Random Thoughts on
Writing and Life

Wednesday, 17 July

Started reading this during the hurricane when the power was out

I thought it was apropos. I haven't finished it yet, but for a book written in the early '70s, it’s depressingly spot-on for a satirical semi-apocalyptic America. In the book, an alcoholic physician invents a device called an "ontological lapsometer" that can diagnose and treat spiritual and moral problems. Percy was a doctor before he was a writer, and wrote a lot of non-fiction on topics like philosophy, semiotics, and so forth.

In the book:

1. America is politically polarized between left and right extremes.

2. There are big-time environmental concerns.

3. Crime is rampant; there's a mix of mundane life and potential sniper fire.

4. Weird questions of medical ethics are on the table.

5. People have a lot of spiritual malaise.

And the list keeps going. It's a weird book, but I'm thankful for the hurricane that made me hit pause on the book I was reading on my iPad to pull something off of my bookshelf. Something I probably bought five years ago, haha. TBR pile for the win!

Monday, 15 July

We have power again!

Sunday, 14 July

Day Seven of The Aftertimes, brought to you by CenterPoint Energy.

When the State of Texas was building Hwy 99 west of town near Bridgeland, they uncovered a Paleo-Indian (8,000 to 12,000 years ago) village. Archaeologists report finding graves, arrowheads, and tools made of stone that came from across the region—suggesting it was a popular trading site.

We don’t know much about these pre-archaic societies. They likely hunted megafauna like mastodons or mammoths. This village was active long before modern Native American tribes like the Karankawa, Tonkawa, Atakapa, and other regional tribes came along. Before even the Buc-ee’s in Katy.

Archaeologists actually moved all the remains from this village just to the east so they could finish the road. I’m not saying Bridgeland is cursed like that neighborhood in Poltergeist. But I’m not saying it’s not.

As I walk around West Houston this morning, I can tell what my still-disempowered neighbors are wondering about the pre-archaic inhabitants of the region: What the $%&! did these people wear in this heat?

I see a lot of workout gear. Sensible. The best prepared have light, breathable fishing shirts and shorts. Breezy golfing clothes are comfy but bound to be ruined in the course of chainsawing storm debris. Some are going global with kaftans, saris or other light, flowy clothing from around the world.

Others are opting for minimalist swimming and beach wear. This is thermally comfortable, but also serving people up to West Houston’s rabid mosquito population like Aztec human sacrifices. The Karankawa actually smeared a mixture of mud and shark grease on their skin as a mosquito deterrent, making Karankawa sex VERY DETERMINED sex. While we’re not quite there yet in 77077, bug spray does saturate the air like Drakkar Noir at Numbers Nightclub in the ’90s.

At night, every home is now an Austin hippie nudist camp and neighbors would do well to knock before entering.

The Laundry Party is the new BBQ. Nobody cares about your truck anymore, but they know who around them has both power and a high-capacity LG TurboWash 5.5 cu ft smart top-load washer.

Others have gone full-on Waltons, washing clothes in the tub or sink and whipping out clothes lines to put the Houston heat to work for them. Nobody loves this more than the squirrels, who are chewing the lines to rebuild their nests after the storm. Also, now everyone knows how absolutely huge your underwear is, with some streets in danger of catching an unfavorable breeze and sailing toward the coast in their entirety.

Of course, it’s Sunday now and despite the city’s failed infrastructure, tomorrow is Monday. Capitalism waits for no one—even those who can’t do laundry. After a week without power, many are wondering what to wear to the office tomorrow.

Some are rotating shirts at the cleaners. Smart. Others, who typically sport business casual attire at work, are turning this challenge into an opportunity in true corporate fashion by tapping into their suits and such for work. This is making for a fast, sweaty—but dashing—sprint to the car while telling their partner “BYE-HONEY-I-LOVE-YOU-I-HAVE-TO-RUN-HOPE-THE-POWER-COMES-ON-OH-JESUS-START-THE-CAR.”

I’m pretty much down to Halloween costumes as work clothes this week, and am trying to decide which is more professional: Giant Hot Dog or Creepy Clown. I guess it depends on the meeting; will have to check my calendar.

Living that CenterPoint lifestyle often means gathering and hunting ice, batteries, and smokeable meat. So, it makes sense that the longer people are without power, the more and more we adopt the dress of our hunter-gatherer predecessors who once traded tools, animal hides, and seashells under what is today The Grand Parkway. I have to run now. Me and the neighbors are hoping to trade some squirrel-skin shoes to a few residents of Walnut Bend for a set of spear shafts and a puppet show.

Saturday, 13 July

Day six of The Aftertimes, brought to you by CenterPoint Energy.

Struggle can breed wonderful art. Van Gogh's Starry Night was painted while he was in a mental asylum so, by that logic, The New Post-Beryl Houston is on track to be the new arts capital of the Western world.

All around town, those millions of people always talking about how they thought they could paint, write, sculpt, craft, build, sew, cook, and design finally have unlimited time without the distractions of the modern world. It's go time!

Go!

Here we go.

This is your chance.

*Crickets*

Fly, my little creative doves.

.

.

.

Right. So, maybe just stare bleakly at your iPhone as you upvote complaints about the power company on Reddit. The medium is the message, I guess.

Professional painters, writers, sculptors, illustrators, and textile designers aren't actually getting any work done whatsoever because they're too busy trying to keep their French bulldogs cool and swat away looters with rolled-up copies of The Paris Review.

The storm has been great for amateur photographers, though. All around West Houston, photographers have hit the streets Man-on-the-Street-style to capture the plight of those hewing precious comfort from the coal face of this terrible storm recovery.

The images are gut-wrenching. One showed a woman on Wood Lodge showcasing her purple impatiens, Vanna White style, displeased they are "definitely more wilty" than they were before her Generac started blowing hot air on them 24 hours per day.

Another artistic shot profiled a pipeline engineer in a Texas A&M t-shirt on Briar Forest cradling fragments of his wife's beloved ceramic frog which "totally got broken in the storm and shit, I swear." One artistic black and white shot framed a red Fiat 500e with racing stripes abandoned in the Whole Foods parking lot at Wilcrest, though it's hard to tell if the vehicle was flooded or just broken down.

Graffiti artists are on hiatus, as the total lack of law enforcement has sucked the fun out of the endeavor.

However, the greatest artistic masterpiece by far to come from Houston's struggle to re-combobulate itself post-Beryl has been this bold new work of abstract art created by CenterPoint Energy itself. Though presented as a map providing information about when customers' power will be restored, it's actually not so much about residential power as the power to look inward at ourselves.

Each color supposedly represents a different restoration timeline—July 13th, July 14th, July 403rd, etc.

Our house, featured here, is three different colors, leaving the interpretation as artfully ambiguous as the ending of a French art house film. Like many great works, audience reviews have been mixed. Each time they update this interpretive experience, all around town customers turn their attention from Reddit to break into passionate, impromptu spoken-word poetry performances.

Friday, 12 July

Day Five of The Aftertimes, brought to you by CenterPoint Energy.

If politics makes for strange bedfellows, the random distribution of literal power in West Houston is reshaping the social order and bringing people together in new and interesting ways. That neighbor everyone once called Creepy Ear Hair Man turns out to have a Generac, a closet full of AR-15s, and a Stihl MS 500i chainsaw. In 72 hours his neighbors went from avoiding his immediate gaze to strategically thinking of him when visiting Crumbl Cookies on Westheimer. He has now been rebranded as Oh Thank God You’re Home Do You Have a Sec Man.

Congratulations on his recent engagement to a former Miss Texas.

The combination of widespread power outage with continued Astros play has brought laconic, anti-social husbands out into the street to make awkward small talk while they stare longingly over the shoulder of their empowered neighbor at a Gallery Furniture commercial.

Grades six through twelve have seen a complete social upheaval. TikTok clout, chiseled good looks, even a sweet sports car—these are no longer coin of the adolescent realm. Every child whose house has a swimming pool now answers the door with raised eyebrows and crossed arms like the court of King Louis XVI granting an audience with a land-bound serf. Oh Thank God You’re Home Do You Have a Sec Man owns his own pool cleaning business so, despite all of the change, once again the elite stick to their own.

Thursday, 11 July

Day Four of The Aftertimes, brought to you by CenterPoint Energy.

Nature is retaking West Houston. Among the still air of the live oaks and pines, mockingbirds and blue jays build nests of not just twigs, grass, and leaves but cigarette packs, plastic bags, and hair weaves. The lack of trash service has made every raccoon a lottery winner. Southern House Mosquitos are eating so well they are on the cusp of speciation. There was an unconfirmed report of a mischief of big, fat bayou rats piled into a single trenchcoat going door-to-door posing as the “City of Houston Off-Temperature Cheese Disposal Corps,” which I thought quite enterprising. Without air conditioning, humans are no longer atop the Southern food chain, with both the fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) and the American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana) sensing weakness and making their moves. Human dominance is not guaranteed. Using chemical communication, freakish leg strength, and adaptability to coordinate unified physical motion a group of fire ants stole a Dodge Hellcat from Club Westside and organized a street takeover on Hayes Road. After causing multiple injuries, the suspects were last seen headed toward Sugar Land.

Monday, 1 July

Passive Reading Can Change Your Life

Most Americans have a reading problem. If you’re working or a busy stay-at-home parent or even a student, you only read to get things done. You read, but you’re an active reader. Most people are taught that this is a good thing. At work you analyze a strategy report to turn it into actionable projects. At home you read your home insurance policy to make sure you’re covered for this or that catastrophe. Students, if they can be bothered, read for the test. A good chunk of Americans only read to accomplish things. And that’s not good.

If you don’t regularly engage in passive reading you’re missing out on the joy, and the significant advantages, of this wonderful pastime. If you haven’t run across the phrase in a while, passive reading means reading just for fun—without trying to memorize every detail or analyze every sentence. You have no explicit objective, other than to enjoy yourself, during the reading experience.

People don’t read as much for leisure these days; they’re “too busy” or there are too many other competing forms of media consumption. A much more culturally damaging reason people don’t read is that we’ve been taught it’s not important. Popular culture tells you that sitting around reading is akin to doing nothing—not in a mindful way but in a wasteful way. You’re seen as simply wasting time. Selfish with your time, even. People either feel guilty that they’re not doing something more productive or figure if they’re going to be unproductive, they might as well watch somebody trying to eat Tide Pods on TikTok or binge something on Netflix or whatever. I mean, it’s all just different forms of doing nothing, right? Well, no, actually. Hell no.

What passionate readers already understand, which is probably you since you’ve gotten this far but let’s just ride this out, is that passive reading is far from doing nothing. In fact, passive reading has the power to transform your life—transform this nation; the world, even. It’s NOT the same as TikTok or Netflix. It’s one of the richest ways we can spend our time. If just enjoying the process of reading isn’t enough, passive reading does several things for you, including:

1. Reducing Stress
   Multiple studies have shown that reading for pleasure can significantly lower stress levels. A 2009 study by the University of Sussex found that reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by up to 68%.

2. Improving Cognitive Function

   A 2013 study published in Neurology found that regular reading activities throughout life, including passive reading, may help slow cognitive decline in old age.

3. Enhancing Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
   Research published in PLOS ONE in 2013 suggests that reading fiction can improve a person's capacity for empathy and social cognition. Research published in Science in 2013 showed that reading literary fiction can improve one's ability to understand others' mental states, a crucial component of emotional intelligence.

4. Helping You Sleep Better
   A regular reading habit, especially before bed, can improve sleep quality. This is partly due to its stress-reducing effects and also because it can be part of a relaxing bedtime routine. Some people even say it makes your dreams more vivid.

5. Increasing Your Vocabulary
   Even passive reading exposes individuals to new words in context, which can lead to vocabulary growth. A study in Reading Research Quarterly found that incidental vocabulary acquisition occurs during reading.

6. Improving Your Focus and Concentration
   Regular reading, even when passive, can help improve attention span and focus in other areas of life.

7. Enhancing Overall Creativity
   Exposure to diverse ideas and narratives through reading can boost creativity, as shown in a study published in the Creativity Research Journal.

If you’re not already in the habit of doing this, just try it and see how it treats you. Hit the bookstore. OK, fine, pick up something fresh for your Kindle or iPad if you’re that person. For two weeks read for an hour before you go to sleep—no social media, no background noise. See how it feels. Most people who stick with it find themselves less stressed, better rested, and, hey, you’ll always have something to talk about with other readers.

Saturday, 29 June

Five Weather-Related Writing Prompts 

Welp, it’s hurricane season down South. And it’s proper hot now, so a lot of people are thinking about the weather. So this morning, as the house is cool and quiet and the bluejays and cardinals and chickadees are pleasantly chirping outside, I’ve been thinking about the value of weather to the creative mind.

Creativity is all about making connections in new, insightful, socially significant, and entertaining ways. And the weather has the ability to bring people and things together like nothing else in the world. All kinds of creatives can take something from the weather that’s useful in their work: colors, textures, light conditions; tons of—sometimes too much—symbolism and metaphor. Moods. Sounds. Weather’s impacts on physical things. Patterns. Danger. Unpredictability. The omnipotence of weather as a human experience. 

But for me, the most interesting thing is how the weather impacts people--especially the differences from person to person. Some people are like sunflowers, thriving when the sun comes out from behind the clouds. The rain gets them down. Others are the opposite, finding dark and dreary days cozy and delightful. 

Extreme weather can also take people to extremes. One man, inspired by the dire circumstances, drags his recreational canoe out of the garage, blows out the spiders, and spends all night soaked and paddling elderly neighbors and their dogs to safety. Another man, thinking he has nothing left to lose, checks to make sure there’s a round chambered in his stolen Glock as he steps out into the darkness to finally get what’s coming to him. 

One mom panics and makes everyone around her miserable while another distracts the kids with games as she quietly fills the bathtub. One middle manager forces his impoverished workforce to find a way to get to their dead-end jobs or else, while another tells people to stay put and asks if there’s anything their family needs. 

All of this to say, weather can be great for writing. This post has been like one of those recipes online where you just want to know how to make cheese grits and the author starts out “Faulkner was working the night shift at a power plant while he wrote As I Lay Dying. . .” OK, to the grits—here are five fun writing prompts that will let you work out your writing muscles using the weather:

1. Write a 750-word personal essay centered around a memory of something that happened in your life centered during or around a weather event. It could be from childhood or this morning. If it has profound significance to your life or others’ lives that’s great, but it could also just be an exercise in writing a personal memory in a vivid way.

2. Write a scene of any length in which the weather changes and, as it changes, this shifts the overall situation, outcome, feeling, and characters’ behaviors entirely. I like this one, and it’s also something you encounter a lot in the wild as a reader.

3. Take the weather forecast for next week and use it as a basis for a 7,000-word piece of short fiction. If you live around here, think sweltering heat. I won’t even charge you 15 percent of the revenue when the story sells, though I wouldn't say no to a cold beer.

4. Go outside and write as thorough a description of the weather as you can using all five senses. Do it until you just can’t think of anything else whatsoever to describe the weather. Don’t forget to hydrate, and try not to use too many adverbs.

5. Write a 1,000-word piece of flash fiction that’s a survival story set in the midst of an extreme weather condition. Pro tip: Writing about a blizzard might cool you down a bit! Just kidding. You’ll still be miserable. Embrace the suck, Buttercup, it beats shoveling driveways in the winter. 

I’ve come full-circle on writing exercises. I did them all the time as a beginner. Then when I turned pro I thought: “Hey, my time is limited. If I’m writing 500 words, I’m getting paid for 500 words.” Now, with 25 years of professional writing under my belt, I’m back to enjoying this creative wordplay. I think they’re a great way to warm up for whatever real project I’m working on, they can be a lot of fun, they’re a great way to stretch outside of your comfort zone, and sometimes you end up turning them into something you can sell anyway. Have fun and stay cool!

Friday, 14 June

Get Out There and Touch Grass

There was a time in my life when I insisted on spending the hours of 5:00-7:00am EVERY SINGLE DAY putting words on paper. No. Matter. What. Vacation? Words. No big writing project going on? Random words. Up late the night before and now I’m really cranky? Angry words. And I still think there’s a real value to that—especially if you’re still developing the discipline to dedicate time to honing your craft. But that kind of grind has a dark side too.

