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 day. It’s often during those inbetween moments that some of the […]
Shedding Ice
Growing up, I thought Sherlock Holmes knew everything. Later, when I read the stories, I was amazed to find out that he had no desire to carry anything in his head that was not needed. He forgot much of what he knew in order to not crowd his thoughts. He let the things he never […]
The Drawbacks of a Crowded Head
When I left work for the weekend, a coworker mentioned a remote teammate (in Ireland) and their 3-week vacation. No sooner than it was mentioned, someone nearby said this: I couldn’t do that. All I’d think about the whole time is all the email and other things I’d return to. I dread being away for […]
My Pursuit of Silence
Over the weekend, I finally got around to watching In Pursuit of Silence. (It was something I backed on Kickstarter, and I’m happy to see it getting attention.) If you follow this blog with any regularity, you know I have a strong appreciation for solitude and silence. So on a quiet Saturday evening, I sat […]
In Stillness
In stillness there is a power louder than thunder. In stillness is an opposition to life’s hurried pace. In stillness, many great things are done. I’m not an all-or-nothing kind of person who believes that things must be done only one way — and that all other ways of doing things are wrong. If someone […]
Intense Focus
One of the best ways to begin a new week is by reading Jack Cheng letters distributed through his newsletter. I love the way he looks at things and, even more, how he puts his thoughts and experiences to words. I have yet to read a weak letter, and some of the things he’s written […]
Been a Long Time for a Short Story
I can’t remember the last time I finished a short story. In recent years, it’s been all about finishing novels. That changed yesterday. I Think I Remember How to Do This While I have a decent backlog of short stories for the Not About Lumberjacks podcast, I know I need to start writing new stories […]
Looking Ahead (To 2016)
Earlier this month, I talked about how much I like winter because it’s dark and quiet. At the same time, there’s a brightness under it all when a new year rolls around. I suppose it’s natural to kick off a new year with enthusiasm. Plans are made, and you want to shoot off from the […]
This Week’s Prometheus Moment
Every so often, I come across something that makes a certain facet of life feel like it goes from darkness to light. Occasionally it’s something large (bordering on epiphany), but most times it’s something smaller. Even smaller things, though, can seem big when a certain problem is solved or a new way of looking at […]
The Time You Work
It’s pretty easy to go online and find articles saying that if you get up early, you’re better off than those who stay up late. (I started writing this at 4:18 a.m. on a Saturday morning.) It’s also pretty easy to go online and find articles saying that if you stay up late, your brain […]
Retreating (Part Three)
The third writing retreat has been set up. We planned to return to East Texas (a different state park than last year’s retreat), but it was full (and last year’s site is booked into later May and currently flooded in spots). So this year is a return to where we went for our first writing […]
The Power of Having a Deadline
Every week, I load a new podcast to meningorillasuits.com. (Sometimes [most times] I load episodes before the Thursday deadline Shawn Kupfer and I decided on when we started.) In 106 weeks since starting, we have never missed a deadline. In these past 106 weeks, I’ve never found myself with reason to be bored — because […]
Writing While Sick
I wrote the first draft of my second novel while sick. I didn’t know at the time that I had a 2.2cm pituitary tumor growing in my head. I was going blind in my right eye, but I kept writing. I’ve always written while sick; after all, if I wrote full time, I wouldn’t have […]