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Fiction Is Nothing But Entertainment

Here I am, the world’s most reclusive introvert. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating. Just a little. Be that as it may – I’ve definitely never thought of myself as an entertainer. But apparently that’s what we writers of fiction are. Someone said to me once that reading novels is nothing but entertainment. It has no real, tangible value, because you don’t learn anything. It’s nothing but an escape from your everyday, humdrum life. And, yes, the person was right – in a very limited way. Fiction is entertainment, undoubtedly. It’s an escape, too. Mere entertainment, mere escape, though? Not by a Read More …

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Relationships, and Keeping Score

I’m just coming off of one of those post-Holiday conversations where one family member rants about another family member: “He never calls.” Voice heavy with reproach. Disappointment. Anger. “Why should it always be me who initiates contact? I’m not going to call again. If he wants to talk to me, let him call for a change.” And if he doesn’t call, either the relationship withers and dies, or the person who’s complaining reaches for the phone after all, full of resentment, and what could have been a perfectly good conversation, sours. It doesn’t have to be that way if you Read More …

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Reading Recap for 2021

Ever since I made the resolution to read less, my book count hasn’t been the same. It’s gone up. Well, not quite true. I did read fewer books in 2021 than I did in 2020 (but still a lot more than in 2019, the first year I tracked the numbers). So. In 2021 I read a grand total of 70 books cover-to-cover. I finished 32 non-fiction books and abandoned another five. On the fiction side, I read 38 and abandoned two books. Most of the fiction I read was Fantasy, with a few mysteries and thrillers sprinkled in. Some of Read More …

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Labor Day

The history of Labor Day is no doubt interesting and well worth reading up on. Honestly, though, it’s not the first thing that comes to my mind on this particular day. I’ve always liked this day as a bridge between the ease of summer and a season of harder, more focused work. A day of reflection and renewal, and a day of re-commitment to my goals and values. “Labor” is a word with many connotations. On the downside, it carries a whiff of the unwanted, like “chore”, just harder. The proverbial salt mines come to mind. And, yes, writing can Read More …

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Writing Process

Whenever I read or listen to author interviews, one of the things that fascinates me most is their writing process. How do they get from idea to “The End”? And where do their ideas start? Premise For some authors, plot comes first. They’re interested in what happens. They’re the ones who ask “what if?”. What if time travel was real? What if a horse walked into a bar? As you can see from my… uh… shining examples, this isn’t my forte. For other authors, theme is the point of entry. They take a contemporary issue like climate change or racism Read More …