These days I still spend those hours working on writing projects, but the work isn’t always limited to just words on a page. Sometimes it’s concepting or problem solving. Sometimes it’s focused brainstorming. And, what’s more, some days I opt to just recharge and contribute to my writing in other ways. One of those ways is getting out into nature. Over the years, I’ve grown a genuine appreciation for the link between regularly experiencing nature and growing as a writer.

I just spent a week at Yellowstone National Park. On the one hand, sure, I wasn’t at my desk wrestling with prose or plot points. But there was a lot of upside. Here’s how I found that taking a week to be out in the real world, away from my desk, helped me—and might help you too if you’re a writer.

1. Stress Reduction
Sometimes backing away from creative problems can bring immediate answers, so there's that. But also, most writers I know work several hours a day, in addition to their day job for those who have one--plus the occasional stress of everyday life. You get so used to thriving in this grind environment that you don't realize how stressed you were until you simply unplug and just exist a while. Getting away from the hustle improves your outlook, lets your mind and body recharge, and makes you a better person to be around.

2. Fresh Inspiration
As most creatives know, great ideas are rarely the result of sitting down at a desk and telling yourself: "OK, now I'm going to think of some great ideas." They often come as a result of play and the contemplation of everyday life. They come to you between the cracks of your everyday experience. Sure, I didn't really do much writing on vacation, but I came away with an idea for a novel series, some insights on a non-fiction project I'm working on, and even a few thousand words on a short story in progress.

3. General Health
Getting out into the world helped lower my blood pressure, get some much needed exercise (some of the hills on those hikes are a killer, especially at altitude), and sleep a lot more than I usually do. In a recent study published by the Journal of Global Health, 92 percent of participants across numerous studies demonstrated consistent improvements after engaging with natural outdoor environments. I still think there’s something to the old school practice of letting stressed or sick people relax in what was once known as a “sanatorium,” rather than a modern hospital where the staff wakes the patient up every few hours, alarms are going off constantly, and the cost of it all hangs over everyone like the sword of Damocles.

4. Better Focus
When I got back, I was WAY more productive. I could better focus on my work and things that were a slog before I left are getting hammered out one after the other—in my personal writing, in my day job, and just in my life as a whole. I feel so burnout-proof now, and ready to beat myself up through overwork all over again.

And, hey, taking a nature break doesn't have to be a big deal like a huge, time-consuming vacation. My house is right next to a park. If I want all of these benefits, I could have them any day of the week if I just dipped next door for a three or four mile walk in the evening. Most days I don't, but I could and definitely should.

I wanted to mention this because there's this thing writers do where they take anything they're doing at any given moment in their lives and tell themselves that they're wasting time RIGHT NOW because they’re not writing. Marriages and families are ruined with such thinking. Hell, lives are ruined with such thinking. It’s a dull, low-grade anxiety with them constantly. And sometimes it's true in a Steven Pressfield Resistance kind of way. But you can’t write all the time. In fact, if you don’t step away from your laptop or notepad and get out into the world you’ll never truly live up to your potential as a writer.

Tuesday, 7 May

What’s the most ‘70s thing you can think of?

Platform shoes? Pet rocks? All that CB trucker lingo? One of my favorite things to come out of the 1970s was the Shaw Bros film empire. The Shaw Brothers made kung fu movies a global phenomenon—producing hundreds of films. Run Run Shaw, the most prominent of the six Shaw brothers, made such an empire of the enterprise he was knighted by the Queen of England.

I loved these ‘70s kung fu films like the 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Five Deadly Venoms, and The Deadly Mantis the way young men loved Westerns in the 1950s. I easily watched hundreds of hours of these rough and tumble martial arts flicks. I watched Kung Fu Theatre on USA Network, hit the theater when I could find one on the big screen and even grew up to do a bit of kung fu myself.

So when I heard about the Down & Out Books anthology Michael Bracken was editing—Private Dicks and Disco Balls: Private Eyes in the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies—there was no doubt in my mind what direction I wanted to go. I lucked out, and now my story, “Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting,” is on the dance floor. Right on!

While this book is all private investigator stories set in the ‘70s, there’s a wide range—we’re talking about a whole decade here. One of my favorite aspects of participation in a project like this is reading all of the other authors’ stories. Heck, with my flighty memory I’m looking forward to reading my own story. And I hope you’ll read it too. If you like it, leave a review.

Sunday, 11 February

Revisit the Classics Every Few Decades

Recently somebody asked me if I'd read a certain piece of literature, which I had—but in my early twenties. I had to ask myself if that even counted, and it got me thinking about how we tend to treat our interactions with art and culture across the comprehensive arc of our lives.

I feel like many of us see great works of art and literature as a checklist. As thought reading Infinite Jest or seeing Rashomon or going to the Louvre or familiarizing yourself with Ancient Greek tragedies is all part of some linear race and some of us are further down the path than others. Like Clark Griswold checking the Trevi Fountain off of his afternoon checklist in European Vacation. All in pursuit of, what, sounding clever at a cocktail party or improving your self worth or some other frivolous whatever?

Many people would deny having that mindset, but most of them would probably be lying. I know some very intelligent and cultured people who, whether or not they realize it, treat works of art as some kind of educational ledger or weaponized tool with which to point out others' cultural ignorance. That's pretty gross, and a tremendous waste of good art, when you think about it. Who’s everyone trying to impress, anyway? Get over yourselves.

Great books, great art of any kind, can do something for you; something real that matters. Offer comfort. Inspire. Provide insight. Bring light and hope and laugher and love to dark periods of our lives. Connect us with others. But as we live, our cultural needs change—and so do our values, appreciation, perspectives and understanding.

That's why we all need to scrap our checklist mentality and revisit the great works every once in a while. Because while they've stayed the same—you and I have changed.

Merle Haggard’s classic country song “Big City” looks different to me after living in small Texas towns and then working in Houston as a (sort of) grown up for twenty years. The smell of the pyramids of Giza hits differently when you’re 50 years old—and can start to appreciate what it means for something to be 5,000 years old. The Great Gatsby is likely more fun when you’ve experienced not being able to let go of an ex, or having lived an empty, successful life for any period of time. And scary as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road is to someone in college, it offers a whole new level of terror to a parent.

So. Starting now, how about giving yourself a cultural clean slate? Re-watch The Graduate. Revisit your favorite Shakespeare. Retrace that university backpack experience of yesteryear and see what you think of these places as the you of today. And don’t forget to go see that hometown tourist destination you haven’t been to in years. Pretend you’ve not done any of it before and, more than likely, these works will have new and fulfilling things to share.

Wednesday 31 January

When it comes to art, the audience doesn’t matter

As someone who does a variety of different creative work, this interview with Rick Rubin really resonates with me.

In the world of commercial writing and commercial creative work, most problems can be prevented or solved by going back to your audiences and thinking about them and their world, beliefs, values, drivers, fears, etc. The answers are all there, assuming you’re willing to perform honest analysis and know how to execute. Commercial work is all about the audience, because it’s their behavior or beliefs you’re influencing. Billions are spent on market research to help make sure that the link between corporate machinations and the latest consumer data is clean and pure. Is this annoying sometimes? Sure. But it's predictable and logical and proven. In the world of commerce, the audience is the big rhino at the watering pond and the rest of us are just birds and squirrels and the odd crocodile.

More artistic work? That’s something else entirely. Sure, a savvy author considers the psychographics and demographics of their core audience. Jonathan Franzen and Jack Carr know they’re not writing for the same audience (I’m more of a Jack Carr guy myself). But creative work demands more than just a market; it demands the kind of hardcore passion and advocacy that can’t come from the outside-in. The universe does not care about your idea. If you want that thing to live, breathe and kick the world in the teeth you have to be there for it in its original form. The creative decisions will be up to you, as will be the integrity to not bend to the will of markets/paymasters/socialmobs/family/friends/peers/doubt. And when you bring it into he world, it will be not only 100 percent yours but 100 percent something that someone, somewhere loves.

Sunday 3 December

The Crucial Art of Genre Exploration

In the vast expanse of literary landscapes, writers often find refuge in the familiar terrain of their chosen genre or format. It’s comfortable and gets you where you’re trying to go, like your favorite pair of broken-in shoes. But if you never step beyond the borders of your usual genre, you’re missing out.

Writing outside one's usual genre is an exercise in intellectual diversification, akin to managing a multifaceted investment portfolio. Diversification ensures resilience, and for writers—translates into a more robust skill set and a better overall body of work. The ability to adapt and master diverse storytelling techniques enhances the writer's capacity to navigate the intricacies of various narrative structures—something inherent in the works of the best in the business.

Consider J.K. Rowling, celebrated for her iconic Harry Potter series. While she made her mark in the fantasy genre, Rowling decided to explore crime fiction under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Did it set the world on fire? No. But the Cormoran Strike series showcased Rowling's ability to seamlessly transition between genres, demonstrating that stepping beyond the confines of the fantastical could lead to fresh and compelling narratives for her. Similarly, Kurt Vonnegut, renowned for his satirical and science fiction works, ventured into the realm of autobiography with Palm Sunday. This departure from his usual genre allowed Vonnegut to inject his distinctive voice into personal reflections, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of the man behind his imaginative fictions. This genre exploration not only showcased Vonnegut's versatility but also provided a more intimate connection between the author and his audience.

Another noteworthy example is Neil Gaiman, celebrated for his contributions to fantasy literature. Gaiman's foray into children's literature with Coraline and The Graveyard Book exemplifies the transformative power of genre exploration. And that book on Norse Mythology, which I really enjoyed but don’t really understand why he wrote. All of these works demonstrated Gaiman's masterful and versatile ability to captivate audiences across age groups, showcasing a range that expanded his reach as a storyteller.

The eclectic mix of styles, tones and themes drawn from various genres weaves a tapestry of subtext and complexity into a writer's body of work. Agatha Christie, the queen of Golden Age mystery, surprised her audience by embracing romance under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. This genre departure showcased a different facet of Christie's storytelling prowess, revealing a depth that transcended the boundaries of a singular genre. Not that it made people less mad at her disappearing for eleven days.

In essence, writing outside one's comfort zone is a journey of self-discovery. F. Scott Fitzgerald, celebrated for his exploration of the Jazz Age in The Great Gatsby, took a detour with The Pat Hobby Stories, a satirical exploration of Hollywood. This genre switch not only reflected Fitzgerald's adaptability but also offered a glimpse into his evolving perspectives and experiences.

Moreover, the act of stretching oneself creatively serves as a remedy for creative stagnation. Ray Bradbury, a luminary in science fiction, embarked on a literary journey into the mysteries of adolescence with Dandelion Wine. This departure from his usual scene injected a sense of freshness into Bradbury's repertoire, breaking free from the constraints of sci-fi and invigorating his creative spirit. Though nothing he ever wrote rivaled The Veldt in my mind.

Stepping beyond the familiar not only enriches the creative process but also hones the writer's skills, fosters adaptability, leads to a deeper understanding of universal storytelling elements and ups a writer’s body of work overall. Plus it’s fun and creatively challenging. So let’s all go tackle that thing that’s usually not our thing. Though I’m still steering clear of romance fiction. My wife assures me I am not qualified.

Tuesday, 28 November

The Grizzled Edge of Aging Scribes

In the savage arena of words, where the ink flows thick and the narratives grapple for both breath and royalty checks that are 120 days past due, it's the weathered hands of the seasoned writer that wield a weapon of singular potency. The industry loves a fresh face; preferably with 1M TikTok followers and ultra-progressive politics. But over the long run, in this gritty game, old dogs, scarred and calloused, bear witness to an advantage carved from the hardened sinews of time. 

Older writers have seen things. Love, betrayal, success, failure – it's all there, etched into the crevices of their memory like graffiti on the walls of an old tenement building. And there are no better building blocks for a good story. 

The old writers aren't afraid to let the wounds bleed onto the pages. They’re not obsessed with their brand. They've graduated from the school of embellishments; their tales don't need the glitter of ego. Instead, they strip it down to the bones, each word heavy with the weight of unspoken truths. It's the silence between the lines, pregnant with meaning, that reverberates in the hallowed halls of their narratives. Even if the silence might be broken now and again by the cracking of knees. 

And let's talk about the publishing circus. Rejections? They've collected them like kills painted on the side of a WWII fighter plane. Acceptance? Acknowledged as an inevitability with zero endzone victory dance. Each publication is a stripe earned in the war against obscurity, and a simple way to keep the wolf from the door. 

But it's not just about surviving the publishing gauntlet; it's about thriving in the chaos. The seasoned writer knows the unpredictable dance. They don't chase trends; they chase quality and humanity. In a world enamored with the ephemeral, they stand as pillars of substance, their narratives rooted in the fertile soil of authenticity. Each generation thinks it’s the pioneer of amazing things, but the silverbacks know better. We’re all in this together, grappling the same basic problems as our forebears a thousand years ago.

And so, as the literary vanguard clamors for the Next Big Thing, Don’t Forget to Like and Subscribe, the old writers, their eyes twinkling with the mischief of age, lean back in their worn-out chairs and chuckle. Win or lose, jackpot or penury, love or hate, the stories will be there. And rather than contempt, they gaze upon their younger colleagues with pride and delight knowing they too are in for a bruising and yet are still willing to work so hard in the telling of their own worthwhile tales.

Wednesday, 22 November

Holidays are a Great Time for Writers

As humans in general, holidays do so much for our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. We get to spend time with the people we love, rest up from the hectic pace of work or school, have a little fun and, in the case of Thanksgiving in America, feast on a variety and quality of delicious foods that would have put the dinning tables of history’s royalty to shame. But for writers, the holidays offer another big bonus: grist for the mill of their trade.

The holiday season, with its gathering of generations and travel and interpersonal connection, becomes a crucible of inspiration for professional writers seeking to refine their craft. As families convene and exchange life tales over festive tables, a reservoir of untapped narrative potential emerges. These familial chronicles, often peppered with idiosyncrasies and rich emotional landscapes, offer a unique opportunity for writers to hone their storytelling skills.

In the ebb and flow of familial discourse, there lies an oral tradition that encapsulates a myriad of human experiences. Listening to the tales of family elders, the professional writer is bestowed with a repository of authentic voices, each telling stories of joy, hardship, love and resilience. These narratives, handed down through generations, are imbued with cultural nuances and personal idiosyncrasies, providing a rich tapestry for writers to weave into their own storytelling. Yes, even the narratives shared by that Uncle you always argue with about politics.

Moreover, the act of listening to family stories fosters an acute sensitivity to the subtleties of human interaction. Writers are exposed to the delicate dance of familial dynamics, the unspoken cues and the intricate web of relationships that define the human experience. This heightened awareness of interpersonal intricacies enables writers to craft characters with depth, nuance and authenticity—capturing the essence of complex relationships in their narratives.

The holiday season, with its amalgamation of traditions and rituals, serves as a microcosm of the human condition. Professional writers, attuned to the nuances of these celebrations, can distill the universal themes of love, loss and longing that pervade familial narratives. The holiday table becomes a laboratory for writers, allowing them to observe and dissect the intricate threads that bind individuals together, translating these observations into prose that resonates with readers on a deeply human level.

But wait, there’s more. In the intimate setting of family storytelling, writers find inspiration not only in the content of the tales but also in the art of storytelling itself. The rhythm, cadence and pacing of oral narratives become a masterclass for writers seeking to enhance their own narrative techniques. The storyteller's ability to engage an audience, to build suspense and to deliver a satisfying resolution becomes a living tutorial for writers honing their craft.

And, if you understand that you’re getting the views of just one family—with all of its pre-baked prejudices, similarities and limitations in context—the holidays also offer the chance to perform valuable research. How many people still read these days? What is the argo of today’s youth? (If you, like me, don’t have kids.) What are people talking about in popular culture, politics and just everyday life in general? Human stories need human perspectives, and the holidays are a great time to keep your ears attuned to people’s everyday concerns, ambitions, joys and worldviews.

