It’s difficult to achieve successful sunset photographs from my suburban apartment building. Other structures and treetops block the view. My generous friend decided that it was time we took a trip to the beach. We chose to go to Tunnel Park, in Holland, MI. I went snap-happy even before we’d reached the shore. Besides sunsets, I
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
Sometimes the Wednesday window is a glimpse into the past. Today the sun shines, and the Wednesday sky is as blue as this Blue Morpho butterfly’s wings were. Somehow my camera captured this photo, and I don’t remember taking it. Of all the butterflies consistently released during the annual exhibit at Meijer Gardens, photos of
Monday Marvels: Winter’s New Furniture Winter arrived with Monday marvels: Winter’s new furniture. He may have the padded bench and upholstered arm chair. He’s not welcome indoors. It may amuse you, though it doesn’t amuse me, that for SEO, two photos are not equivalent in value to two thousand words. Isn’t that ridiculous?
This Monday’s Marvel I’m finally decompressing from being a speech contest chairperson. It took a huge amount of attention and organizing, but in the end it ran quite smoothly and people enjoyed the event. For some reason, photos I take of a particular Maple tree consistently turn out the wrong size for this format, so