There were several topics in my head this morning, all vying for attention.
Yesterday was a bad day—personally, nationally, internationally—and the opinions, the frustrations, the anger built until, about 9PM, the dreaded pall of futility and depression began to creep upon me. How to battle not only the news of terrible events, but the rash and unwise reactions that predominated the blogosphere? After so many years, after so many trials, have we learned nothing?
I tried to shake it and turned back to my work prepping The Year the Cloud Fell for re-release. Editing—even a quick review edit like I’m giving these books—may seem like an odd method for lifting one’s mood, but it paid off, for out of the blackness of my mood, there came a warm and friendly light. Continue Reading »
Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing | Tagged blogging, books, creative writing, editing, Fallen Cloud Saga, Libya, novel writing, publishing, quiet living, Writing | Leave a Comment »
Yesterday, several of my writerly-feeds went nuclear after The Huffington Post reported that Abigail Gibbs was awarded a six-figure contract for her first novel. Every writer I know decried the state of writing when a newbie author would get such a deal for what was essentially (their words) “glorified fan fiction.”
First, nothing in the article leads me to believe that this is fan fiction. Though “inspired” by the Twilight series, there is nothing in the article that says she’s used characters from the series (a hallmark of fan fiction). Sure, she posted articles on Wattpad, but that doesn’t make it fan fiction, so, let’s drop that label, shall we? Continue Reading »
Posted in Culture, Movies, Writing | Tagged Abigail Gibbs, books, creative writing, harper collins, HarperCollins, novel writing, novels, publishing, self-publishing, Snooki, Twilight, Writing | Leave a Comment »
Up on a shelf, next to some old journals, I have a box filled with memories.
Tonight, I’m going to a concert, and I won’t be able to put it in that box.
The concert is down at the Seattle Town Hall tonight and the music is a collection of piano trios. I bought my tickets to the series through an online vendor. As is my habit, I paid a little extra ($6) to have the tickets sent to my home.
The tickets didn’t arrive, and there was a little back-and-forth between myself and the vendor. For some reason, mailing physical tickets is sometimes beyond their abilities (despite the additional cost), and remailing them or issuing a second set is Just Not Done.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Culture, Hi Tech, Low Tech | Tagged e-ticket, high tech, low-tech, memento, new technologies, print at home ticket, seattle town hall, ticket stub, ticket stubs, tickets | 2 Comments »
I came across this yesterday. The work of a master.
This is Just to Say
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
—William Carlos Williams
Posted in Food, Writing | Tagged Food, Plums, Poetry, william carlos williams, work of a master | Leave a Comment »
What do you do with forty pounds of plums? You experiment.
In an attempt to capitalize on this year’s bumper crop of Italian prune plums, I have been trying several new recipes, like the clafouti I tried a week or so ago. Last night, I tried a couple of conserve recipes, but I’m only going to share one of them.
Italian plums are tricky when it comes to judging ripeness. Even the ones that fall from the tree still have green-colored flesh under the dark, dusty purple skins, but occasionally one goes yellow on the inside, but those are not especially sweet. However, if you cook these little guys, they make up for their tart edge with an especially “plummy” taste, so I’ll forgive them. Besides, a little bite never hurt.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Food, Gardening, Recipes | Tagged cold plate test., conserve, cooking, fresh fruit, Italian plums, jam recipe, prune plums, Recipe | 1 Comment »
I was torn.
It was 3AM, and I was torn between sleep and listening to an old friend. We hadn’t talked, hadn’t seen each other for 50 days, and for us, that’s a long time. Usually, hardly a week goes by without at least a chat. Sometimes we’ll lose track of the days and, especially in the summer, a month will pass us both, but soon, we always meet up. We might meet on the street, or when I’m out in the gardens, or, like today, I look out the window and realize my friend is out there. Continue Reading »
Posted in Gardening, Seattle | Tagged consecutive days without rain, creative writing, drought, gardening, rain, Seattle, weather, Writing | 2 Comments »
Now hear this!
In the past, people have asked me: Do you get to pick your own title for your books?
- Short answer: Yes.
- Longer answer: Yes, but the publisher can override my choice.
Such was the case for two of my books, and I now have the chance to fix at least one of them.
Continue Reading »
Posted in Fallen Cloud Saga, Writing | Tagged books, Corporate America, creative writing, Fallen Cloud Saga, FC:V, novel writing, novels, publishing, self-publishing, Writing, writing tips | Leave a Comment »
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There were several topics in my head this morning, all vying for attention.