So if you’re a professional writer, enjoy Thanksgiving and all the joys it can bring. But don’t forget to take in the rich tales and textures of those around you and all they can tell you about who they are, who you are and what it means to be human. Because that’s the real feast in play this week.

EDIT: Oh, unless you went to the University of Texas at Austin. In that case, I hope your turkey is undercooked, and that Texas Tech trounces the Longhorns in Austin so that you leave the Big 12 conference in a state of resounding humiliation. And under a hail of celebratory tortillas.

Saturday, 18 November

The Upside of Those Long Project Distractions

Most writers have a novel or non-fiction book they’ve wedged in a drawer. People put projects on hold for a variety of reasons, from big life things to the pull of newer and more exciting work. But it turns out, this isn’t necessarily all bad. Recent research shows that long, unexpected distractions from a project can boost creative output—at least according to the Hamburg University of Technology’s Tim Schweisfurth. So, relax. That project on pause might be all the better for it.

Tuesday, 3 October

Don’t Sacrifice Your Art on the Altar of Content

The thing about writing books is that the actual writing of them is just the game’s ante. The real work is in the marketing and selling of them. Because this is the case, publishers and agents put tremendous pressure on writers to build a platform. Create content. Grow your social. That’s all good stuff, and probably a good investment for most creatives. But it’s also worth putting up some boundaries because the demand for “content creation” can very easily encroach on your actual art.

While creating content to market oneself on social media can have many benefits for a writer, don’t go too crazy.

Here’s why:

Time Consumption
To me, this is the most important reason to keep content creation time in check. Crafting engaging and consistent content for social media can be incredibly time-consuming. This can take away from the time a writer has to focus on their actual writing, which is the core of their craft. Doubly true if you have a day job and need need to budget your writing time carefully.

Creativity Drain
Constantly coming up with fresh and engaging content ideas can be mentally exhausting. Writers may feel pressured to be constantly creative, which can lead to burnout or a decline in the quality of their work.

Distraction
Social media can be a major distraction for writers. It's easy to get caught up in checking notifications, responding to comments, and scrolling through feeds, which can disrupt their writing flow.

Pressure to Conform
To gain followers and engagement, writers may feel pressured to conform to popular trends and topics on social media. This can divert them from their unique voice and style, making their content feel less authentic. This is true today more than ever.

Privacy Concerns
Sharing personal information or aspects of one's life on social media can lead to privacy concerns. Writers may have to strike a balance between building an online presence and protecting their personal life. Especially true if you’re hot (I’m not worried about this one).

Negative Feedback
Not all feedback on social media will be positive. Writers may encounter criticism, trolls, or negative comments, which can be emotionally draining and demoralizing. It can be flattering, too, though since hate always comes from the bottom up.

Impacts on Mental Health
The pressure to maintain a perfect online persona, compare oneself to others, and constantly seek validation through likes and shares can take a toll on a writer's mental health and self-esteem. None of that shit is writing. Go read and write.

Algorithm Changes
Social media platforms frequently update their algorithms, affecting the reach and visibility of a writer's content. This can lead to fluctuations in engagement and make it challenging to maintain a consistent online presence.

Content Saturation
The sheer volume of content on social media can lead to content saturation. It's easy for a writer's posts to get lost in the noise, making it difficult to stand out and reach their target audience.

Financial Costs
To effectively market themselves on social media, writers may need to invest in advertising, professional photography, or other resources. These costs can add up and impact their overall budget.

So, sure, social media can be a valuable tool for writers to build their brand or platform, promote their work and connect with readers. But it’s not a benefits curve that keeps going up at 45 degrees forever. Writers should carefully consider these factors and develop a strategy that aligns with their goals and priorities. That could involve leveraging things you’ve already created in the course of your work as content, or even getting third-party help. There are also some automation and tech hacks you could try too, above and beyond basic calendar and scheduling tools. You can figure out a content creation approach that works for your work and life. But, however you approach it, remember to keep the focus on your work. That way, you’ll always have something worth marketing.

Monday, 2 October

Want a better team? Stack it with ladies. 

According to science, teams with a majority of females have more collective intelligence and function better as teams. They have more social perceptiveness and use that info to facilitate the group's actions effectively. Teams with either all females or all males, however, perform less well. Check out this episode of the Hidden Brain podcast with Shankar Verdantam 

Saturday, 30 September

Clocking some hammock time this weekend.

Putting my feet in the grass. Getting some sun. Listening in the cicadas. It’s what you need if you live and work indoors and in the city. Why? Biophilia. Biophilia is a concept that was popularized by American biologist Edward O. Wilson in the 1980s. It refers to the innate human tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. The term itself is derived from the Greek words "bios," meaning life, and "philia," meaning love or affinity. Essentially, biophilia suggests that humans have an intrinsic bond with nature and living things.

Biophilia can impact a person's health and well-being in several ways:

Stress Reduction
Exposure to natural elements such as green spaces, plants, and natural landscapes has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation. This is often referred to as the "restorative effect of nature." Even viewing images of nature or having indoor plants can have a calming effect.

Improved Mental Health
Interacting with nature can enhance mental well-being. Studies have found that spending time in natural environments can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, improve mood, and increase overall psychological well-being.

Enhanced Cognitive Function
Natural environments have been linked to improved cognitive function. Spending time in nature or having natural elements in one's environment can boost creativity, problem-solving abilities, and attention span.

Physical Health Benefits
Biophilic experiences can have positive effects on physical health. For example, walking in natural settings can improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, and boost the immune system.

Connection and Social Interaction
Biophilia can foster a sense of connection to the natural world and to others who share an appreciation for it. This sense of connection can lead to stronger social bonds and a greater sense of community.

Whether through spending time in natural settings, incorporating natural elements into our indoor environments, or simply appreciating the beauty of the natural world, embracing biophilia can be a key factor in promoting a healthier and happier life. Of course, I’m also getting through a six-pack of Shiner Ruby Redbird so I’m not sure how absolutely healthy I’m actually being but one step at a time.

Wednesday, 27 September

Fredrik Backman Destroys Social Media Pretentiousness

My book of the week this week is Anxious People by Swedish author Fredrik Backman (it's a great book, by the way, check it out). I just had to share this passage. He's talking about the phenomenon of people only sharing the best bits of their lives on social media, basically pretending that these flattering and highly curated facets of their existence are actually the entirety of their lives:

"The truth of course is that if people really were as happy as they look on the Internet, they wouldn't spend so much damn time on the Internet, because no one who's having a really good day spends half o it taking pictures of themselves. Anyone can nurture a myth about their life if they have enough manure, so if the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, that's probably because it's full of shit."

Well said, huh? Social media does a pretty good job of making people sad. Social comparison, fear of missing out, time wasting and echo chambers—it's just not that healthy. But I feel like people showcasing only the best aspects of their lives, and the distorted reality that creates, is the worst of it all. Everybody's got problems—even those people who look so perfect on social. Sometimes, especially those people.

Saturday, 16 September

A Dozen Ways to Slow Down Your Life

Ever feel like your days go by too fast? There just aren’t enough hours in the day? Man, me too. Some days I just want to slow things down a bit. But how, exactly, do you do that?

Well, no matter how you run your life time is always just going to feel like it goes by more quickly. My Dad and I always wonder at the truth of that. There are a bunch of reasons for this feeling of time accelerating as you get older. First, our perception of time is relative to our age. When you are five years old, a year represents 20 percent of your life. So a year feels like a long time. However, when you are 50 years old, a year is only 2 percent of your life so it seems like Christmas JUST HAPPENED but soon it’s already time to go shopping again.

Also, our brains do a great job of managing our mental energy. As we age, we tend to establish routines and become more familiar with our surroundings and daily activities—so your brain doesn’t bother remembering every detail about flossing your teeth or taking out the trash. When our lives become more predictable and less novel, it can lead to a feeling that time is passing quickly because we're not forming distinct memories of new experiences. When you first start driving it takes all of your mental focus to do all the right things to get where you’re going safely. But by the time you’re 50 driving is practically automatic and your mind wanders like a monkey when you drive. Car wrecks, however, are not routine (hopefully). So “time slows down.”

There are other reasons too. You go through more memorable milestones when you’re young. Some research suggests that cognitive processes may influence our perception of time. As we age, our brains may process information more efficiently, which can make time seem to pass more quickly. Also, over time, our brains tend to merge similar experiences and memories, creating a sense of temporal compression. For instance, a year that felt like a distinct and eventful series of months in our youth may become compressed into a blur of memories as we age.

So is there any way to put the brakes on the relentless march of time? Well, not in a big picture sense. But there are a number of small things that are promising in terms of making your life feel like it’s not so hurried. Find enough of them that work for you and you may just feel like you’re getting more of your everyday life back. Here are some strategies to help you slow down and live a more mindful, balanced life:

1. Mindfulness: “Here and now”
   I know, we’re all sick of hearing about mindfulness; there’s even a backlash against it in many circles. But many people find mindfulness—being fully present in the moment without judgment—can help slow their lives. Engage in mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply take a few minutes each day to observe your surroundings and thoughts.

2. Set Priorities: You can’t do it all.
   Identify your most important values and goals, and prioritize them. Focus on what truly matters to you and allocate your time and energy accordingly. I know it’s not 1994 anymore, but Stephen Covey’s First Things First still has something to offer.

3. Learn to Say No: Take on less.
   This is such good advice, especially when you reach middle age. Just because you’re very capable of doing something doesn’t mean you should be doing it. Don't overcommit yourself. Politely decline invitations or requests that don't align with your priorities or that would overwhelm your schedule. Learn to draw the line. This is up to you since nobody can tell you how busy is too busy for your life.

4. Outsource: Buy back your time.
   If you have the means, or can find the means, get help taking some everyday things off of your plate. Hire a maid to help keep the house clean. Get lawn people to take care of your grass and such. Get more help if you run a business. One-by-one find things chipping away at your time and see if you can’t buy your way out of them.

5. Limit Screen Time: Power down to slow down.
   I know so many people who “don’t have time to write” but are constantly binging on social media, Netflix, etc. This is an easy fix. Reduce the time you spend on electronic devices, especially social media and email, which can be major time sinks. Set boundaries for screen time and use apps or settings that help you monitor and limit usage. Take breaks from technology and the internet. Consider implementing "tech-free" hours or days to disconnect and recharge.

6. Practice Single-Tasking: Focus on just one thing.
   Instead of multitasking, focus on one task at a time. This can improve your efficiency and reduce stress, even during your downtime activities. You might find that you’ll enjoy the movie more if you actually just watch the movie rather than watching the movie while on Twitter while talking on the phone.

7. Engage in Actual Leisure Activities: Go have fun.
   Set aside time for hobbies, sports, or activities that bring you real joy and relaxation. Prioritize leisure just as you would work or other responsibilities. If you’ve let #riseandgrind culture get you out of this habit, stop. Go have fun doing your things and being with your people. Trust me on this one, you can’t get that time back.

8. Get Out in Nature: We’re all animals.
   Spending time outdoors, whether it's hiking, walking in the park, or simply sitting in your garden, can help you connect with nature and reduce stress. This doesn’t necessarily pertain to golf, which might make you want to throw your four iron into a peaceful, scenic pond. Sunshine has real healing power, and many think the actual earth does too.

9. Practice Gratitude: It truly helps.
   Humans in general, and Americans in particular, have a habit of taking things for granted and always wanting something better. This ambition can be healthy; it’s good to be ambitious, but don’t forget to take time each day to reflect on the things for which you’re grateful. This can shift your focus away from what you lack and help you appreciate the present moment. This includes relationships too, not just that you wish you’d bought the CLS450 instead of the A7 because back-window visibility sucks.

10. Set Realistic Goals: Again, you can’t do it all.
    I’m a list person. I try to do the Ivy Lee method most of the time, but my list habit invariably turns into a sprawling, Cthulu-like list of 75 things to get done in a day. Spoiler alert: I’m not getting 75 things done in a day; none of us are. I’m knocking out about eight, and that’s when I’m on fire. Don’t be like me. Be better than me. Avoid setting overly ambitious goals that lead to constant striving and stress. Instead, set achievable goals that are aligned with your values and priorities.

11. Actively Try to Relax: Remember that?
    You know how to relax. But do you do it? Try incorporating relaxation techniques into your routine, such as taking warm baths, meditation, getting a massage, practicing yoga, watching birds, or listening to calming music—whatever helps you wind down. Even if you think that stuff is silly, just fold in a thing or two and see if you don’t feel like it slows your life down a bit.

12. Seek Advice: Don’t go it alone.
    If you find it challenging to slow down due to chronic stress or anxiety, consider seeking help from someone who can provide strategies for managing stress and achieving a better work-life balance. Depending on the nature or degree of how you’re feeling, a professional counselor or therapist might be what you need. But if things aren’t that severe for you, maybe just talk to someone already in your life like a friend, family member or the bartender at Buffalo Wild Wings (I’d wait until college football season is over, though, they’re going to be pretty busy the next few months.)

I’m typically not a huge fan of the phrase “personal journey,” but slowing down your life is sort of a personal journey. It may take time to find the strategies that work best for you. Today I’m going to try to slow down a little by doing a bit of fiction writing, going for a quick bike ride and sitting in my backyard hammock for a while listening to all the birds. Experiment with different approaches and be patient with yourself as you strive to create a more balanced and mindful life that doesn’t feel like you’re in sixth gear all the time.

Wednesday, 13 September

Preacher or Storyteller? 

I love listening to podcasts and audiobooks while I’m running errands or doing chores—or pretty much anything that I can’t read while doing. Thought I’d pass on a fun interview I heard on the Lex Friedman podcast with master biographer Walter Isaacson. He’s got a lot of interesting things to say about the subjects he’s covered, and his writing process, but I also thought he had some especially solid advice on writing as a whole. 

Isaacson is known for his insightful and comprehensive biographical works on influential figures in history, particularly in the fields of science, technology and innovation. He graduated from Harvard University, where he studied history and literature, before attending the University of Oxford—as a Rhodes Scholar no less. He later earned his J.D. from Yale Law, although he never practiced law extensively.

Some of his most notable biographies include:

Steve Jobs (2011): Isaacson's biography of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is one of his most celebrated works. It provides an intimate and revealing portrait of Jobs, delving into his creative genius, his innovative spirit, and his complex personality.

Einstein: His Life and Universe (2007): This biography of Albert Einstein delves into the life and work of the iconic physicist, exploring his groundbreaking theories of relativity and his contributions to our understanding of the universe.

Leonardo da Vinci (2017): Isaacson's biography of the Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci offers a comprehensive look at the life of the artist, inventor, and scientist, highlighting his insatiable curiosity and genius.

The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution (2014): In this book, Isaacson traces the history of the digital revolution, focusing on the collaborative efforts of pioneers in computer science and technology.

This guy really captures the essence of his subjects and gives a deep understanding of their impact on the world. One thing he said during this interview that really resonated with me was how he was so careful not to use his books as a tool to editorialize and tell the reader what to think about his subject. He gives the facts, with lots of vivid color and insightful context, and then lets the reader decide. He said that when you sit down to write a story, and I’m paraphrasing here, one of two personalities come out: preacher or storyteller. 

There’s so much value in that advice. 

So many potentially great stories are wrecked by the overwhelming urge some people have to hammer home THE MESSAGE when the reader was just looking for an awesome story or insightful, interesting information. And, sure, that’s a simplification. Writers have things to say, and storytelling is often the best way to say it. James Dearden's screenplay Fatal Attraction is saying that you #$&! around at your own risk. Golding's loss-of-innocence novel Lord of the Flies tells us humans are inherently evil, civilization is fragile, reason and instinct are always in conflict and everybody loves a cool seashell. Orwell's allegorical novella Animal Farm uses a group of farm animals to represent the events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent rise of Stalinism—which apparently they don't teach kids in the United States these days because it seems like nobody learned that lesson (see how tempting it is?). 

But those writers are very skilled craftspeople. If THE MESSAGE is important to you and you insist on using your writing as a vehicle for it, be careful. Be a storyteller first, and not a preacher. Then maybe you can give readers what they expect or more—and also express yourself and your views along the way.

