Failing to Win – A NaNoWriMo Tale

What you are about to read may upset you or at the least, annoy you. I get that. I'm ok with it. If you are the kind who is very strict about the rules of a thing, I am about to discuss something that is counter-intuitive, given the nature of the thing being discussed. I …

Failure to Communicate

Happy to have found this cool little kid back ready to kick it in the arse! If asked what my favorite movie of all time is (or alternately, what I think one of the best movies is), my answer always goes to "Cool Hand Luke." It's a 1967 Paul Newman classic and if you haven't …

Fearlessly the Idiot Faced the Crowd

Shifting from One of These Days....to today. Those of you that know me may know that I'm a fan of Pink Floyd. Well, I suppose now those who don't really know me also know that I'm a Pink Floyd fan. I never got to see them in concert (please don't bring that up around my …

Of Broken Hearts and LEGOs

If you came to this post via my Amazon Author Page, I'm going just apologize in advance. You may have been looking for some insight into how I come up with the stories I write or, if you are like my daughter and some friends, you may be looking for information about when I am …

Writers Block, POV, and the Opposite of Marginalized

March 21st is the release date of my next story, "Known Side Effects Include." This was one of the harder pieces I've written, and challenged me in ways I didn't quite expect when I signed up for the set. Set? Oh, yes. The short story is going to appear in an anthology that's out next …

Of Crosswords and Caffeine

It is almost 11PM on a school night, which simply means one of two things. One - I have to work tomorrow. Two - I have been up since 5:30-ish this morning...so...what's that...carry the one...something like 18 hours? Yeah. I went to bed at a decent time last night, 10:45. That is generally early from …

A Chip Off the Block

There are few topics of discussion off-limits to most writers when it comes to craft. There are several, however, that spark some passionate replies and opinions. One of these is the question of whether someone is a "Plotter," a "Pantser," or some weird hybrid of the two known as a "Plantser." For the record, when …

The Internet Lies and Baking Wore Me Out

Or rather, Pinterest does. OK, OK, I guess 'lies' might be a bit strong. In a perfect world, of course you can follow the directions listed on Pinterest or some recipe site and get your cookies to look exactly like theirs. Happens all the time, right? Sure. At least I'm sure it does, for someone. …

18 Clocks and a Remarkable Life Lived

Gramps was able to see places in the world that most only dream of. Apologies, readers and friends, if I haven't been my usually bubbly self on the book of face and other media of the social variety. To be honest, the last 23 hours have been an emotional roller coaster. Saturday morning was incredible. …

Getting Older and Giving Thanks

It's Thursday and it's the only Pandemic-Thanksgiving I've lived in my short 49 years on this planet. I'm sitting in a kitchen that is not in my house, but in a house that still feels like home to me. Today is a day when families in the United States traditionally gather and eat too much …