It’s not uncommon in corporate America to be in a meeting and hear the dreaded, “Let’s go around the table and see what everyone thinks.” Soon, an otherwise good idea is watered down or killed by committee because everyone has a say–even those who are anything but experts about the concept or product. I suppose […]
In Between
With the latest novel complete, I’ve hit that in-between stage of things where I became so used to waking up and knowing there was writing to be done. Then, after writing, I woke up knowing there were revisions to be completed. Finally, I did those last tinkering read-throughs, fixing the tiny things nobody may ever […]
First Drafts
I’m not one to make many sweeping proclamations. Anything I write about here always comes with a sense of, “This is just what works for me, and if it helps others: great!” Like any kind of advice, writing advice can be a hit for some and a miss for others. One thing I see touted […]
Reading for Pleasure
It’s a strange thing, reading a novel you’ve put years into making something once only imagined. In your head, you have this vision, and while every writer works differently, I think we all work until that vision becomes a solid shape we know is right for the story. Getting there can take time for some. […]
Standing at the End of Another Year
And so we close the door on 2018… We’ve all seen more than our fair share of year-end lists, I’m sure. I won’t add to that. Instead, I’ll just say this: During a time when layoffs at work resulted in me taking on another writer’s job, I swore to myself, “I will not work overtime […]
Fast Fiction
Around Christmas, 2017 — I released an episode of my fiction podcast in which I shared a handful of very short fiction, instead of the usual single story for the episode. This year, I continued that tradition, releasing three stories last Sunday. With the rush of year-end work, polishing a novel, and a general busy […]
In this Waking Light
I usually go to bed at a decent time and sleep through the night. But there comes a point near the end of a draft of a novel when my sleep pattern changes. My sleep also changes with the seasons. I think one of the many reasons I prefer autumn and winter to spring and […]
A Nice Week
Last week was Thanksgiving in the United States. Because many companies give employees Thursday and Friday off, I usually add to the days and arrange to have the entire week off. Last week was one of the best weeks I can remember. It’s not that we went anywhere special or did spectacular things. Rather, we […]
Before and After
I’ve seen many would-be writers read a favorite author’s work, throw up their hands, and say, “I give up!” Comparing your own rough work to your favorite author’s best work — work rewritten many times at the guidance of friends and agents and editors and proofreaders — is a sure-fire way to feel inferior. I’ve […]
Diving In
Today I started diving into the novel. I’ve obviously read much of it along the way, but there are parts I’ve only written that have not yet been read. This will be the first time I read the latest novel as a whole thing. Remembering… It’s always a good sign when you get back to […]
A Return to Noise
Tomorrow I return to the noise of social media. Every time I take a break, I miss much less than I loathe, but what I miss — I really miss: chatting with friends in other cities, states, and countries; seeing friends share big news; seeing friends sharing little things. (I am not one who comes […]
Greener Fields
James Rebanks’s book, The Shepherd’s Life, chronicles the life of a modern Scottish shepherd. I’ve seen it described as a book about doing very hard work to avoid simply working hard (i.e. working the land vs. having a busy day job in an office). There’s a bit in the introduction about this, and how some […]
The End (But Not the End)
I could have finished the novel yesterday, but I opted to hang out with my wife in the afternoon, instead. People who live with writers are often better than the writers they support (and I do have a strong self-image…it’s just that my wife is rather badass!). In the last month or so, my wife […]
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