Tuesday, 12 September

Grey vs Gray

So which is it? I’ve been asked this so many times over the years, I thought I’d just throw this helpful graphic out there from C.B. Daniels in Florida—who has a cool design-centric website called This vs. That. Once again separated by a common language. They did give the world Pink Floyd and BBC 4 Extra, though, so you can’t help but like them.

Monday, 11 September

Ethan Hawke on Creativity

Check out this fun take on creativity by Ethan Hawke. Human creativity does matter. Also, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead is one of the greatest works of neo-noir film of my lifetime, and Ethan Hawke killed that role. You have to be brilliant to play someone who’s not-very-bright and really sell it.

Saturday, 9 September

Why Do People Read in Public Spaces?

Are you the person who can be found reading at a coffee shop, bar, park or cafe? If so, why would you do that? OK, the park I get; a good book and a nice, sunny day is tough to beat. If you just have a book with you at all times and you’re reading as you wait on a train or at your mechanics or in a doctor’s waiting room—I’m all about that too. I hate not having a book or my iPad when running around town. Otherwise, I never really saw the appeal. It seems like for many people the book is just a sort of prop that can be used to start conversations and they’re showing up for the conversations not the reading. Why not just go out and talk to people without the pretense of “reading.” Of course, that doesn’t describe all public readers. Some people just want to be around others. Not really talking to them but just finding comfort in both being alone and near fellow humans at the same time. OK, I can see that for the right kind of person.

I’m an only child, so I’m really comfortable doing fun things out on my own (not everyone is). But I feel like I’ve gotta control the environment if I’m reading. So for me, personally, I find reading at a bar or coffee shop way too distracting. Even the possibility that someone could come up and start talking to me at any second is too distracting for me to really enjoy the book. And whenever I try it I just end up listening to other people’s conversations—or getting dragged into them. Or it devolves into a covert people-watching session where I’m just looking at passing people over the top of the book like a novice field agent in a John le Carre novel. Which is all very fun and interesting, but doesn’t get me very far with the book.

Well, each to his own. And us readers have to stick together. After all, our numbers are declining. I trust Gallup polls only slightly more than I do bits of graffiti I read from the box cars of trains or the ranting of drugged out people shuffling around downtown without shoes. But according to one of their studies readers today are reading two or three books fewer than they did just a few years ago. So, hey, maybe I should give public reading another shot. Maybe all readers should step out every week just to advocate for the somewhat-dying art of reading itself. Maybe we should all carry those books of ours out in the open and start conversations about how great reading is. Maybe I’ll try that when I’m done with the book I’m reading right now.

Friday, 8 September

Craig Johnson at Murder by the Book Next Week

Love me some Longmire. Actually, I've become quite the fan of the Neo-Western. So I'm psyched that the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mysteries will be in town next week at one of my favorite bookstores ever, Murder by the Book. The Longmire creator will be signing on Wednesday, September 13th at 6:30PM. Pro tip: If you're a fan of his work and you want to go, don't show up at 6:30PM. That's the time it starts. Don’t be that person. You need time to park, look around, etc. Check out MBTB's signing policies to make the most of the event.

Thursday, 7 September

How to Start a Critique Group

Though my attendance sucks, I’ve been in a writing group for several years (I often joke that my 10-year participation has been a very fulfilling 14 or 15 meetings). But I find a lot of value in it, and appreciate both giving and getting creative support. I’m considering starting another one; one that’s online only with a little different format and that works with my schedule. This is something I’ve never done before. So as I go through the process I thought I’d share the steps I’ve found helpful in case you wanted to do it too, wherever you live. I’ve whittled it down to 10 pretty simple steps, far as I can tell:

1. Define the goals and purpose of the group.

2. Find other miscreants who are as broken as you.

3. Set the group’s size and format.

4. Establish the frequency and duration of meets.

5. Create some rules people should agree to if they’re going to participate.

6. Figure out how participants will submit work.

7. Encourage the group to prepare beforehand.

8. Make sure everyone knows what constructive feedback looks like.

9. Put a schedule on the books and stick with it.

10. Change things when they’re not working.

Along the way, it probably also helps if you can:

• Keep your schedule as regular as possible.

• Encourage participants to prepare before the meetings.

• Ensure that everyone gets to share their work regularly.

• Keep it supportive and respectful.

• Foster accountability and tough love. Remember that attacks on your work are NOT attacks on you personally; the group is trying to help you improve your writing, not insult you.

• Keep in touch between meetings.

• Be forgiving when people like Dylan have to skip (everyone has a life).

• Enable anyone to quit easily with no hard feelings.

• Support your fellow members in their quest for publication, events, book promotion, reviews, etc.

Writing groups aren’t for everyone. Some people feel that it slows them down. Others aren’t willing to open themselves up to that level of criticism, or just like going it alone. But if you’re a professional writer, I encourage you to give it a shot and see if it’s for you. Worst case scenario? You’ll get to read some interesting new stories that haven’t yet been published.

Wednesday, 6 September

Don’t Forget Literary Resale

I was lucky enough to get a note out of the blue recently asking to reprint one of my short stories from 2017. I actually forgot that was a thing. But this can be a great thing. You’ve already put in the work, so why not re-sell your old stories to markets that don’t mind a second debut? Be sure to check your contract to be sure that you’ve retained the rights (another reason to always save your contracts, no matter how small the sale). As a writer, you want your revenue streams to be an eighteen-wheeler, not a unicycle. Being paid for reprints isn’t life-changing money but it’s yours for the taking, akin to when movies used to get a second wind from DVD sales. And, bonus, even more people get to see your work.

Tuesday, 5 September

Book of the Week: The Van Gogh Blues by Eric Maisel

Creatives and depression go hand-in-hand like shrimp and grits. That’s why this book is such an important read. My mother, an accomplished artist, actually loaned this book to me years ago (sorry, Mom, I’ll return it soon I swear). I read it way back then and then just ran across it recently and read it again.

Writers, painters, sculptors, musicians—many creatives are more prone to depression than the population at large. This is for many reasons. For one thing, creatives tend to be sensitive. There’s a lot of rejection involved in a professional-level creative pursuit, even when you’re really good. Self-doubt and self-criticism come with the work. You spend a lot of time alone, often with work that tends to prompt big questions. There’s a lot of pressure to stand out and innovate. Money can be a problem. And, sometimes, usually without knowing it, even your friends and family don’t truly want you to succeed. It can often feel like it’s you against the world.

For a professional creative, the highs can be really high. And the lows can be pretty low. You really need a strong and well-maintained emotional infrastructure because you will be tested and sometimes fall short. The Van Gogh Blues covers a lot of useful ground, including the reflection on meaning, braving anxiety, self-support, repairing the self and forging relationships. Worth a read if you struggle to feel good while you’re doing your thing.

Monday, 4 September

First Rain in a Long, Long Time

The girls are loving it. Raindrops pelting they key lime tree outside of my office window; I’m in here cranking on the latest WIP sipping on some Texas Pecan coffee. Sometimes life ain’t too awful bad.

Sunday, 3 September

Is Writing a Privileged Pursuit?

New York writer C.F. Turner asked this question on Twitter (sorry, just can’t get myself to call it “X” yet) and it’s one around which there’s been a lot of buzz in recent years. Some say writing if officially no longer a profession, merely a hobby for the emotionally needy affluent. Others say there has never been an easier time to be a writer and any class-related axe-grinding is merely an excuse not to produce. I say the truth is somewhere in the middle.

I mean, what do you need to be a writer? Sure, talent, a work either, etc.—assume you have all that. But what else do you need? For one thing, you need the time to write. You need to be in a mindset to be creative, so, not worried about where your next meal will come from, how your bills will be paid; all the lower bits of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. You need the tools of the trade, by which I clearly mean coffee and whiskey. Maybe a pencil and paper on the low-end; a Mac and Scrivener or some such thing for most. Then after that, it all depends.

Now, how you get in the position to have all of the things you need to write—that seems to be the rub.

The single mother of five who works three jobs and scraps like a tigress to find fifteen minutes to work on her serial killer series every day does inevitably look with envy, and not a little bit of bitterness, at the trust fund layabout who’s “thinking about writing a novel” because he’s just so bored when it’s not ski season. I have seen many successful writing careers built on the backs of inherited wealth, a spouse who’s a high earner and can afford for their partner’s writing income to be the equivalent of a rounding error, the result of caregiving with lots of free time, etc. Everyone walks their own path.

But I think those who lament that “if I could only afford to write full-time” or “if I just had a decent marketing budget for my self-published novel about the theft of the third-largest taxidermied deer in Wisconsin” might be selling their potential short. And, to be honest, the lack of wealth and privilege can be a bit of a copout.

Here’s where money gives you an advantage as a would-be author:

1. Time and resources (this is a big one)
   Wealthy individuals often have more financial freedom and can afford to dedicate time to writing without the immediate pressure to earn a steady income. They may have the resources to attend writing workshops, hire editors or writing coaches, and purchase necessary equipment like a fancy computer or writing software. And they can fly all around the country to attend writing conferences like a boss; also a nice advantage.

2. Financial security (also a biggie)
   A financial safety net can reduce the stress and pressure of earning a living solely from writing, allowing authors to focus on their craft and produce higher-quality work. They say pressure makes diamonds, and that can be true, but when the basics aren’t covered it usually just makes for acid reflux and not much sleep.

3. Access to education

   Especially important if you plan on wearing an ascot and getting your poem about gender politics published in Granta, wealth can provide access to quality education, including MFAs and creative writing programs, which can enhance a writer's skills.

4. Networking (big plus)
   Some people never have to pitch an agent or an editor; they just mention their nascent book idea to Aunt Bethany over lobster rolls at the beach house and the next thing you know they’re on NPR and need a better tax consultant. Wealthy individuals often have access to influential social circles and professional networks that can help them connect with publishers, agents, and other writers, opening doors to opportunities and collaborations.

5. Publishing costs for the indy author
   For those who want to go it alone, self-publishing a book can be expensive. Sometimes very expensive. Having a lot of financial resources can ease the burden of these costs. Wealthy writers may have the means to cover expenses related to editing, cover design, and marketing. I mean, that cheesy book trailer staring your cousin dressed as a forest druid isn’t going to produce itself.

So, yeah, privilege comes with a lot of advantages in the writing world. And lobster rolls. And probably more than one glass of Pimm’s. The privileged have a leg up with this career, just as they do in almost every other profession. But throwing money at a desired literary career doesn’t make you an automatic success. In fact, far from it.

Money and privilege can’t make you talented. It can’t impart hustle or a sense of urgency. Privilege doesn’t automatically give you a better breed of concept or more keen creative judgment. In fact, it may make you more out of touch. Privilege can’t directly impart craftsmanship—at all. And while privilege affords the opportunity to network, it can’t make people like you. Privilege can’t tell you how to spend the luxurious amount of time you have available. And privilege certainly can’t make you spend years of your life in front of a computer or over a notepad.

I’ve seen wealthy, connected, platformed individuals try succeed for decades in the writing game and just never get there. There is a very specific flavor of frustration that goes along with that and it’s not pretty. Still, creators are all in the same tribe no matter their circumstance and that’s a beautiful thing about the global writing community. We’re here for them, just as we are for all of our fellow scribes working hard to make things happen.

I met S.A. Cosby at a bar during Bouchercon in Dallas one year. That dude is cornbread country and nice as the day is long; I think he still worked at Lowe’s if I remember that right (that afternoon/evening/night is a little fuzzy) or maybe he’d just quit. He’s pretty much murdered the literary world at this point. Transgressive master Chuck Palahniuk worked at Freightliner for thirteen years as a diesel mechanic. Raymond Carver worked at a sawmill. Steven Pressfield drove a truck. Don DeLillo was a parking attendant. Douglas Adams cleaned chicken sheds and worked at a hotel. It’s as likely your favorite author drove an Uber before writing that book you love as it is that he or she grew up as a literary hothouse orchid.

So, yeah, does it suck you’re not a billionaire? Sure. Would you be a more successful author if you didn’t have to worry about bills and had an unlimited travel budget? Almost certainly. But the only real question is: What are you going to do about it?

Saturday, 2 September

Writers, Take Care of Your Body

We all know, at least intellectually, that we should treat our bodies well. Yet many writers operate their body like a Budget rent-a-car—abusing it with caffeine, alcohol, less-than-healthy food and an often pretty sedentary lifestyle. I’m certainly no exception; I just got over having what I suspect was RSV for like six weeks and man did that suck.

But remember this: treat your body poorly enough, and the writing is over. If you don’t make the time to take care of your body now, your body will force the issue at a later date. Staying healthy is crucial for writers for several reasons that can significantly impact their creativity, productivity, and overall well-being.

Here's why it's important for a writer to prioritize their health NOW before it’s too late.

1. Mental Clarity and Creativity
   Writing requires mental focus, clarity, and creativity. Physical health is closely linked to mental health, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, proper nutrition, and sufficient sleep can enhance cognitive function, leading to improved creative thinking and better writing outcomes.

2. Productivity
   Writing can be mentally demanding and time-consuming. When you're healthy, you're more likely to have higher energy levels, increased concentration, and better time management skills. This can lead to higher productivity, allowing you to write more efficiently and effectively.

3. Emotional Well-being
   Writing often involves delving into various emotions and experiences. Prioritizing your mental and emotional health can provide you with the emotional resilience needed to navigate the challenges of writing, handle rejections, and manage the ups and downs of the creative process.

4. Consistency

   Developing a writing routine and maintaining consistent habits is essential for improvement. Good health habits, such as getting regular exercise and following a balanced diet, contribute to a stable daily routine. This consistency can positively impact your writing practice as well.

5. Longevity and Career Sustainability

   Writing is a long-term endeavor. Taking care of your health can contribute to a longer and more sustainable writing career. Avoiding burnout, fatigue, and health-related setbacks can help you continue to produce quality work over the years.

6. Reduced Stress
   Writing deadlines, self-imposed pressure, and the quest for publication can all contribute to high stress levels. Engaging in regular physical activity, practicing relaxation techniques, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help manage stress and prevent its negative effects on both your writing and your overall well-being.

7. Enhanced Focus and Concentration
   A healthy lifestyle can improve your ability to concentrate for extended periods, an essential skill for writers. Adequate sleep, a balanced diet, and physical activity can optimize your brain function and help you stay focused on your writing tasks.

8. Prevention of Health Issues

   Sedentary behavior and poor dietary habits can lead to health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Prioritizing your health through regular exercise and a balanced diet can reduce the risk of these issues and allow you to enjoy a better quality of life.

9. Positive Mindset

   Physical health and mental health are closely interconnected. Engaging in healthy habits can contribute to a more positive outlook on life, which can positively impact your writing by fostering creativity and open-mindedness.

10. Inspiration from Life Experiences

    Many writers draw inspiration from their own experiences and the world around them. Being in good health allows you to engage in a variety of activities, explore different environments, and interact with diverse people, all of which can enrich your writing by providing a broader range of experiences to draw from.

So don’t be like me. Be better than me and take care of yourself. It’s the only way to discover your true potential to produce quality work, manage the challenges of the writing journey, and enjoy a fulfilling and sustainable career.

Friday, 25 August

Old Reliable Fallback: The Ivy Lee Method

I always thought the phrase “time management” was silly and full of hubris. I mean, come on. At the end of the day, time is pretty much managing us, right? But it’s a thing now, and how you plan your day matters for most people.

Eighty percent of fiction writers I know have day jobs—some in very demanding fields such as law, finance or medicine. Many have kids. Even the few full-time novelists I know struggle with executing on their everyday plans to market the work they currently have in market, deal with publicist requests and events, build their platform, etc. All while putting time to the next big idea.

As a result of this pressure to execute, people subscribe to, and create, all kinds of ways to manage their time: Journals, tech solutions, random pieces of paper, actual print calendars, putting very rigid regular structure to their day; for some this becomes almost a spiritual pursuit. But for me there’s one “time management” fallback that always works to help me get things done: The Ivy Lee Method.

If your to-do list is growing faster than you can keep up with, the Ivy Lee Method can help take one thing at a time—getting things done in a low-stress way. And best of all? It’s super simple.

Here's how it works: At the end of each day, you sit down and pick the six most important things you need to get done tomorrow. These are the tasks that will make the biggest impact or help you move forward on your goals.

