I’m a bit late on this update, but I’ve been churning out words. The challenge has been going well and I think I’m at the point where I need to switch to editing mode. I’ve written five stories over ten weeks. That makes me happy, gives me a sense of accomplishment. I could keep going,…
Category: Poetry
Bradbury Challenge Update 4 [Writing]
I’m still going strong with my personal challenge. I’ve written four short story drafts in nine weeks. Not bad. At this rate, I’ll have my next short story collection written much quicker than I expected. This most recent story, “Alone in the City”, was another one that started in a dream. In fact, when I…
Banned Books Week [Books]
The last week of September is Banned Books Week here in the U.S. Sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the purpose is to draw attention to censorship and to celebrate the freedom to read. From September 26th through October 2nd, the ALA sponsors events at libraries and schools around the country. There are talks…
Bradbury Challenge Update 3 [Writing]
My third two-week period of this challenge was productive. I completed another short story draft, did a lot of reading, and felt like it all put me in a good mental state. In other words, being productive releases endorphins. At least, it does for me. Sort of like a what happens when I enjoy a…
Bradbury Challenge – Update 2 [Writing]
So far, so good. I’ve read another book, Packing for Mars, and been working my way through Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. The latter is for my ‘poem a day’. I’ve read Leaves of Grass many, many times over the years. It’s one of the greatest poetry collections, so raw and pure, and I find…
The Bradbury Challenge [Writing]
It’s no secret that Ray Bradbury was a prolific author. By the time he passed in 2012, he had written over six-hundred short stories, twenty-seven books, plus essays, criticisms, screenplays, and poems. The man was a writing machine. Luckily, he was open about his creative process and how he was able to accomplish so much…
Music Moment – Year of the Cat [Music]
If you’ve read a few of my other Music Moment posts, you know that I love story songs. You know, where the lyrics meld with the music to tell a story. Most songs are about conveying a feeling, an emotion, or setting a mood, which is fine, but I guess it’s the storyteller in me…
A Little Motivation [Creativity]
“Commitment to the most worthy purpose is of little value if we lack confidence in our ability to realize it.” – Stephen Batchelor, Buddhism Without Beliefs I’ve been reading the aforementioned book the past few days, and this line stuck out to me. I read it several times because it resonated and made me think…
What’s the Best Writing Tool? [Writing]
This is one of those topics that can be contentious. There are so many tools available to the modern writer that it can be overwhelming. I can’t promise you that I’ll answer all your questions. However, I think I can provide you with some valid options and, hopefully, help you make an informed decision. First,…
Be Like Water [Writing]
There’s a great quote by martial artist, actor, and philosopher Bruce Lee that always resonated with me. “Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves….