Friday mornings mean the arrival of Austin Kleon's weekly newsletter -- one of the few I subscribe to. This week, he linked to this piece by Cal Newport. If you don't feel like following the link, it's an article about how some people deemed big in … [Continue reading]
I finished a story for the next episode of Not About Lumberjacks on Wednesday. My wife read it yesterday and came back to the office to tell me she finished it. She liked it quite a bit, which is always good. (Especially because I wasn't sure how … [Continue reading]
Seven years ago, I was working for an aviation consulting firm. I was regularly traveling to Oregon, helping a client take over my job. (I also traveled to Washington and Georgia (for two months) with that job.) On December 17th of that year -- … [Continue reading]
For me, Labor Day weekend is usually three days of writing. This Labor Day weekend, canoeing got in the way -- and I'd be foolish to complain about that. Yesterday morning, I ate breakfast on a small island inhabited by only my wife and … [Continue reading]
We all have our seasons. For me, there's something about the time from September and all the way into April that is wonderful. Specifically, though, the next three months are usually my best writing months. Mornings are dark, meaning quiet time as … [Continue reading]
A bit of time yesterday morning was spent reading this interview with Ann Patchett on LitHub. Patchett's Bel Canto hooked me with how complex it is in its simplicity, and her essays are some of the best I've ever read. She's so understated -- and … [Continue reading]
One of the most difficult things I found to do during my first forays into social media breaks was rewiring the pathways in my brain during quiet moments at work and in life. Get up to make tea at work and check email, social media feeds, and … [Continue reading]
We will see more 100-degree days in Texas, no matter how many people say, "The hot weather's done for the year!" while looking at thermometers reading 97 degrees. But it is that time of year when things seem to change. I suppose the biggest … [Continue reading]
Growing up in northern Illinois, I was never far from a lake. I could stand on the shore and guess what I'd feel stepping into the water: slimy tree branches, rocks, and fish. After stepping on glass a couple times, I added glass to that list. … [Continue reading]
My friend Tom Wideman dubbed it the September Silence...at least I think that's how it got its name. It's that time of the year when I log out of all social media (not just Facebook) for a month. (And yes, I realize it's not yet September. And...I … [Continue reading]
My wife and I don't watch much television...at least in a traditional sense. Oh, sure -- yesterday it was cloudy (and not a bazillion-and-seventy-two degrees outside), and we wanted to watch something soothing. We ended up watching a few episodes … [Continue reading]
One of the first things I read this morning was this Greg Ruth post on the Muddy Colors blog. A self-professed workaholic writing about realizing how important the unseen work that happens when we're not "working" is a great way to begin a busy … [Continue reading]
I've met many people who talk about the stories they want to write, but never actually write them. And why not? Once you've regaled a group with your brilliant ideas fleshed out enough to something with a vague structure, the satisfaction of … [Continue reading]