Then, you prioritize these tasks in order of importance. Number them from one to six, with one being the most crucial and six being the least.

When you start your next day, focus on task number one. Give it your full attention and energy until it's done. Then, move on to task number two, and so on. The trick here is that you don't move on to the next task until the current one is complete.

I know, this sounds basic to the point of being pedantic. But for the right kind of person, it really helps. The Ivy Lee Method is like having a roadmap for your day. I personally struggle with too many ideas; too many projects; an unrealistic expectation of what I can really do on a give day, and the result can be immobilizing.

The Ivy Lee Method prevents me from getting overwhelmed and paralyzed by a massive to-do list, which is something I’m personally prone to, and helps me stay focused on the tasks that truly matter. By limiting my daily tasks to just six, I’m forced to be selective and prioritize what's really important. So if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed, give it a shot and see what all you can get done in a day if you just strip things down to the basics.

Thursday, 20 July

It Was 100 Degrees Today, and I Saw This Over the Weekend.

Yep, Halloween stuff. OK, even for the most diehard Halloween fan, and I love me some Halloween, I'm struggling with putting out spooky season products in July. How far ahead to do rest of you plan? Am I the only one who waits until December to send out holiday cards? This kind of thing stresses me out. Later on the day I saw this--mostly because I don't have any kids and spend a lot of time just mulling over random things--I thought about why it bothers me so much. Mostly so I can articulate to my wife why I find Uber-early holiday promotions so annoying, here's what I came up with:

1. It waters down the holiday, making it less special. Holidays are like yearly milestones to me. Halloween in particular sort of gives me vibes like: "Hey, you've survived most of the year. Congratulations! Enjoy this hot-but-no-longer-sweltering weather, a football game and maybe 14 jack o'lantern-shaped Reese’s cups in one sitting. If you can buy a pumpkin carving kit and a Dracula costume in April then it just doesn't mean as much. Green beer at St. Patrick's Day sounds fun and campy. Omnipresent green beer all year ‘round sounds like it should result in a fraternity losing its charter.

2. Milestones should happen in their natural order.
Various parts of your brain work together in a complex network to help provide you with a sense of how time passes, from the Supramarginal Gyrus and Parietal Cortex that estimates time durations and intervals to the insular cortex which applies emotions. Being offered a box of Cadbury Eggs, then a chocolate Santa and then some candy corns, in that order, breaks each and every one of my brain bits—disrupting the natural flow of seasons. I want to experience and enjoy each holiday in its own order in space time, rather than being exposed to multiple holidays simultaneously like some weird physics theory being bandied about by two drunken professors at a bar in Cambridge, Massachusets.

3. People crave authenticity now more than ever.
Setting out Christmas sale stuff while we're all still getting sunburned at the golf course just reminds people that your brand is all about the bucks and not about the sprit of the holidays themselves. You’ve hypnotized us all year long with careful brand experiences and now you’re breaking the trance for short-term quarterly gains. Granted in Houston you usually can grill fajitas in your cargo shorts on Christmas Day; it doesn't matter how many wool sweaters and skiing jackets they try to sell you at Academy it's probably still 80 degrees. The point stands, however. Summer pumpkin-spice lattes are an affront to God. And who are these people watching Hallmark Christmas movies in May? Keep an eye on your pet rabbits.

4. It reminds me that there's stuff I need to do.
This is a problem because I already have stuff to do. Way more stuff than I want to do. So much stuff. And here is the August Santa Claus display or the pink tidal wave of December Valentine's Day cards reminding me that I need to start shopping, send out our holiday cards or figure out a romantic way to express my love that involves using my phone to buy something while I’m stuck in I-10 traffic. Pace yourself, retailers. Most people have plenty to do already. I don’t even want to do the current things. So We're not over here thinking about how to get the jump on Memorial Day cookouts while we're eating a king cake in January.

5. Health, safety and environmental concerns.
It's February and you find yourself at the Dollar General, because obviously something has gone horribly wrong in your life. But, what is this? SCORE! Your life's not total shit because you spy one of those big, fat bags of Twix, Snickers, Milky Way and M&Ms for a buck. Here's the thing, though: That might not have been made this year. Might not even be just from last Halloween. Hell, that bag could date back to the tophat and mutton chop era when Bram Stoker himself was penning his first epistolary stories—savoring some nougat as he put his own spin on the older legends of Vlad the Impaler. Like family fruitcakes and rumors about the Kennedys, holiday-related candy is never taken out of circulation. Soon people will start collecting the uneaten ones like rare coins.

So, please, in the name of all that’s holy, stop promoting holidays several months before their time in the natural order of things. (I’m not just picking on this retailer because they stopped carrying my books, though, I’ll be honest, that did not help their case). It’s worth the wait to keep our holidays special and safe right where they’re meant to be.

Monday 26 June

Book of the Week is Roadside Geology of Texas by Darwin Spearing

One of our favorite annual vacations is to take a trip or two out to Terlingua and do a lot of hiking out at Big Bend National Park. There's a lot to do between here and there but one thing I've really come to appreciate, other than easy access to Chicken Fried Steak with Cream Gravy, is what a wide and interesting variety of geology there is along the roadside. I picked this book up in the bookstore at the old trading post in Terlingua. It's exactly what it says on the tin. Addressing each region of Texas, the author talks about the geological features, curiosities and origins of the geology along roadsides all across the Lone Star State. Geologically speaking, Houston is covered by the Yegua Formation, the Cook Mountain Formation, the Sparta Sand, Alluvium, the Weches Formation, Queen City Sand, Terrace deposits, the Cadell Formation, the Wellborm Formation, the Deweyville Formation and the Manning Formation. Plus a hearty layer of paper license plates.

Friday, 23 June

“I Don’t Have Time to Write”

Oh, come on. You know that’s not really true. What you mean to say is that for you, creating the time to write isn’t worth the sacrifice of all the other things in your life. Trust me, I get it. I didn’t really write much this week; some weeks are like that for me. But at the end of the day I chose to do other things. It was a choice I made, though, not some universal fait accompli. I had as much time as anyone else had this week, and so did you.

It’s true that some people just have plenty of free time on their hands—making for an idyllic writing lifestyle. Maybe they don’t have to work or just through a happenstance of life need to find something to fill their time. But most writers don’t have this scenario. Don’t burn yourself out obsessing over how much better a writer you’d be, or how much easier it would be, if only you just had all day to write whatever you wanted. Right now, a million talented poets, novelists, screenwriters, playwrights and journalists are spending the bulk of their day turning wrenches, Ubering businesspeople to conferences, serving up french fries or changing diapers. What can I tell ya; life’s not fair.

But the truth is that you have more time than you think. This week—the week that I spent at the gym, reading and cleaning my house rather than writing—somewhere a staff physician at a hospital who sleeps three hours a night managed to add five chapters to his work in progress. Somewhere a single mother took an hour between her two jobs and wrote 1,000 words for her cozy mystery about the crime-solving owner of a baby boutique. A woman on a business trip in Shanghai took advantage of jet lag to concept the next book in her non-fiction series about cryptocurrency.

Millions of people, probably some who are far busier than you, find the time to write. Because serious writers find time to write. That question is: Are you the kind of person who will do what it takes to write regularly? Or not so much? There’s no shame in admitting it’s not for you but you’ll be a happier person if you know where you stand. Check out this handy dandy list:

Sleeping

Eating

Exercising

Working

Friends

Husband/Wife

Shopping

Education

Caregiving

Church

Family

Hobbies

Housework

Reading

Social Media

Netflix, etc.

Now, the activities on this list are pretty much how many people spend their lives. Writing is not inherently on this list until you decide to put it there. So your job is to decide which things you want to delay and for how long to give you the space you need to write. Basically you add writing time by taking away time for all these other things.

There are different schools of thought on this. Some people pare their lives to the Spartan bone to maximize every possible spare writing minute. Others consider all of these activities as vital grist for the mill and “fuel up” on them so that they can write with full flavor when they do have the time. And most people are a spectrum in between. So take a good hard look at that list and see what you think can go and when--because that’s where you’ll find time to write.

Aside from that bit of brutal life math, here are some other ways to optimize your writing time:

Establish a Writing Routine
Creating a consistent writing routine helps writers make writing a regular habit. They can set aside specific times each day or week that are dedicated solely to writing. This may involve waking up early, writing during lunch breaks or allocating evenings for writing. Having a routine helps to prioritize writing and make it a regular part of their schedule. Sure, life will still get in the way. But at least you’ll have a plan.

Utilize Small Time Windows
Writers can make use of small pockets of time throughout the day to write. It could be during a commute (unless you’re driving), waiting for appointments or during breaks. By carrying a notebook or using a writing app on their phone, they can make productive use of these brief moments to jot down ideas, outline scenes, or even write short bursts of prose.

Identify Productive Writing Environments
Writers should identify the environments in which they can focus and be productive. It could be a quiet corner at home, a cozy coffee shop or a local library. By finding a place that offers minimal distractions and stimulates their creativity, they can maximize their writing time and concentration.

Set Realistic Writing Goals
Setting achievable writing goals helps writers stay motivated and focused. They can determine specific word counts, page targets, or time goals for each writing session. By breaking down larger writing projects into smaller, manageable tasks, writers can make steady progress even with limited time availability. If you try taking on too much you’ll flame out.

Limit Distractions
Writers can benefit from minimizing distractions during their designated writing time. This may involve turning off notifications on electronic devices, disconnecting from the internet, or finding tools and apps that help them focus, such as productivity apps or noise-canceling headphones. Creating a distraction-free environment can significantly enhance productivity. Some people turn off their WIFI router to keep themselves off social.

Find Some Accountability Partners
Joining writing groups, workshops, or online communities can provide support and accountability. Engaging with fellow writers allows for sharing experiences, setting goals together, and providing encouragement. Having a support system can help writers stay motivated and committed to their writing practice. And in today’s Slack/Zoom/Teams/Whatever world you’re not just limited to people in your own city.

So before you say that you don’t have time to write, really sit down and think about how you’re spending your time now—and what changes you can make to maximize time. What works for someone else may not work for you because they don’t have your life. But through a combination of discipline, planning and adaptability you can find more time to write—and do it in a way that fits your individual circumstances and creative process.

Wednesday, 14 June

Why Contribute to a Short Story Anthology?

If you're a writer of fiction, you can sink time into that big novel you're working on. Or you can make a little pizza money by selling a short story to a pro-rate magazine. If you want the prestige of feeling bougie writing for the Tin House or Paris Review set, that makes sense for the right kind of people. But what about a short story anthology? Fresh calls for anthologies are popping up constantly, but are they worth your time? Here are the main reasons why professional writers who make a nice living through their writing still bother to take time out of their schedule for these projects:

1. Exposure and Visibility
   Short story anthologies provide a platform for writers to showcase their work to a wider audience. Being included in an anthology exposes their writing to readers who may not have come across their work otherwise. This exposure can lead to increased visibility, recognition, and potential future opportunities.

2. Networking and Collaboration
   Anthologies often bring together multiple writers who contribute their stories to a common theme or topic. This collaboration allows writers to connect and build relationships with other authors, editors, and publishers within the anthology. Networking opportunities can lead to future collaborations, mentorship, and support within the writing community.

3. Building a Writing Portfolio
   Contributing to anthologies allows writers to add published works to their writing portfolio or author bio. Having a collection of published stories demonstrates their credibility and experience as a writer, which can be beneficial when pursuing other writing opportunities such as agent representation or book deals.

4. Creative Experimentation
   Short story anthologies often have specific themes or prompts, which can inspire writers to explore new genres, styles, or themes outside their comfort zone. It provides an opportunity for writers to experiment with different storytelling techniques, narrative structures, or perspectives.

5. Practice and Skills Development
   Writing short stories for anthologies allows writers to refine their craft and develop their skills. Shorter formats require concise storytelling, character development, and effective use of limited space. By writing for anthologies, writers can hone their abilities to create compelling narratives within a condensed framework.

6. Contributing to a Collective Work
   Being part of a curated collection of stories in an anthology gives writers a sense of belonging and community. They become part of a larger literary work that reflects diverse voices and perspectives, contributing to the richness and diversity of storytelling.

7. Supporting a Cause or Organization
   Some anthologies are published for charitable purposes, supporting specific causes or nonprofit organizations. Writers may contribute their stories to these anthologies to support a cause they care about, using their writing to make a positive impact or raise awareness.

8. Helping a Friend
   Words like “networking” and “collaboration” sound awfully formal, and sometimes a little salesy. The world of letters, especially when you get into niche genre crowds, is a small one. It's also generally supportive and welcoming (romance writers not withstanding haha). So a lot of times if you have a friend spearheading one of these projects people want to help make it a success and contribute.

When I first started writing, I was definitely excited about getting exposure and visibility. These days I still love contributing to a fun short story anthology, but my motivations have totally changed. Now I just look at them as a way to keep my skills sharp, play around with new ideas and help support the projects of people I know and respect.

Actually, since everyone contributing gets the same basic brief my absolute favorite aspect of being a part of an anthology project is reading what other people have written. They were given the same prompt that you received; what did they do with it? I find that so fascinating, exploring other people's ideas, creative process and output.

If you're looking for opportunities to contribute to a short story anthology, conferences are a great place to plug in. Plus, many conferences themselves publish an anthology—often to support a worthy philanthropic cause. So keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground; that next anthology may just help you level up in an exciting way.

Tuesday, 13 June

Book of the Week: The End of the World is Just the Beginning by Peter Zeihan

So as it turns out, I grew up in a time of unprecedented plenty. And you probably did too. The Bretton-Woods Agreement, the Cold War and the role of the United States as a global beat cop has meant a world of peaceful, easy, efficient world trade that created an environment in which everything was good, fast, cheap and plentiful. As the author points out, this isn't normal--and it's all coming to an end. In The End of the World is Just the Beginning, geopolitical strategist Peter Zeihan shows us what an extraordinary time period we've been living through, why it's ending and what things look like on the other side. It's basically a guidebook to the end of globalization, and paints a less than exciting vision of the pretty-near future in which countries and regions must rely on their own manufacturing, energy, food, etc. Pairs nicely with Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond.

Thursday, 1 June

You Need a Solid Home Office, Y’all

If you want to be a professional-grade writer, you need to set yourself up for success by creating a space that’s conducive to creativity, productivity and peace of mind. And maybe a nap here and there. Sure, I know a few fanciful fiction writers who prefer to work in cafes, bars, RVs or even in bed. But 80 percent of the heavy-hitting writers I know rock a no-nonsense office that makes it possible for their imaginations to do their thing at maximum horsepower. What all does that entail? Glad you asked.

1. It should be comfortable.

   Invest in a comfortable desk and chair that provide adequate support for long writing sessions. Ensure the desk has enough space for your computer, writing materials, and any necessary peripherals. Don’t buy a super-stylish chair that hurts your back like I did at first.

2. It should be well lit.

   Natural light is ideal, so position your desk near a window if possible. Supplement it with adjustable desk lamps or overhead lighting to minimize eye strain and create a well-lit environment. If you’re reading glasses-years-old like me have multiple pairs sitting around.

3. It should have good ergonomics.

   Set up your desk and chair ergonomically to maintain good posture and prevent discomfort or injury. It’s amazing how that kind of thing sneaks up on you, so try to listen to your body. Adjust the height of your chair, position your monitor at eye level, and keep your wrists and arms properly supported if you can remember (most people don’t).

4. It should be organized.

   I know, I know. Most writers’ offices look like they house a family of uber-literate squirrels. My office is pretty much the only really organized room in the house, though, since you can save so much time by staying organized. Desk organizers, filing systems, white boards, storage thingos from the Container Store and so forth ensure easy access to ideas, important documents, manuscripts, reference materials, and supplies.

5. It should be inspiring.

   Surround yourself with things that motivate you, and not just your mortgage statement. Hang artwork, inspirational quotes, or images related to your writing projects. I’ve got stuff like an oil painting of a guy canoeing down a river, painted by my father, that always reminds me of the hero’s journey, a little Mystic Seer statuette from the Twilight Zone and a big print that says YOU CAN’T DEPOSIT EXCUSES.

