I think the hardest thing for a writer to do is write. Someone very wise once said, “Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” I say writing is easy, but starting is hard. Here’s the problem with being a freelance […]
My Awards from Nevada Press Association!
Check it out! I won two awards from the Nevada Press Association! First Place, Best Critical Writing, Urban Weeklies Second Place, Best Nonstaff Story, Urban Weeklies http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/nevada-press-association-names-contest-winners
From the mouths of babes: “I’m worried about my grade.”
It’s funny because it’s true. I caught this video called “I am worried about my grade” for the first time today and laughed out loud, all by myself in my house. I might have even snorted a little. This exact same conversation might have happened to me last week. In fact, hey, wait a minute! […]
Show It, Don’t Tell It, In 5 Easy Steps
The following post originally appeared on the website for Lucky Bat Books on 10/6/12: “Show, don’t tell.” That’s the advice your English teacher used to give you. But similar to “write what you know,” this sort of sage advice has the flavor of the bland and too-worn anymore. What the heck does that mean, […]
Creative Writing Advice
I’m teaching a Creative Writing class at the University of Phoenix right now, and I’m learning a few things about writing students: They seem to have no ideas. Yes, it’s a depressing thing, but really, all of them are simply rehashing events that have really happened to them and are turning them into “short stories.” […]
Wow is Me!
I spent this past weekend in San Francisco. I’d gotten the incredible opportunity to meet Adryenn Ashley, shameless self-promoter and business-growth guru of Wow is Me! Productions. The event, Red Carpet Results, was a two-day workshop/seminar designed to provide the secrets of growing your business. Did it help? A little. I learned quite a bit, […]
A Bold Experiment: Email Scheduling
I’ve decided to try a bold experiment: Scheduling email time. You see, I’ve been extraordinarily busy lately (which is a good thing), so I sat down to write my schedule out, and plan my days down to the minute. (In and of itself, this is bold.) I got to thinking about my mornings, and realized […]
New Class, New Generation
So I started a new class last night…a class that’s had the roster set since about February. A class for which my syllabus was posted 10 days ago, and for which it was made clear a week ago that a paper was due on the first night. The grade sheet I’d be using to score […]
Bold Experiment: Learning to Stop
I had the stomach flu Friday night (it’ll be a while before I can think about eating chili again), and even though it’s about three days later, I still don’t feel right. Part of it is that I’m not sleeping well. At night, it feels like work to sleep. It’s actually hard work getting my […]
I Love “I Love Lucy”
I love “I Love Lucy.” Fifties sexual politics aside, I love the idea of wearing hats, and going to see Vaudeville acts on a night out. It seems idyllic to live in a time without voicemail, email or cell phones – if I’ve gone out for the evening, you’ll just have to try me later. […]
