 years, so not only do we have the space, but over the years, we have accumulated quite a few plots for family pets. I’ve meant to write … More Pet Cemetery
I love books. I love writing them. And that’s because I love reading them. When I was a kid in elementary school, my bicycle ride to and from school took me right by the public library. Sometimes I would get in trouble because I didn’t come home. Instead, my mother would find my in the … More (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
I want to tell you about the third time I fell in love. It was on Feb. 26, 1982. Her name was Melissa. I wasn’t a stranger to the operating room. I worked at Hinsdale Hospital in Illinois and often took photos there. But today was special. When Melissa came into the room, it was … More The Other Woman
I’m a top writer on Quora. You know: that website where you can get your questions answered or can go on and answer other people’s questions. I spend a lot of time there answering questions about writing, which makes sense, since I teach it at the university level. One of the questions that pops up … More The Problem with Great Ideas
There are two typical ways of starting to writing a book. The classic way that people envision–and the way I actually started–writing books is you sit down at a desk with a laptop (or a typewriter, since I started in the Stone Age), and just start typing. The words flow from your psyche and you … More Logistics: Getting from Point A to Anywhere Else
Shelly and I are spending the Memorial Day weekend in a traditional pursuit that many of you can probably relate to. We are holding a yard sale. We emptied out our camping shed with all the stuff we put there when we moved from Idaho 21 years ago. We’ve emptied out our son’s and our … More A Rose By Any Other Name… Is Still Marketing
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”
LOVE IS A LIFETIME Young people don’t know What love is. They think they know But what they see is passion, or the shadow of love Or the promise of love. Passion is a pinch of black powder set off with a match. It’s there and it’s gone. It doesn’t depend on anything … More In Honor of Valentine’s Day