6. It has to be quiet (for most people).

   Minimize distractions and create a quiet environment for focused writing. Consider using noise-canceling headphones, white noise machines, or background music (if it helps you concentrate) to drown out external disturbances. I actually wear earplugs from the gun range AND noise cancelling Bose headphones when I write.

7. It has to have awesome internet.

   As a professional writer, a stable and high-speed internet connection is crucial. Otherwise, how can you waste time and procrastinate by taking all those online quizzes to discover what kind of cheese you are? Kidding. Ensure your home office is equipped with a reliable Wi-Fi router or a wired Ethernet connection to support research, communication, book event Zoom calls and all that jazz.

8. It has to have some basic tech.

   Equip your home office with the necessary tools for writing, such as a reliable computer or laptop, a comfortable keyboard, a mouse or trackpad, and a printer/scanner if needed. Additionally, consider having a backup storage solution to protect your work, such as external hard drives or cloud storage services. Both, ideally.

9. It’s nice to have reference materials.

   I’m old fashioned. I keep a collection of reference books, dictionaries, style guides, and other relevant resources within reach. Like, actual printed books. In theory, these materials can assist you in research, fact-checking, or finding inspiration during your writing process but in reality I haven’t touched them in years and they just look cool. I pretty much know what they all say, or else they’re out of date and now I know what they should say.

10. It has to be free from distractions.

    If you can swing it, don’t use the kitchen table or anywhere with a TV. When someone distracts you, or you distract yourself, it takes fifteen minutes to get in the grove again and constant interruptions really chip away at precious writing time. Also, no social media when you’re in your office—for real for real.

Hey, not everyone has the luxury of a first-class office space. If you’re living in a one-bedroom apartment with partners and kids and pets, it is what it is. The upside of this situation: You’ll have more to write about than the rest of us. But if you have a choice, remember that writing can be hard enough under the best conditions. There’s no reason to make it harder by not giving yourself the space to really bring your ideas to life.

Wednesday, 31 May

Artificial Intelligence is Here to Stay

And that's not necessarily a bad thing. But the widespread use of AI for all kinds of creative disciplines, including ChatGPT and other generative creative aggregation technologies, will change everyday creative craftsmanship and economics forever.

For a few months now I've been doing what every other professional writer is doing--trying out as many of these tools as possible to see what they can do. Plugging them into different kinds of work. Poking at the soft spots. Trying to imagine what they can become in the near future and beyond.

Right now, they're impressive on the surface--but also pretty limited. That's not going to last. Already ChatGPT is a useful tool for boiling down basic information, creating streamlined boilerplates or big-picture informational copy, bouncing around ridiculous ideas and at least discovering what you DON'T want to do with a piece of writing.

I think the most spot on assessment of how ChatGPT is going to live with us in the long term from a commercial writing and content development standpoint comes from celebrated entrepreneur and marketer Gary Vaynerchuk. In a recent podcast, he puts things into context by saying that AI is going to be just another complementary tool for a writer. When you get ready to write, you have a process. Maybe you get a glass of wine or a coffee. Maybe you put on a little music. And, now, maybe you queue up ChatGPT as a part of your creative palette.

On the fiction side of things, the horizon gets a little more strange. For decades, media execs and publishers have often seen creative talent as problematic--always bothering them about annoying stuff like money and time and just slowing down project development with pesky demands, opinions and ideas. Now corporate entertainment stakeholders are jumping up and down with excitement at the prospect of something automated that could streamline all that high-maintenance talent. We’ll see how that goes.

The prospect of replacing people with technology will be too great to pass up, and will probably simply lead to a further erosion of revenue—especially for traditionally published mid-list authors. Of course, this will likely be balanced out to some extent by new opportunities and productivity gains for writers too. Powerhouse author and all around brilliant dude Chuck Wendig has provided the best State of the Union I've seen on this front.

Commercial. Literary. Conceptual. Political. The good news is that, good stories are ultimately about the human experience. And that's something that, to do well, requires humans. All of this technology will simply streamline different parts of the process for different people in the creative, publishing, media and marketing food chains. Will it kill jobs? Oh, yeah. But it won’t displace premium talent. No robot could tell stories that lay the human condition bare like Margaret Atwood or write premium dollar sales copy like Bob Bly. Still, it's worth investing the time and money to stay abreast of them. Because if you don't learn how to use them to make your writing life easier, AI will inevitably put you in a position that makes your writing life more difficult.

Monday, 22 May

Book of the Week: Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

Thought I’d take things back with a little retropocalypse this week. I went through a big apocalyptic novel reading phase about ten years ago, and even wrote a few short stories in the genre. In the end I read so many that I found it a little depressing so I moved on. But I still have a soft spot in my heart for these books. In fact, a lot of people do. I've always wondered why that was, anyway, that people would enjoy stories about the world falling apart. Especially given, well, that every day we wake up with the possibility that the world will actually fall apart. I mean, The Road? Not exactly a first date movie. Anyway, where I wound up is with the realization that good old apocalyptic novels like Lucifer's Hammer, Alas, Babylon, and One Second After, have these six things going for them:

Exploration of Human Nature
Apocalyptic novels provide a captivating stage to examine the depths of human nature. In these catastrophic scenarios, ordinary people face extreme circumstances that strip away the comforts and safety nets of society. This allows authors to delve into the complexities of human behavior, showcasing both the best and worst aspects of humanity. From acts of heroism and selflessness to the darkness of desperation and moral decay, readers witness a microcosm of society under extreme duress.

Survival and Resilience
There's something deeply engrossing about stories that revolve around survival and resilience. Apocalyptic novels thrust characters into life-or-death situations, challenging them to adapt, improvise, and overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles. As readers, we cheer for the underdogs, marvel at their resourcefulness, and find inspiration in their determination. These stories tap into our primal instincts and remind us of the resilience of the human spirit. I especially like "gray man" novels where the hero's not some flashy bad ass but just an everyday quiet person with a little training, grit and problem-solving skills.

Reality Check Satisfaction
You know how there's a gap with many people between where they stand in real life versus where they think they stand? You know, the guy who took two years of strip mall taekwondo and is convinced he's a killer or someone who's convinced that people in their big, sprawling metropolis are "basically all good people" or that they would always be just fine without help from anyone whatsoever? Well, it's pretty satisfying when that reality gap is quickly closed by zombies or natural disaster or societal collapse. Especially when the character is annoying.

Societal Critique and Reflection
Apocalyptic novels often serve as vehicles for social critique, offering a lens through which authors can examine and comment on various aspects of society. By envisioning the collapse of civilization, these novels explore themes such as government structures, technological dependence, environmental concerns, social hierarchies, and the fragility of our interconnected systems. They provide a thought-provoking mirror that prompts readers to reflect on the state of our own world and contemplate potential consequences.

Escapism and Catharsis
Commute, work, TV, sleep. Rinse and repeat. In the midst of everyday routines and mundane realities, apocalyptic novels offer a thrilling form of escapism. They transport us to alternate realities, allowing us to experience intense emotions and thrilling adventures from the safety of our armchairs. The cathartic release that comes from immersing ourselves in the chaos and uncertainty of these worlds can be deeply satisfying, providing a temporary break from the spent-the-afternoon-folding-laundry predictability of our lives.

Examination of Ethical Dilemmas
How would your perceived values hold up when the SHTF? Apocalyptic scenarios often present characters with difficult ethical choices, forcing them to navigate moral gray areas and confront the consequences of their decisions. This exploration of ethical dilemmas adds depth and complexity to the narrative, engaging readers on a philosophical level. It prompts us to question our own values, ethics, and judgments, and ponder how we might behave in similar circumstances.

All that stuff's enough for me to dive into one of those books on a rainy afternoon—running your brain across a rich tapestry of human experiences, delving into the depths of our nature, exploring our capacity for survival, and poking around at our societal structures. By inviting readers to immerse themselves in these chaotic and breaking worlds, these novels offer both entertainment and an opportunity for introspection.

P.S. I think this is my buddy Danny’s book, who was gracious enough to loan it to me for, like, 15 years now. Dude, aren’t you glad I didn’t borrow your lawnmower instead?

Tuesday, 9 May

Five Great Blogs for Fiction Authors

A lot of people consider blogs passe now that the world seems to have an endless appetite for short-form video. But these five blogs are full of great advice for fiction writers, from landing an agent to craft tips and marketing advice. Check ‘em out!

1. Author Chuck Wendig and a number of contributing writers give solid advice and insights, plus he’s funny as Hell. https://terribleminds.com/

2. Joanna Penn is the ultimate indie author advocate; her blog is great and so is her podcast. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/blog/

3. Jane Friedman, author of a number of books including The Business of Being a Writer, is an institution with tons of great tips: https://www.janefriedman.com/blog/

4. If you write crime fiction, don’t miss SleuthSayers--where some of the most talented authors working today share their advice, perspectives, work and lives. https://www.sleuthsayers.org/

5. No matter how you publish, authors must market themselves. Seth Godin offers tons of great marketing advice for not just authors but people in any business. https://seths.blog/

Monday, 8 May

A Houstonian Eating Lunch, According to AI

Today I asked the artificial intelligence app Midjourney to create a photorealistic image of a person from Houston eating lunch, giving it no more input other than that. First, Houston is apparently composed of men. Men with a lot of sadness. Sad men who sit under tacky light fixtures and eat A LOT. While being sad. Special appearance by JK Simmons, who is apparently drinking a glass of iced salad.

Sunday, 7 May

Book of the Week: The Overstory by Richard Powers

Diving into a tree story on this rainy Sunday.

Saturday, 6 May

Sometimes You Just Need a Lazy Weekend

This weekend, I indulged in a long literary tradition stretching back centuries. I cleared my calendar of all obligations, knocked out all of my household responsibilities early and put off a few things until next weekend—all so I could work on one of the many creative projects I have going on. Then, and here’s where the tradition comes in, I didn’t write anything at all. Just wasn’t feeling it. So instead we spent a lazy afternoon doing a little bay fishing (ended up with just a couple of hardheads), played with the dogs, drank a few cold beers, touched base with a few old friends and watched a schlocky horror movie from the ‘80s. If, like me, you find yourself passing on your creative projects to chill, don’t beat yourself up too badly. Resting can help you kill it later. According to an interview in Scientific American, consultant and academic Alex Soojung-Kim Pang says: “Rest is not this optional leftover activity. Work and rest are actually partners. They are like different parts of a wave. You can't have the high without the low. The better you are at resting, the better you will be at working.” Now, if you find yourself putting off your work over and over, that’s a different conversation. But as much as I admire rise and grind, don’t forget to sharpen the saw every once in a while.

Thursday, 4 May

Wanted: Abandoned Buildings in Houston for Photography Project

My next regional interest book is called Abandoned Houston: Bayou City Buildings in Transition. I’m basically going to go around town photographing interesting abandoned places in Houston and the surrounding suburbs, writing about their past and future.  

The problem is things don’t stay fallow in Houston for very long. It’s not the Rust Belt. You can be eating at a restaurant and someone in a hardhat and vest might come take the fork out of your hand and tell you to get out now because they’re turning the building in a parking garage that very minute.

So far three locations in the book have been redeveloped or demolished as I was proposing the book to the publisher hahaha. Dang, Houston, slow down. Do you know of a cool abandoned building I should include in my new book? Hit me up: dylan@houstonwriter.com.

Monday, 17 April

Want to be More Creative? Try Optimism.

A lot of people want to be more creative. Some people believe that creativity can be learned and developed over time through various techniques and practices, while others think that creative ability is largely innate and cannot be taught; you’re just born with it. There are a lot of moving pieces when considering how creative a person can be, including genetics, environment, education, life experiences and lifestyle. But there’s one thing that’s been proven over and over to make people more creative: optimism.

Approaching problems that demand creativity with the assumption that you will have a successful outcome gives you several real creative advantages. For one thing, optimists try harder. At a subconscious level, cynics aren’t sure if the problem is worth the effort so they don’t try as hard. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. In addition, according to the Journal of Positive Psychology optimistic individuals are more resilient to setbacks and failures, which can spur creative thinking to find solutions that work.

The Journal of Creative Behavior reports that optimistic individuals tend to generate a greater number of unique ideas and solutions, i.e. divergent thinking, which is a key component of creativity. And the peer-reviewed journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being adds that optimism can lead to more positive emotions and a better mindset, which in turn improves problem-solving abilities and creative thinking. So when someone says: “Hey, you’ve got this,” believe them. Trust that everything will turn out great and you’ll be that much closer to a big creative win.

Wednesday, 12 April

Does Cannabis Really Make You More Creative?

I’ve known a lot of creatives who swear by cannabis as an aid to creativity. So does it really make you more creative? It depends. It depends on what you’re trying to do, the individual and their specific brain chemistry, the cannabis in question, etc.—many factors. Here are some potential pros and cons of using weed for creativity:

Pros:

• Can help to reduce anxiety and increase relaxation, which can make it easier to think creatively.

• May enhance sensory experiences, leading to new ideas.

• Can help to increase focus and concentration, which can be beneficial for creative tasks.

• Can promote more open-minded thinking.

Cons:

• May impair short-term memory and have a negative effect on cognitive function.

• Can lead to overthinking and paranoia, which can hinder creativity.

• May reduce motivation and productivity.

• Five pizzas cost a lot of money these days.

It doesn’t work for me, personally, but my take is that it works for some people when it comes to tasks like brainstorming and freethinking. For execution? Not so much. It can make catching details and connecting dots difficult, leading to mistakes when you’re running with your Big Idea.

Tuesday, 11 April

Common Commercial Copywriting Pitfalls

Whenever I try something new, either personally or professionally, I always try to find out what the top three most common mistakes people make when doing that thing—and how to avoid them. It doesn’t magically transform me into an expert. But at least I can give myself a slight edge, and fail in an informed and educational way. When it comes to commercial copywriting, here are a few of the most common ways people fail:

1. Focusing too much on the features of the product or service, rather than the benefits to the customer. This is the most common one I’ve seen from clients over the years. You’re so excited about whatever you’re marketing that you feel the need to just data dump all of the great things about it; except nobody cares unless they understand how it can benefit them.

2. Using clichés or buzzwords that don't have any real meaning or impact. So many people inundate their marketing with clichés and buzzwords that when someone writes something clear, concise and original that it may not get approved on the grounds of not “sounding professional.” If you have to chose between using words people actually understand and “sounding professional” go with the words people understand because that will make you more money.

3. Being too vague or generic in the messaging, making it difficult to stand out or be memorable. Another way to say this is that if you emphasize everything about your product and service, you’ll wind up emphasizing nothing. Pick a simple, true story and stick the execution. Don’t clutter up your pitch with unproductive noise.

4. Overpromising or making claims that can't be backed up by evidence or testimonials. Nobody really does this anymore. Why? Doesn’t work. The market will out if you’re selling a bill of goods. And it will happen at breakneck speed. Never, ever lie to your audience. If your company, product or service doesn’t stack up don’t misrepresent the facts. Find a different angle or maybe reconsider if that’s the product you should be marketing.

5. Ignoring the target audience and their specific needs and desires. Most writing and marketing problems can be fixed by returning to examine the target audience: what they want and fear, their beliefs and mindset, their demographics, etc. And with actual data, not just guesses and assumptions. When you don’t build on a foundation of target audience knowledge, it’s tough to write effective copy or do anything else correctly from the strategy on down.

Avoid these basic pitfalls and you’ll get an edge on whatever commercial copy you’re writing.

Monday, 10 April

Writers, Take Care of Your Eyes

Man, do most writers abuse their eyes. Between reading, writing and squinting to see those tiny royalty checks, we really lean on our peepers to put in the hard yards. So don’t forget to keep them in good shape. I had a recent close call with mine, and now I have a renewed appreciation for how important they are. Here are a few tips on how to maintain writer-level eye health:

1. Wear sunglasses
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun can damage your eyes and increase your risk of developing cataracts and other eye conditions. Wear sunglasses that block 99% to 100% of both UVA and UVB rays. And, face it, you’ll look cool.

