May was a month for some big changes. I not only started a new job on May 1, but it was also the day I started working on the new book. The new book is the second book in a three-book series about a girl born in a circus in 1923 — and her rise […]
Seventh Annual Writing Retreat
On May 19, a friend and I headed to East Texas for the seventh annual writing retreat. It was a return to the location of year five’s retreat: Daingerfield State Park. Upon arrival, we realized Texas State Parks no longer provide bedding and towels, so…being in the middle of nowhere meant a bit of a […]
The View Up There
We didn’t mean to go hiking Monday morning, but that’s what we did. Me, without water, and my friend Deacon with his Iron Man/Captain America mug full of coffee. We meant to just walk down to the lake near the cabin we rented for the annual writing retreat. (Full report on the retreat coming soon…) […]
Retreating to Daingerfield State Park
It’s spring in Texas. That means allergies and storms are common and oppressive heat is right around the corner… Waiting… (With a hot knife…) But it also means it’s time for the annual writing retreat! (Woohoo!!!) Daingerfield State Park This is not the first retreat at Daingerfield State Park. And I suspect it won’t be […]
The Problem with Writing Historical Fiction
The novel I finished late last autumn takes place from 1923 – 1941. It is the first of several novels chronicling the protagonist’s life. I’ve started working on the second novel and…I ran into a problem. The Best Laid Plans… I planned to have a major character do a certain thing in the beginning of […]
Things Fall Away
The new job comes with an actual commute, a thing I’ve not had to contend with for years. I’ve worked from home more than in the office for the last seven years. When I did go into the office…the office was less than five miles away. Now, depending on the time, traffic, and the route […]
A New Job
I am the sole provider of income in our household. I pay the bills as a technical writer. Last Friday, I left the job I had for six years, nine months, and twenty-three days. It’s the longest job I’ve ever had. I start a new job this Wednesday. Changes I think about what I’m giving […]
The Best Things About Bookstores
Max Joseph makes movies. Sometimes they are short things built around an idea that sticks in his head — and other times he digs into something deeper. His latest movie/mini-documentary is about bookstores and what it means to slow down to read in a hurried world. (Video at the end of this entry.) My First […]
We All Trade for Something
A friend who has been very busy with some bigger things life has thrown their way in recent years is finally taking a deep breath and sitting down to write. They recently asked me a couple questions and gave me a compliment that made me smile: I want to be more like you when I […]
The Benefits of Not Writing
There is a point between bigger projects when I decide to not actively write. It is a time to gather pieces of the next bigger story; it is a time to let new ideas bubble up. The Rush When I chat with people about their day jobs — whether they work outside, in warehouses, or […]
Gathering the Pieces
Before I became a technical writer, I was a billing analyst. The best thing about the job was having constant access to adding machines with long rolls of paper. (Although my wife would disagree…more on that in a moment…) If I had a thought about a story at work, I wrote it on adding machine […]
A Brief Spring
There is a brief time in North Texas when the world is crisp and green. If you ignore all the allergens, you can kid yourself you live in paradise. But as quickly as spring arrives, it gives way to Texas heat. The seasons affect my writing schedule. While most people I know are excited for […]
On Criticism
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 […]
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