Breakthrough depends on the actions of others. We don’t achieve it on our own. On Tuesday, I mentioned that one magazine turned away a short story of mine. The whole situation is a little like observing storm clouds. They darken, and you begin to wonder if they’re going to hail down on you like
Today I’d like to consider a tool of the craft that takes a subtle touch. This tool illuminates story structure. Some writers learn that Theme is the first story tool to wield. I don’t consider that ideal myself. Yes, I do understand that parts of book proposals are much easier to produce when a theme
This wasn’t my first crossing aboard the Badger. She still had the old wooden ship’s wheel in place for the seafaring imaginations of children. On the outbound voyage, I had taken the spokes in my hands again, intrepid captain defying the late season storm to bring my passengers to port. The historic ferry now steamed
On the advice of a writer friend, I downloaded some Kindle editions of writing craft books by John Gardner. Although my friend advised me to start with one particular volume, On Becoming a Novelist came up first in my Kindle contents. It took me a little while to settle into reading Mr. Gardner’s style,
Words can flow like water does. I thought that this early autumn glimpse of a stretch of the Grand River might give your imaginations some relief from the heat and drought the weather has been delivering lately. Where rivers of words flow Broad, calm, deep, but always moving. A river exists to flow. We
Blocked off, rusted, stairs lead to the elevated crosswalk. I climbed them once, when they were new, and I dared. Standing above multiple lanes of traffic, I came up with one of my early poems. I don’t know if pedestrians ever used the elevated crosswalk as often as city planners hoped, but no one strides across
Tuesday Tells — Self Worth You say you are a nameless man. You are not to your wife and to your child. You will not long remain so to your immediate colleagues if you can answer their simple questions when they come into your office. You are not nameless to me. Do not remain nameless
Counting Blessings: Tuesday Tells Counting blessings: Tuesday tells. These posts will share quotes with a positive slant. Today’s is from famed actor Kirk Douglas. No matter how bad things are, they can always be worse. So what if my stroke left me with a speech impediment? Moses had one, and he did all right. Kirk
Thank you, Lisa Hunderman Photography! For the first time since kindergarten, a photograph of me pleases me. Tuesday tells the truth.
Tuesday Tells Notable Quotes “I had to fight hard against loneliness, abuse, and the knowledge that any mistake I made would be magnified because I was the only black man out there. Many people resented my impatience and my honesty, but I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect.” —Jackie Robinson