Archive for August 2010
It seems like pandering, but I swear it’s not. She’s not angry at me nor have I done anything stupid as of late.
I was programming my DVR to record the upcoming season of Hard Knocks, the behind-the-scenes look at an NFL training camp. As I was finishing up, Elysha walked into the room and said, “Oh good. That’s the NFL show we watched last year. Right?” That’s right. My wife watches Hard Knocks with me. And she…
Read MoreBased upon King’s estimation, I’m a huge success!
Stephen King, in ON WRITING, writes: If you expect to succeed as a writer, rudeness should be the second to least of your concerns. The least of all: polite society and what it expects. If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered anyway.…
Read MoreNonconforming, subversive wife
My wife is much less of a conformist than people think, and sometimes she can be downright subversive. The only real difference between her and me is that she manages to fly below he radar, using wit, grace and subtlety to mask her nonconforming views. I tend to be more of a blunt, brainless stick.…
Read MoreRealities of a book tour and some recommended reads
I’ve been writing some guest posts on other blogs around the Web in case you are interested in reading. For the Water Street Books blog, I wrote a three part series on the realities of the book tour. On Saturday, I get to experience those realities first-hand again at Water Street books in Exeter, New…
Read MoreContest runner-up #1
Some of the entries in my recent “Write my author bio” contest were exceptionally well done but did not really qualify as true author bios in my mind. But they were ingenious and creative, nonetheless, and could certainly be utilized in other capacities, as part of promotional material for my book tour or blurbs in…
Read MoreWhen imaginary friends become real
When I was a child, I had an imaginary friend named Johnson Johnson. My mother said that I probably derived the name from Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder (since renamed to just Johnson’s baby powder). If you haven’t had an imaginary friend, you may not understand how real he or she can be. I have…
Read MoreNot right. Not cool.
I have never liked the expression “creative juices.” And the idea of “creative juices flowing” is even worse. I can’t explain it. It’s a gut thing.
Read MoreAnd the winner is…
After much deliberation and careful consideration of all ten entries in my “Write me a new author biography” contest, I have chosen a winner. Doing so was not easy. I genuinely liked every entry and loved a few of them. They all surprised me with the level of detail and insight they provided about me…
Read MoreLove ‘em as a Patriot, but as an analyst…
Is it me, or is Tedy Bruschi starting to sound like a jackass? I like an opinionated host, but this is not analysis. This sounds like your average Patriots fan, tailgating in the parking lot, a couple beers already in his belly, complaining about his team. This is not insightful, nor is it original. This…
Read MoreNew business plan for English majors everywhere (myself included)
From Ellen Stuart’s blog Smells Like Squandered Youth comes this idea, which I am fully prepared to co-opt, borrow or steal as the need requires. She proposes the following business plan for members of the Professional Order of English Majors (POEM), of which I am a member: A company that contracts out members of POEM…
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