Life in the fast lane--where's the on ramp?

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Wednesday, September 12, 2018

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE NOVEL?

Meredith Vieira was on PBS last night again as guest celebrities and writers talked – pitched – their favorite novels. So many old favorites, including “Little Women,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Tom Sawyer.” It was an hour or so with friends, good vibes, a few nice surprises. I’ve gotten so much from so... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

SEPTEMBER’S SONG

Long ago and far away when September came, it was an ending and a beginning. It was the end of long afternoons at the old swimming hole, weekday ball games on the lot by the water tower, and the beginning of another school year. This was when the roses stopped blooming in mother’s rose garden and... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, September 10, 2018

SAVE THE LAST WALTZ FOR ME

A couple days ago I wrote about a change I was considering in the name of the antagonist character (and that of his company) in my story “Waltzing With Zombies.” My concern was – on the off chance I got lucky and sold the story to a publisher – that the names were too close to the names of a real... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

CHARACTER / STORY GERMINATING

One big challenge for a writer is to create a ‘real’ person of the opposite gender. Male authors have written female characters since the days when female story tellers were mostly not given a formal education. One’s knowledge of the other's daily lives is sketchy at best – the physicality is... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, September 7, 2018

CHANGING A NAME

“Waltzing With Zombies” it seems to me is a great title for a book, even though the story has nothing to do with waltzing or zombies. But a couple names I’ve been working with won’t work, neither the character’s, nor the name of his company. I could use a little good advice here. My antagonist’s... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, September 6, 2018

PRINT, FILM & THE "IVORY TOWER"

Bea said when her husband got back she was going to quit her job and she and John would be heading for something more interesting than a boring job in a lame farmhouse on the fringe of "Poag Tech." It was the early ‘60s. She worked at the print shop and sign service with a few others, including my... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018

ANYONE CAN MAKE A MISTAKE

Busy lunch hour. McDonald’s newly opened revamped restaurant on the fringe of beautiful downtown Mundane. The woman decided to stop for an order of tender chicken strips. She’d have them at home with a small salad. After a 4-hour shift at The Center, she didn’t want to wait the long half hour it... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

TUESDAY AT THE CENTER

Busy day. Got there about 5 min. before 8 – used to start my shift at 9:00 – but that was then. Sara (the director) the Kitchen Angels and a couple of the ladies from the exercise class were clustered by the kitchen door. Sara had changed purses, left her keys at home. So we waited until Bob the bus... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, September 3, 2018

JUDGE SAYS NO HUNTING GRIZZLIES

I’m not one of those who turns into a bowl of Jell-O any time a cute puppy video pops up on my FB page. I love dogs as a general rule, but having raised and trained several of them over the years, I know the flip side of all that cute adorableness. They do not crap applesauce. So I enjoy the videos,... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

IN THE WAKE OF AN AMERICAN HERO

There was never such a stark, obvious contrast between two opposites between statesmanship, patriotism, and civility and petty, divisive sniping than there has been this weekend in the wake of John S. McCain’s funeral. Even as Meghan McCain gave her father's eulogy, as her tears nearly over- whelmed... Sign in to see full entry.

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