Tag: real life
-
Who said that?!
Warning – this post is an attempt to distract you from current events. Read at your own risk. I love collecting quotes. Whenever I run across something worthwhile I jot it down (because heaven knows my memory is an untrustworthy stinker). The following mashup comes from a variety of sources. Citation is provided when known.…
-
Thanksgiving – More Than a Holiday
Posted 11-21-18 George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, “as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God”. Growing up, I loved Thanksgiving because it meant a big family dinner and time off…
-
Ten Unusual Things About Me
Posted 11-7-18 Today I’m responding to an unofficial tag from a fellow author concerning a list of unusual things about myself. And there you have it -all my weirdness in one list! Well, the list probably could have been longer, but I don’t know you well enough to reveal anything else.
-
Why Characters Struggle
Posted 10-10-18 I hate to admit this, but in my early books the characters faced too few challenges. This fault was noticed by a number of reviewers, but I basically ignored them as negative trolls who were having a bad day. I was tired of reading books which reflected constant turmoil, struggle, pain and angst.…
-
Story endings that leave you hanging
Posted 10-3-18 This ever happen to you? The book you are reading has been enjoyable from the start, but as you get close to the end things begin to change. The pace of the action picks up considerably while the characters begin speaking and acting strangely. Suddenly, the book is brought to a whirlwind conclusion…
-
CURSES! Using naughty words in fiction
Posted 8-1-18 Curse. Swear. Expletive. Oath. Profanity. Cuss. Invective. Malediction. Virtually everyone does it; from presidents to the smart-mouthed kid next door. Swear words may be pithy or profane, mild or malevolent, productive or pointless. Even mild euphemisms such as darn, shoot, and heck are simply substitutes for the “real” thing, and everyone knows exactly…
-
“The Visit” A blast from the past.
Posted 7-11-18 I ran across a bunch of stories and poems I wrote during my school days and chose “The Visit” to share with you today. This one was a 10th-grade English class assignment I have never forgotten. Enjoy! ########### The Visit I never dreamed I would ever see my home again, but here I…
-
Using the Contact Hypothesis in Fiction
Posted 6-20-18 Several factors came together this week from my own experience, writing, and society at large. This post is going to be a bit more personal than usual, but it is a subject close to my heart. Many authors of gay novels make use of the tension between gay and straight as a theme…
-
Do you REALLY want to know?
Posted on 5-30-18 On the sharing of sincerely held opinions: The news is full of colorful characters from all walks of life who insist on exposing the rest of us to their thoughts. Those who find themselves in the public eye, and therefore command a ready audience, have a greater responsibility to share their views…
-
The World I Like Best
I have always considered reading as a healthy way to escape for a while. One glance at the news gives ample reason to seek a temporary way to stop the real world and enter an imaginary one. Like a pressure valve, it enables me to face the sometimes harsh reality of life by being able…