Yesterday afternoon I wrote a post entitled, “A Knee-Jerk Reaction to Border’s Liquidation.” In light of yesterday’s news of Border’s demise, I have a few questions:
1) Do you have a favorite local bookstore?
2) Do you have an e-reader of any kind? If so, which one?
3) What’s your prediction on the future of books?
Border’s announced that they will liquidate their remaining assets and shut down their business. 10,700 employees will be looking for new jobs once their 399 stores lock up for the last time.
Continue reading “A Knee-Jerk Reaction to Border’s Liquidation”
In 1987, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” hit the big screen, loaded with two of the funniest men ever to walk the planet: Steve Martin and John Candy. I was in 4th grade and the movie was rated R, so there’s no way I saw it when it first came out, but eventually this movie became one of my go-to comedies (either from the local video store, or on TNT on Sunday afternoons).
If you’ve seen the movie, you know some of the classic lines involve hands between pillows as well as Steve Martin dropping the f-bomb. What you probably didn’t know is that some valuable writing secrets are hidden in there:
Continue reading “Five Writing Secrets I Learned From “Planes, Trains and Automobiles””
The children around the contraption moved with determination. Their little brows wrinkled in a cute display of concentration. Some used their arms to spin handles; others pulled on ropes wrapped around pulleys. An occasional exclamation (“Hey, someone needs to come over here!”) mingled with the tinkling sound of small metal BBs falling around them.
Continue reading “Don’t Forget About the Rest of the Museum”
I’m sitting in our bed. Maile is asleep. I just heard thunder outside (either that, or the neighbors up the hill are shooting fireworks again). Two lights are on in the house – the one beside the bed and the one in the hall. That hall light is for the kids, because how would they find their way to our bed in the middle of the night if it was completely dark? They rarely make the trek, but they also like to know that, if they need to, they can.
Our living room is a wreck – looks like our minivan over-ate and then threw up in there. Suitcases and tote bags and plastic bags filled with dirty clothes are lined up. There’s a bag full of peed-in clothes – I’ll get to that in a minute. We got home late, so tomorrow is clean up day.
Continue reading “My Family, Peeing on the Narrow Curb of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway”
41,861 words written in 42 sessions spread out over a two-month time frame, my novel progresses. I am over half way, whatever comfort that might bring.
I think it’s the plot that keeps me writing this time – I have such belief in the idea and the concept that I feel I have to follow it through. If it doesn’t work, it will simply be my inability to pull it off, my lack of skill, or my inexperience. The story is strong – my writing is the wild card. This both motivates and scares me.
But no matter how the finished product turns out, I’m learning lessons along the way. Five, to be specific:
Continue reading “Five Writing Lessons I’ve Learned in the First Half of Writing a Novel”