2. Take breaks when using screens
I feel like I never do this, and neither does any other writer I know. But staring at a computer screen for extended periods can cause eye strain, dry eyes and blurred vision. Follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away from your screen and focus on the four corners of the room.

3. Get regular eye exams
Regular check-ups can help detect and treat any potential problems early on. I know, I know, you’re on deadline. You have life things to do. Getting your eyes poked like a scene from Fire in the Sky is way less fun than happy hour, but you’ll be glad you went.

4. Wear protective eyewear when needed
If you do risky eye stuff like weld metal art or do carpentry, or maybe you’re stuck in the ‘80s and still play racquetball, wear protective goggles or glasses to minimize the risk of injury.

5. Rethink those Marlboros
I mean, not that many people still smoke but some people still do. So just know that smoking can increase the risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration and other eye conditions. And that’s money you could be spending on books.

6. Eat like a responsible human
Yeah, I know. I don’t do this either. But for the record eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids can help maintain good eye health. Also watch your weight and your blood pressure. Many of the things that are good for your heart are also good for your eyes.

Thursday, 16 March 2023

Looking for a Good Proofing Trick?

Read it backward. Reading something backward can be a useful tool in proofreading as it allows you to focus on each individual word in isolation. This can help you to detect spelling mistakes, incorrect word choices, and other errors more easily. Do it by sentence, starting with the last and ending with the first. That way you can focus on individual construction and not get swept up in the other mechanics of the story.

Tuesday, 14 March 2023

What is Freewriting?

Many writers have a pre-writing exercise that could include anything from prayer to working out to housework. Personally I like to read in the genre I’m writing for fifteen or twenty minutes before I start. But some people freewrite. Freewriting is writing in an untethered way without worrying about grammar, spelling, structure or even any idea of where any of it is going. Write what you see in front of you. Write what you did yesterday. Can’t think of anything? Write about not being able to think of anything—just blurt words out there like one of those psychics scribbling voices from the afterlife. Writing without worrying about mistakes or outcomes can help you find new ideas and discover your voice.

Monday 13 March, 2023

My Book of the Week is The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

Everybody my age knows who music producer Rick Rubin is: the name behind musical acts such as Metallica, Danzig, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down, Geto Boys, Beastie Boys, the Cult, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and more. The Creative Act: A Way of Being is one of those cross-discipline books on creativity like The Artist's Way or The War of Art, that any creative professional can use to help improve process and mindset. From using nature as a teacher to breaking the sameness, and even asking "why make art?" it covers a LOT of ground. Highly recommended if you're looking to be more creative in whatever you do.

Friday 10 March, 2023

Stories are Remembered Up to 22 Times More Than Just Facts

That tracks with my everyday experience. I mean, you can give people a LOT of facts about something and still not change their mind. A good story, though? Oh, man. That will get people to spend, believe, love, hate, cry, work, fight, you name it—all based not necessarily on accurate, precise data but the high-octane emotional fuel of a strong story. Stories allow us to connect with others and explore different experiences, cultures, perspectives and emotions in a safe way. Stories can also inspire us to think differently, to act, to feel, and to learn from the experiences of others. Stories help us understand the complexities of life and give us a new way of looking at things. No wonder they've pretty much been the primary way we've handed down knowledge from generation to generation of humankind.

Wednesday, 8 March 2023

Learn to Say No

If you're a creative, you probably went through a phase where you weren't very selective about which projects you agreed to take on. Maybe you were a student. Maybe you were just trying to figure out if you were good at what you do. Maybe you even did something for, God help you, "exposure." Not sure who needs to hear this, but remember you can always turn down a project. You’re probably not in that place anymore. There will always be other projects. When you take on just any old project you clutter up your schedule and risk pushing out the timelines of the work you're most passionate about; and sometimes those projects die on the vine. Don't have that regret. Don't prioritize other people's projects over your own. Invest in a mindset of abundance and learn to say no when it makes sense.

Tuesday, 7 March 2023

Here's What Pros are Saying About ChatGPT

A while back Ryan Reynolds, who owns Mint Mobile, used ChatGPT technology to write some ad copy and sparked a big conversation about its potential. Here's what some industry pros had to say about it in a piece by London writer Olivia Atkins. I've used a number of these AI apps like Jasper.AI and Lex.Page and they're great. This technology isn't a godsend, nor is it a menace that's going to put every writer out of work. It's just another tool. If you're a creative, do yourself a favor and plug in to and see what this tech can do, and how you could use it to optimize your creative workflows.

Monday, 6 March 2023

Ghost Hunting on the West Side

Well, OK, not really ghost hunting--more like urbex photography. I've been toying with the idea of doing a book on abandoned spaces in Houston. As a bit of a warm up, I visited the old, abandoned Hillendahl-Eggling Cemetery out by the, well, now abandoned Bear Creek Golf World (pour one out for the Masters Course, ya'll). That area was settled by Moravian (Czech) and German immigrants in the 1800s. They had a church and also this little gravesite but the settlement was abandoned because of, surprise, persistent flooding. The church was moved over to what is now Highway 6 in 1902. Locals call this the "Blue Light" Cemetery because some of the old tombstones are Labradorite, which gives off a subtle glow at night. There are all kinds of rumors about that area, including the presence of Confederate ghosts along nearby Patterson Road and a bit of Satanic Panic but mostly the park that surrounds it is just a nice area for a family picnic. Also don't go into the cemetery itself or the mosquitoes will remove the entirety of your flesh in about three minutes like a school of piranha.

Saturday, 4 March

My Book of the Week is A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life

George Saunders isn't just a Man Booker Prize-winning author, he also teaches creative writing at Syracuse. In A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, Saunders runs through some favorite short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol to show how great fiction has the ability to move and shape us. The idea and material came from his teaching, and it's the kind of thing I typically don't read enough of. My mom actually passed this one my way and I've enjoyed it so much I just ordered a copy of Liberation Day.

Thursday, 2 March

Watch Repeated Words

Repeating a word unintentionally is distracting and takes readers out of the zone. Sometimes it’s tough to do because of your subject matter. But many times it’s just an oversight that can make your writing sound clunky and less refined. A good rule of thumb? Try not to have any repeats within the same three lines of text if you can help it. Of course, if you’re doing it intentionally to create an effect that’s fair game. Otherwise this is yet another technique you can use to keep your writing clean, effective and powerful.

Wednesday, 1 March

Solid Advice

A bit of helpful graffiti. As seen along Buffalo Bayou beneath the old, abandoned Magnolia Brewery downtown. Because you can’t be anyone else and keep it up for long.

Saturday, 25 February

My Book of the Week is Empire of the Summer Moon

I read half of this years ago while on vacation in Terlingua. It was cool to read about Comanches in what was for a long time Comanche territory. Earlier this week I was looking for something in my suitcase and ran across the unfinished book again. I’d forgotten all about it, so I pulled it out and read the rest this week. It’s a fascinating study of both Comanche and American culture in the forty years the two nations were in direct conflict. Sometimes I read a Pulitzer Prize-winning book and think “really?” but Gwynne is exactly the kind of author who deserves that kind of high-profile recognition. The upside of being absent-minded? I love finding cool stuff I’ve lost.

Friday, 24 February

Why Write Fiction?

Money? Fame? Therapy? Problem solving? Because someone said you couldn’t? Why in the world would you spend years creating works of fiction, maybe even just one work, that might never sell? Or was never supposed to sell? Why sacrifice walks on a sunny day and time with friends and family and so many of life’s other pleasures to burn thousands of hours over-caffeinated in a dark office to appease an industry that ranges from indifferent to outright hostile? Even editors and agents are bailing from the industry. Of all the types of writers I know—the charmed glorious, the bitter failures, the consistent grinders, the kept spouses and the naturally gifted—one answer is surprisingly common amongst those who last: they can’t help themselves. They can’t not write, and still feel good. That’s just how they’re wired. They need to write if they want a sense of balance. They need to write to process the world, and themselves. Not every writer is like this. I’m pretty good at spending a week sunning on a rock in Big Bend forgetting all about the pile of projects on my desk. But for a huge chunk of fiction writers, there’s a fine line between profession and compulsion.

Thursday, 23 February

Vary Sentence Length to Avoid Boring Passages

Sometimes a piece of writing isn’t wrong, per se—just sort of bland. There can be many reasons why a work isn’t engaging but one thing to watch is the length of your sentences. If they’re all the same length, or if even just two in a row are the same length, mix it up a bit.

Sentences with the same length can sound boring because it creates a monotonous rhythm; so much so that it can be distracting. Without different lengths and structures, sentences lack dynamism and flow, making them monotonous and uninteresting to read.

If you’re doing it on purpose to create an effect that’s one thing. But if sentence length isn’t on your radar, start considering it as one of the many lenses you can use to make your work as strong as possible.

Wednesday, 22 February

I Never Get Bored with Houston’s Mini Murals

There are some things every functioning big city has to have, and one of those things is a switch box for traffic signals at each major intersection. This is where the hardware for traffic lights is housed in a sort of bland metal cabinet. At one point, industrious graffiti artists all over town made these signal boxes even more of an eyesore than they were originally. Because humans. Then the Mini Murals project stepped in. Knowing people are much less likely to deface art rather than city-owned hardware, UP Art Studio created this civic art community that transforms drab utility cabinets in the public right of way into vibrant artwork all around Houston and other cities. Their commissioned artwork is all over Houston, including this gator-inspirited installation downtown I took a picture of yesterday near the old, allegedly haunted Spaghetti Warehouse building.

Tuesday, 21 February

Are Nootropics Legit?

I know a few writers who’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of using a variety of supplements and drugs to enhance cognitive function. The new buzzwords for these types of things is “nootropics.” They are all the rage these days, and some folks swear by them. Common nootropics include things like Piracetam, Aniracetam, Oxiracetam, Noopept, Phenylpiracetam, Adrafinil, Alpha-GPC, Bacopa Monnieri, Niacin, L-Theanine and even nicotine gum. Do they really work? You’ll have to decide that for yourself (check with your doctor). Many are actually legitimate and have been proven to have cognitive benefits. However, the effectiveness of any particular nootropic may vary from person to person, and some are not supported by an actual scientific evidence (but that’s sort of true for any supplement). It is important to do your own research and carefully assess the risks and benefits before taking any supplement. I’ve dabbled in some of this stuff. What’s worked best for me? About nine hours of sleep followed by several cups of Taste of Texas coffee.

Monday, 20 February 

Start with the Audience 

When you’re writing commercial copy, getting un-stuck is easy: go back and re-consider the audience. If you ever think something isn’t working or could be better, just retrace your footsteps to where you (hopefully) started. Before you began writing anything, no matter what the project, you should have sat down and considered the audience carefully. Who are they? What do they want? What are they afraid of? What do you want them to do after they see what you’ve written? This can also work for both fiction and non-fiction works to a certain extent. It won’t fix everything, but it’s one of the most powerful tools you have to get a piece of wayward writing back on track. 

Sunday, 19 February

My Book of the Week is
Collected Goodis

Just getting around to reading this awesome Christmas present I received, which features three stories by David Goodis: Nightfall, Cassidy’s Girl and Night Squad. Goodis was a noir legend. Especially popular in France during his lifetime, you still find his influence in a number of modern-day writers and filmmakers despite his passing in 1967.

Friday, 17 February 

A Few Online Writing Prompts 

Many fiction writers like to use writing prompts as a way to help warm up their literary engine, generate story ideas or just have a little fun. If you’re one of those and still on Twitter, follow @writingprompts for regular bot-generated story inspiration. Now to start my short piece inspired by “gather / rubber-stamp / bigotry” haha. I feel like someone already wrote that. Twitter not toxic enough for you? There’s also a writing prompt subreddit. And here’s a bunch of other Twitter bots to help stoke the flames.

Thursday, 16 February

Regular Reminder to
“Show Don’t Tell”

You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating. This phrase is popular writing advice that encourages writers to depict moments, scenes, and characters in a way that will allow readers to experience the story. Showing means the writer provides the reader with sensory details and actions that convey meaning, rather than simply telling the reader facts. This allows for an immersive storytelling experience and can create a more vivid and memorable story. “Water crept into the car from the bottom of the door, spilling over onto the floorboard in a steady waterfall that swallowed Jim’s shoes” hits harder than “a period of inclement weather was experienced while driving.” I’m a Houstonian, so of course flooding is my “random example.” It’s also worth saying that this rule is equally true in commercial copy and narrative nonfiction.

Wednesday, 15 February

In 2021 There Was a Chicken Sandwich War

Everyone talked about Chick-fil-A, KFC, Popeye’s, Carl’s Jr and other high-profile chains. Meanwhile, nobody but Houstonians knew that Mico’s Hot Chicken over off North Durham has always been the real powerhouse. They’re over here biding their time like the U.S. in WWII before Pearl Harbor. Never seen that place with less than a forty-minute line and it’s worth it every time.

Tuesday, 14 February

Scratch Out 10 Ideas a Day—Trust Me on This

I’m a big fan of writer, investor and comedian James Altucher—especially his podcast. One great idea he consistently champions is writing down ten ideas a day. Over the years, I’ve learned all kinds of habits that are great for you—and only the tiniest percentage of them have stuck (James Cleary’s Atomic Habits helped, though). But I did adopt one of Altucher’s suggestions: Every single day, I write down 10 ideas. Story ideas for fiction markets, campaign ideas for commercial clients, non-fiction book ideas, business ideas, marketing ideas, investment ideas, sometimes just stupid random fun stuff—even ideas that would be great for other people. Some days it’s super easy. Other times it takes all day. Most of the ideas are garbage. But it’s been a great habit for me over the years. Hey, if just one a day is a gem, you’ve got hundreds of ideas lineup up. Of course, ideas are just ideas. Everyone knows that’s not the hard part. But you’ve got to start somewhere. And it’s a great way to warm up your New Idea Muscles to stay in that mindset. If you’re not a subscriber, check out his podcast.

Monday, 13 February

Every Brand Needs a Copy Style Guide

A style guide for copywriting is a set of guidelines used to ensure that text is written in a consistent and unified manner across different media and platforms. It includes information about how to spell words, punctuate correctly, use sentence structure, use common abbreviations, and combine elements in order to create different types of copy. A style guide outlines the use of tone, grammar, and other core elements of the language. You remember these from school; MLA is a style guide. Journalists often use AP style, novelists Chicago. You’ll be saving numerous parties a lot of time—and just make the work better—if you build a style guide for every brand you support.

Sunday, 12 February

Writers Need Exercise

We went out to the park by my house today for a four-mile walk. It didn’t do much for any of my projects, but it did wonders for my mindset. Everybody talks about how if you want success as a writer you need to get in that chair and write. Absolute truth. Less often mentioned, however, is that you also need to get out of that chair, go outside and move around. Writing is a sedentary activity, hard on your body—especially over time. If you’re doing it right, a lot of rigorous thinking and focus and not a little rejection mean it’s also tough on your mind. So while your trying to make magic happen at your desk, don’t forget to go out and make movement happen too.

Saturday, 11 February

My Book of the Week is The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Rereading this old hoary chestnut. I love reading books from way back in the day because while they’re still the same, you’ve changed—and everything hits differently. They’re also a reminder of how the world has evolved, both for better and for worse. But of course the charm of a book like this is just plain silliness. (Spoiler Alert: 42)

Friday, 10 February

Read Books from Indie Presses

An indie press is a traditional publisher that's not a part of the Big Five corporate publishing industry. There's a lot of talk of their value from an author's perspective, but nobody seems to talk about their fantastic value to readers. Indy presses bring readers fresh stories, authors, genres and scenes. They can take bigger creative risks. If the Big Five are literary mutual funds, indie presses are more like that eccentric old man from the first episode of Tales of the Unexpected who offers you a new Jaguar if your lighter works ten times in a row. So if you ever find yourself thinking everything you read is about the same hoary old issues, written by the same types of curated people, bowdlerized in the same pedantic way and a result of the same thinking—find an indie press and buy a half-dozen books from authors whose names you don't recognize. You won’t regret it.

