Career Day

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

In Search of Intimacy

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

Getting Paid

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

Does God Do Magic?

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” –Arthur C. Clarke   With input from my fellow writers in the Rough Writers, our campus creative writing club, I have been talking about magic and science, fantasy and science fiction, and how one can and should relate to it. I have already expressed my bias against … More Does God Do Magic?

Baby Steps

For those who have been reading my blog on a regular basis, you probably know that I have been struggling with a form of writer’s block. I have said many times that the way to deal with writer’s block is to recharge your batteries by reading and watching movies, always watching for technique and ideas. … More Baby Steps