There's a trick to grinding spices in the mortar with a pestle. You don't actually want to use much pressure, at least not with marble, which is what I am using. Just let the weight of the pestle do the work, and rub downward into the bowl. Every so often I tip the mortar a... Continue Reading →
The Solitary Writer
And other popular myths. I am certain that there are people who exist, and write best, firmly avoiding any contact with their fellow human. I have doubts about the kind of writing they might produce. I mean, who can write a fully developed character who isn't themselves (and no, I don't mean a Mary Sue)... Continue Reading →
What’s in a Name?
Most weeks I don't have a lot of time to read. At least, that's been the case recently. Work, life, writing. The writing is a very good thing. Ok, all of it is good. Reading has been ranking way down there, I'm afraid. I've fit in a fair amount of research reading, and one pleasure... Continue Reading →
Watching Anime: A Study in Story
This holiday I managed to find myself with one kid at home. Two of my daughters are up at college - one in her dorm, the other visiting - one is with her grandmothers, and my son is at home. He's blissfully pretending that he's an only kid for four days, and for the baby,... Continue Reading →
Predictable Behaviour
As we learn to write, one of the greatest tools, and conversely, the most crippling failing, can be the understanding that humans are predictable. It can be very easy to predict that a man and a woman pushed into close proximity with, say, one of them in the role of taking care of the other... Continue Reading →
Conversations
I've had a series of conversations I took part in this week, and in them answered, or helped answer, some questions that I thought applicable enough to repeat them here. Writing, publishing, cover art... it's all fodder for the blog, right? I had a conversation the other day with a friend who is also a... Continue Reading →