Well, after last week’s last blog, the obvious question is, How goes NaNoWriMo? In one word, slow. Because I am working on a book I already started, I dropped 14,000 words in on the first day of NaNoWriMo, and have since added about 6500 words. That’s not too bad, considering that today is only Day … More Slow and steady wins the…something
Today is the last day of October, and tomorrow morning marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month. For those who know NaNoWriMo, you’re know what’s going through my mind right now. Anticipation. Excitement. Wonder if I am making a terrible mistake. It’s a major commitment of time, energy and patience–both of you and those … More Last gasp. NaNoWriMo, here I come!
It’s a good news, bad news scenario. First the good news. I finally am making time for writing–my writing, the stuff that ruminates in the back of my mind when I am busy doing other stuff here at the University. When I am writing articles for Southwestern Spirit magazine, playing webmaster, teaching classes or sitting … More Over the Hump
I’m under the weather today. Body aches, tired, etc. I could blame it on a lot of things–getting older for one. My wife try to get up at 5 each morning with the intention of exercising, but for one reason or another it doesn’t always happen. We chose 5 because she works in Fort Worth, … More Garbage in, garbage out
It was my turn to get up with the dogs, so when they started barking at 7 a.m. on a Sunday–which is actually sleeping in–I rolled out of bed, threw my grubbies on and got up to feed them. After that, I propped the back door open and went into the study to do my … More Finding a Safe Place to Die
From a marketing standpoint, success in any endeavor where you’re selling a commodity is primarily a matter of linking the right audience or customer with the right product. There are two ways to do this. One way is to develop a product and then find someone to buy it. The plus of this is that … More Finding Your Audience
Years ago, back in the Stone Age, I used to write music. I started while I was a student in Austria, namely because I had access to my roommate’s guitar (without his permission) and no access to a radio. Later, when I was back in the U.S., I kept it up and formed a Christian … More Just the Right Words
I just got finished watching “A Thousand Words,” a movie featuring Eddie Murphy. The story is about a book agent who develops a psychic connection to a mysterious tree. He discovers that for every word that he says–or even writes–a leaf falls from the tree. He determines–with the help of a holy man–that when the … More A Thousand Words
Week six in my Drama Writing class, and we are making the transition from stage play writing to screenplay writing. As I have said from the very beginning, we are blessed with two great textbooks, and I am learning a lot not only about scriptwriting, but about novel writing as well. One of the words … More How Spectacular Are You?
“This above all: to thine own self be true.” –William Shakespeare I suffered through the typical teenage years. I was pretty insecure about who I was, and was eager to be accepted into “the inner circle.” And so I was constantly trying to reinvent myself. One week I would go for the cool surfer look … More The Trap of Reinvention
The Great Adventure 