"Write drunk, edit sober." Most people would attribute this to Ernest Hemingway. They'd also be wrong. There's no evidence the celebrated author ever said this. In fact, it may actually be the creation of author Peter De Vries, who wrote in his 1964 novel “Reuben, Reuben”: “Sometimes I write drunk and revise sober,” he had… Continue reading Write Drunk
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day here in the U.S. In honor of his memory, I'm providing a link to one of my favorite essays of his, Letter from Birmingham Jail. Regardless of your personal politics, religious affiliation, race, gender, or sexual identity, Dr. King's words in this essay should speak to you. Please,… Continue reading Letter from Birmingham Jail
Prometheus Project Podcast, Ep 21, is available!
The latest episode of my creativity podcast is now live. For this episode, I talk about how easy it is for our output to be overlooked like a drop of water in the ocean. But there's no reason to feel bad about it. There is a bright side if you look at it the right… Continue reading Prometheus Project Podcast, Ep 21, is available!
Reading and Writing
Two things I've learned over the years that I feel have made me a better writer are to write every day and to read every day. It's like a constant training program. Writers can't be complacent. We're like athletes, just a little less sweaty and with fewer steroids. Kidding aside, it's not like a writer… Continue reading Reading and Writing
Giving Up on Jude the Obscure
It's not often that I give up on a book I'm reading. In fact, I think there's only been four or five over the years that I tossed aside. And no, I don't remember which ones they were. That's how unremarkable they were. Well, except for the one I just gave up on. Jude the… Continue reading Giving Up on Jude the Obscure
Review – Conservation of Shadows
One of the things that has always irked me about education here is the U.S. is the focus on Western authors. British and American literature dominate, with a little European and Russian lit tossed in as an afterthought. I mean, I appreciate the Western canon of literature as much as the next reader, but what… Continue reading Review – Conservation of Shadows
Ripple Effect
I don't think anyone can argue that the world is a crazy place at the moment. Well, crazier than usual. Political partisanship, terrorism, social media manipulation, threats of war, economic instability, climate change...it's a lot to process on a daily basis. And it doesn't seem to be getting any better. So for us in the… Continue reading Ripple Effect
Overwhelmed by Ideas
I know, this seems like one of those "nice problem to have" situations. It's funny to think that, years ago, I used to struggle to come up with ideas for my fiction. I was under the mistaken impression that I had to wait for inspiration to come, for my muse to knock on the door… Continue reading Overwhelmed by Ideas
Review – The Stranger
I'd heard of Albert Camus. I knew he wrote a few books, he won a Nobel Prize, he was a philosopher, and we shared a birthday. That was about it. There wasn't anything about him that pinged on my radar. I mean, I like to read a wide variety of literature, fiction and non-fiction, but… Continue reading Review – The Stranger
Writing Software
When I first started writing creatively, I used pencils and yellow legal pads I "borrowed" from my dad's briefcase. At some point, I graduated to using an old Smith-Corona typewriter that my dad had used when he was in the Navy. It was a beast of a machine. I think it was made from leftover… Continue reading Writing Software