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
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
Today’s blog raises a question that I don’t have an answer for. As I continue to write, I am gravitating toward more complex plots and multiple characters, what TV often calls “ensemble casts.” The advantage for writers and readers both is that you can have multiple subplots going on at the same time. The disadvantage … More Pleased to Meet You, Let Me Introduce Myself
About a year ago, I had a friend ask, “How many books have you written?” My response was, “Written? Or published?” Because anyone who writes knows that there are hits and misses. There are great books, there are bad books, and there are books that should never see the light of day. The first book … More You’ve Got to Start Somewhere
It’s the first official day of the week of Spring Break. There are a lot of fun things I could be doing, including working on my new book, Salome’s Charger, which is being adeptly co-authored by Celeste Perrino-Walker. I could even be playing Lord of the Rings Online, or watching another rerun of Glee. Instead, … More Hurry Up and Wait
LOL. I finally have time to think. Spring Break is upon us–and by us I mean students and faculty at our school–and it’s just in time. Everyone I know is welcome for the break, but we are also thinking about the mound of work that we are leaving behind, and which will be even larger … More Thoughts from the Hallway
The Great Adventure 