Little did I know what I was getting into when I started writing my novel. All the stuff you have to do besides actually write: study the craft, get critiqued, critique others, read blogs, learn about the publishing business, agents, Continue reading And then there’s the synopsis…groan
1. The business of writing is diametrically opposed to the art of writing. 2. I’m not nearly as bad a “serious” writer as I thought I was. The corollary: I’m not nearly as good a “serious” writer as I think Continue reading Ten writing lessons I learned in 2010
I thought I knew what editing was all about based on more than two years of belonging to critiquecircle.com, submitting almost 50 pieces of my work (mostly chapters) and giving well over 300 critiques of other writers’ submissions. I’m pretty Continue reading There’s critiquing, and then there’s editing.
Sigh… Another election season has come and gone. Even in my state of reduced TV-watching, I was continuously impressed (or should I say, depressed?) by the sheer volume and abysmal quality of campaign commercials. Why do all politicians decry negative Continue reading Mid-term elections
My wife and I recently returned from a two-week vacation from our home in Minnesota to Washington, Oregon, and other points west. For us, half the fun is getting there, so we love to drive on these long journeys. Leaving Continue reading Audio Books
I’ve been married for 32 years. Pretty long by today’s standards, and likely to get much longer. I thought I knew my wife well, since we met in high school during our senior year, then dated for 4 years after Continue reading My surprising wife
I did it! Finally finished the novel I’ve been working on. Great, you say, when will it be published? Oh, no, no, no. It’s not ‘finished’ finished, as in completed and ready to be printed. I meant the story has been Continue reading A milestone reached!
I had the great pleasure of paying back my father in a very small way for something he did for me almost 45 years ago. The payback was a weekend canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW, Continue reading Passing the Wilderness Torch
Not much to say now, just trying to keep the posts coming at a  steady pace. It’s been a busy time lately with golf tournaments, preparing for family visits, trying to repair a canoe, finishing the novel and doing critiques at Continue reading Happy Independence Day
It has been one of those weeks here in southern Minnesota. The kind that leaves you wondering about metaphysics. Questions pop into your head like: Why do we die in the first place? How come death comes so suddenly and Continue reading A week of loss
