I write to you from a hotel just outside my nation's Capitol, dear readers. As part of my son's education, we arranged with his aunt, my sister, to meet here and tour the many sites and memorials herein. The plunge back in time began Friday morning, with some time spent in the forests and fields... Continue Reading →
Amazon Panic AGAIN
I was going to write something completely different -- sorry Phantom, again -- but last night just before I went to bed I saw the beginnings of another Amazon panic. Again. Look, I understand this. We're dependent on and at the mercy of Amazon, and the more money we make, the more we fear... Continue Reading →
Oops! Fifth Friday, and No One has a Post!
So put up a link to your books in the comments. I'll start with the first book in a series, and the most recent.
I is disgraced
I have committed a terrible sin against her royal highness Princess Buttercup. I closed a door and she was on the other side of it. She has been informing me of my sins for the last ten minutes or so. If you couldn't guess, this is a household where the feline rules. The "no doors"... Continue Reading →
To Re-Write, Re-Cast or Re-Vise, that is the Question
Almost every writer runs into this sooner or later: you start with great hopes, the story is bowling along. And then either it stops dead and you're not sure why. (And you can't get past, even if you want to.) OR and this is arguably worse, you finish the book, but it feels so... Continue Reading →
Lay of the Land
I love my people. And there are six adults, two children, and a malamute in my house right now, and I’m losing my mind just a shred or two faster than I would otherwise. Our neck of the woods starts school later than many others, and so Wee Dave and Wee-er Dave won’t be starting... Continue Reading →
Don’t Be A Jackass
Last week, Sarah wrote about status, achievement and diplomacy. I'll admit, she was much nicer about it than I would have been. It is something she and I have talked about a great deal over the years of our acquaintance. The discussions usually begin with something along the lines of "Can you believe. . .... Continue Reading →
Curry
I’ve just had my version of a hot curry. Now, every single Indian friend of mine just fell off their chair laughing. My Bangladeshi friend I am sure is rolling on the floor. Because honestly, their reaction to it would probably be something like: “Be quite tasty if it had any chili in it.” Or... Continue Reading →
Unraveling the story
This one's not a how-to; this one's a request for help. Have you ever put down something you blocked hard on, only to pick it up months or years later, and go "Oh! That's where it went wrong! ...well, and there, too. And I could have done that better. And that's not quite right... I... Continue Reading →
Award Winning!
The Mad Genius Club has been awarded with a Neffy. I realize I may be biased, but as I sit here and contemplate the folks who write for this site - I am the least of them - I think it's well-deserved. For over a decade, over four thousand posts, this blog has existed to... Continue Reading →