Thursday, 9 February

Every Writer Needs a Craft Library

When writers talk about “craft” they mean the nuts and bolts of writing itself. If you’re just starting out, you should buy a few foundational books on craft and actually read them. Tor put together a nice list. I probably have 50+ books on various aspects of craft, and four or five that I really know and love. They’re for inspiration and comfort more than anything else. Just remember, though, that no book is a substitute for intentional writing, thinking, mentorship or collaboration. Buying books is easy. Reading books is easy and interesting. Writing, then rewriting, then rethinking and rewriting again ad infinitum, well, that’s hard. But that’s the work.

Wednesday, 8 February

Ever Have One of These Back in the Day? 

Back when Astroworld was more than just a place to park for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR), they used to have photographers running around taking your picture. Then you could buy the pic in these little keychains on your way out when you were good and sunburned and dizzy from the Greezed Lightnin'. Today I feel like it's probably a good idea to take some of these million pics we take on our phone each year and do something physical with them so they can be with us in the space of real life. Hits different, somehow, interacting with a physical photograph.

Tuesday, 7 February

OK, That’s a Cool Name for a Refrigeration Company

May the frost be with you. As seen at Taco Deli off Washington Avenue.

Monday, 6 February

Write Commercial Copy? Get to Know Bob Bly

Author of more than 100 books on professional copywriting, including the classic Copywriter’s Handbook, I’ve spent 20 years following Bob Bly’s advice on writing commercial copy. Not only does he have an encyclopedic knowledge of what works well, but he’s also a master at changing with the times. So many copywriters can’t stop doing the exact things they were doing in 1990 and simply fade with obsolete techniques and tools. But from SEO to content marketing, this no-nonsense copywriter and marketing strategist is all over current trends. Sign up for his free newsletter.

Sunday, 5 February

Check Out These Socks

I think you might need these cozy library card socks for sale at Murder By the Book. I haven’t been to the library in person since I wrote Lost Houston. Hadn’t realized it had been that long—almost ten years! One thing I do regularly, though, is take advantage of all the streaming media apps you can access with your library card. If you haven’t tapped in they can save you a lot of money: Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, OverDrive, Flipster, BorrowBox and others.

Saturday, 4 February

My Book of the Week is
The Passenger

Pushing 90 and he’s still the governor far as I’m concerned. And, bonus, not sure how I missed this but there’s a book that came out after called Stella Maris that’s next in the series. I love when I have the next in a series all lined up. Typically that’s what I love about reading on an iPad or Kindle; you can get the next in a series straight away at 11pm on a Tuesday with no traffic.

Friday, 3 February

Ten Fiction Writing Mistakes

1. Not having a clear plot
   Authors often struggle with creating a compelling plot and guiding the reader through the story without becoming too confusing.
   

2. Weak characterization
   Creating believable characters is one of the most important aspects of fiction. Without interesting and believable characters, your readers won’t be compelled to finish your story.
   

3. Unstructured dialogue
   Many authors struggle with structuring dialogue in a way that flows naturally. Without proper structure, the dialogue can feel awkward and unnatural.
   

4. Improper grammar and punctuation
   Poor spelling, incorrect grammar, and incorrect punctuation can make your work look amateurish and hamper the readability of your work.
   

5. Overuse of adjectives and adverbs
   Adjectives and adverbs can be powerful tools used to describe emotions, actions and scenery in a story, but overusing them can make a story muddled and difficult to read.
   

6. Over-description
   Going overboard on the world-building and background details can bog down a story and make it difficult to follow.
   

7. Bland writing style
   Using cliched phrases and stale language can make your writing a bore.
   

8. Too much back story
   Backstory needs to move the story forward in a healthy, lean, productive, and logical way. Don’t bloat the book up with details from the past that nobody cares about.
   

9. No clear protagonist
   Most stories need someone readers are rooting for, even if they’re not good people.
   

10. Improbable or illogical plot twists
    Would they REALLY do that? Really? Like, for real? Could that really happen? Putting beta readers to work are a great way gut-check that stuff. Sometimes you’ll find that the way great stories end is both a surprise AND inevitable at the same time.

    
    

Thursday 2 February

Tried Baronfig Pens?

If you’re a nerd for pens and stationery and stuff like I am, give Baronfig pens a shot. I love the little Squire pens I bought from them. They’re simple and elegant and so, so smooth. They also sell little notebooks and stuff. AND if you sign up for their email newsletter you get 15 percent off your first order. I bought these online but I love getting stuff like this over at Dromgoole’s by Rice.

Wednesday, February 1

Awesome Plate for an EV

As seen around H-Town

Tuesday, 31 January

The Origins of Creativity

Monday, 30 January

Don’t be clever for the sake of being clever

No matter what you’re writing, remember that you’re the creator—not the focal point. Writing something actually about you? Memoir? Blog? Social feed? Sure, all about you. But unless you’re the structural focal point, let the piece do what it needs to do. Throwing around your ego or intellectual weight gets in the way, whether you’re entertaining someone with a story or writing to support a business strategy. Making it all about you. Using 50-cent words when a 10-cent word will do. Condescending the reader or intentionally talking over their heads. Keep these kinds of potential mistakes in check and you’ll consistently level up the quality of your writing.

Sunday, 29 January

Just a Random Transformer-Lookin’ Thing

Painted on a trailer parked off Washington Avenue and Sawyer Street near the Salvation Army.

Saturday, 28 January

My Book of the Week is Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Even though I find almost every character in this novel completely unlikeable, I’m still enjoying it. Probably because I’m part of the first generation to grow up playing video games. I was a spoiled only child, so I had the fancy Atari 5200 and then a Commodore 64. Spanning thirty years, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow follows childhood friends who create a blockbuster video game called Ichigo. It’s about play, love, friendship, sex, luck, money, family, feet and a bunch of other stuff to which we can all relate. YOU HAVE DIED OF DYSENTERY

Friday, 27 January

Fiction Writers: Hone Your Craft with Short Fiction

I got this tip from the legendary Steven Barnes, whose vast work ranges from The Outer Limits back in the day to recent novels and works of short fiction. This guy has been my hero since a buddy loaned me a copy of The Kundalini Equation. Barnes suggests writing short stories first, before you take a serious stab at long fiction as a way to develop your craft. Barnes has this program called Lifewriting where he suggests writing 1–4 short stories a month. It can take YEARS to write a novel. It’s a marathon. You could get tangled up in that story and never come out. But short stories, many short stories, will help you learn more—and learn more quickly. That advice has served me well, and I’ll bet if you have fiction aspirations it will serve you well too. And it may even make you a little money along the way.

Thursday, 26 January

See if You Can Cut “That”

No matter what you’re writing, odds are you might be able to eliminate the word “that” from your prose and make the piece more concise and less cluttered. While sometimes you definitely need it, and sometimes it can be useful in clarifying or explaining, it’s worth taking a pass just to see if you can eliminate “that” here and there. A lot of times in instances it can be cut it’s because the word is used with a bridge verb. So instead of “I see that you’ve bought 500 copies of my popular regional interest title Secret Houston,” you would just say, “I see you’ve bought…”

Wednesday, January 25

Once You Go Pak You’ll Never
Go Back

Was lucky enough to run into these guys in the Central Market parking lot. Highly recommended on the samosa front. I became a samosa addict in my college days while an exchange student in London. It took months to run off the samosa/curry/pint weight I gained overseas (spoiler alert: I gained it back later haha). There are great samosas all over town but the other highly recommended samosas I get are from Manish’s Quck N Ezee Indian Food. They also make a great chutney. GAME OVER

Tuesday, 24 January

Creativity is Iterative 

Sometimes the muse does you a solid--BOOM you get that great idea out of nowhere. I love that. But many times? That great story, essay, campaign, business or problem-solving idea is usually a product of iterative thinking: brainstorm a bit, then walk the dog. Think a bit more, then maybe set it aside. Sleep on it, then put some more ideas on paper. Planning your creative thought process to accommodate several little passes at it rather than one big push could get you to that big idea faster and more consistently. .

Monday, 23 January

Watch the “We” in Commercial Copywriting

When writing commercial copy, you typically have a number of talking points you need to deliver about a company. Put in the work and write it strategically, powerfully and elegantly. BUT there’s a pitfall along the way. Beware the propensity to repeat the word “we” over and over again. It’s distracting, self-centered and makes audiences want to check out. At random, I just looked up the “About” page of a major global technology company based in Virginia. The “we” count? Twenty-one instances. That’s a lot of “we.” Nobody wants that much “we.” They want benefits or value or vision or fun or culture or action or education or something that will improve their work and lives.

Sunday, 22 January

Sunday Crosswords

I love a Sunday crossword puzzle. Growing up, and even as an adult, my family used to have a big Sunday breakfast with bacon and eggs and biscuits and all that--and read the Sunday paper together, passing the sections around and chatting. It was a chance to reset and catch up from one busy week to the next. Of course, paper newspapers aren't a thing anymore, really. And traditions evolve; now we do more a Saturday evening dinner kind of thing. But I still like lazing around and reading on a Sunday afternoon, and doing a crossword. My favs are the New York Times, Dell Crosswords, the LA Times and those little books by HarperCollins UK. This morning I'm doing the New Yorker one on my iPad. Hm. Fifteen-letter word for "literally all the time?" I try not to Google this stuff. It sucks the fun out of it.

Saturday, 21 January

My Book of the Week is El Arroyo’s Big Book of Signs Volume 1

Ellis Winstanley's wit in making and marketing the El Arroyo sign copy is the best. Now I'm really enjoying this coffee table book I got for Christmas. "Alexa, skip to Friday." Hahaha

Friday, 20 January

Minimize Dialogue Tags 

A friend of mine gave me some great advice after reading the first draft of a novella I wrote a few years ago. She flipped a random page around toward me and said: “Do you need all these attributions?” 

“I don’t know, do I?” 

“I don’t think you do.” 

“So how will people know who’s saying what in a scene?” 

“They’ll usually just know.” 

“What if they don’t?”

“Well, if you think there’s a chance they might not understand who’s saying what then you can add dialogue tags. Otherwise, streamline the read by not cluttering it up with ‘said’ and stuff.” 

“Huh.”

And she was right.

Thursday, 19 January

Eliminate Unnecessary Words

Shorter is usually better.

Wednesday, 18 January

Henderson & Kane wants you to not just cool off but chill.

Tuesday, 17 January

On Neuroscience and Creativity

Interesting chat with John Cleese and Dr. Iain McGilchrist on the role of imagination in our lives and culture. This is just Part 1, you can see Part 2 here. I actually got into Oxford when I was a college student. I mean, it was just a guided walking tour and they asked me to please leave after. But, still, I did go to Oxford. For about three hours. This talk was part of the How to Academy (check out their podcast), which offers all kinds of talks and masterclasses, including the upcoming How To Write a Life Story: a Five-Night Retreat in Trasierra, Spain taught by award-winning biographer Frances Wilson. My life’s not really interesting enough to chronicle in great detail, but a bit of sangria and a cathedral tour sounds nice.

Monday, 16 January

The Headline as a Tool for Qualification in Commercial Copywriting

In commercial copywriting there are many aspects to what makes a good headline, from getting attention to delivering a complete value prop to compelling the reader to learn more. But one much-underrated aspect of a great headline is the ability for readers to self-select into a properly qualified target audience. Channels and media other bits of your strategy will keep you from engaging with the wrong people. But a good headline can also help, getting readers do their part by allowing them to self-qualify. Take this random sample headline I just made up:

Copywriters: Make $100,000 as a Side Hustle in This Little Known Market

People who can’t, and won’t ever want to, write marketing copy will not engage with this message. Furthermore, the headline will resonate more with those who already have full-time jobs. My point is that as you flip through different filters of what makes a particular headline a potential high performer, don’t forget to consider how you can write headlines that resonate with your core audience and help weed out irrelevant audiences for less white noise—and more money.

Sunday, 15 January

Meet Bertie

My wife, Stephanie, went to the Urban Harvest farmers market with her friend the other day, where she ran into the good folks from Pup Squad Animal Rescue. Stephanie fell in love with this dog and I said absolutely no we already have a dog and a cat and I’m putting my foot down. So, anyway, this is the newest addition to our household, Bertie. She’s very sweet and, surprisingly, gets on great with Scout. She’s made herself right at home, though I don’t think she’d ever seen a cat before. The first time she saw our cat, Menou, she screamed like an extra in a slasher film. They’re working it out, though, and everyone’s napping peacefully.

Saturday, 14 January

My Book of the Week is Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World (Politics of Place)

I try to read a few random non-fiction titles each year. Last year I read books on salt, the Gulf of Mexico, paper and the shipping container. My most recent non-fiction read is a fun book my dad actually recommended: Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall. If you liked Guns, Germs and Steel, you’ll probably like this one too, though they’re very different. It’s not just about geography, it’s about geopolitics. Though obvious, it’s easy to forget the lasting challenges and advantages that features of the land itself can bestow upon a people. The book goes region-by-region discussing the impact geography has on each part of the world—in the past, today and in the future.

Friday, 13 January

The Bad Guy Doesn’t Think He’s the Bad Guy (or Girl)

Thursday, 12 January

Oh, no—Friday the 13th. Here’s something that seems slasher-appropriate: Do you write fiction? Want to write a convincing antagonist? Create a character who thinks he or she has no choice but to do what they’re doing—indeed, thinks they’re doing the right thing. The Sheriff of Nottingham? Simply laying down the law. You gotta have laws, right? Norman Bates? Just trying to please his mother. Hans Gruber? Just trying to make a living. Michael Myers from John Carpenter’s Halloween franchise? He just wants…well, he’s just trying to…OK, look, it’s just a guideline. I never really figured that character out. Or Jason Voorhees. But the point stands; convincing antagonists have conviction.

Your Third-Grade English Teacher is Costing You Money 

When you’re trying to write commercial copy, beware of all those rules you learned in school. Rules are great. Rules are comforting. They bring clarity, prevent distraction and offer credibility. But some of the things they taught you in school can get in the way of truly brilliant, profitable copywriting. Just as important as all of those things Mrs. Crabapple taught you are the objectives, audience, strategy and channels. Got all that strategy stuff figured out? Great. Break the rules if you have a good reason—start sentences with conjunctions. End them with prepositions. Write big, long sentences. Employ contractions and semicolons and sentence fragments; as long as the language fits the strategy and resonates with the audience, use the sharp edges of all those broken rules to carve a message that will get the job done. 

Wednesday, 11 January

Do Robots Make Good Ad Copywriters? 

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to generate advertising copy, but whether or not the resulting copy is considered "good" can depend on a number of factors. Some AI programs are able to generate advertising copy that is coherent and grammatically correct, but the quality of the content may depend on the data that is used to train the AI and the specific goals of the advertising campaign. In some cases, AI-generated advertising copy may be able to effectively communicate information or persuade a reader or viewer, but it may not be as creative or engaging as copy that is written by a human. Ultimately, the effectiveness of any advertising copy, whether it is written by a human or generated by AI, will depend on its ability to capture the attention of the intended audience and achieve the desired results.

(Note: The copy above was written by ChatGPT, a large language model chatbot developed by OpenAI based on GPT-3.5) 

Tuesday, 10 January

Podcast Recommendation: Spark & Fire

Some people don’t do podcasts but I love ‘em. I still have a thick, juicy downtown commute and podcasts are a great way to make use of my travel time. I also like plugging into my Bose bluetooth buds and listening when I’m puttering around the house. My latest love is Spark & Fire, the result of a partnership between WaitWhat and the BBC. Creativity can be a bit of a slippery fish even for professionals, and it’s always fun to hear perspectives, processes and pathways relating to creativity from those who’ve leveled up their game. Guests span a range of creative disciplines and have included novelist Ann Patchett, comedian Patton Oswalt, musician Ben Folds and producers Allan Scott and William Horberg.

Monday, 9 January

Typing with All the Feels 

I love big, chunky, clicky mechanical keyboards. I really like the Das Keyboard brand; I have three of these. They sport Cherry MX Blue switches with a very satisfying tactile feel. I have one that has zero markings on the keyboard—totally murdered out to help reinforce touch-typing (and it just looks cool). The bad news? I’m so loud when I use them, anyone who’s stuck around me when I’m writing feels like they’re visiting a construction site. I can’t help it, though, the feel and the noise of them are just so comforting.