I never knew his name. My parents did. They knew him well. He was a friend to my stepfather, a pillar of my neighborhood, a person the adults all respected. We just called him The Old Man. The Old Man was grouchy. As I look back on him now, I can see that he was… Continue reading The Old Man’s Song
Category: Writing
Thunder from the Throne
They all cross over each other, you see. You have to see the problem with that. They all cross over. You read one book and you haven’t seen anything. The next fills in more space. The next, more, then four series later you are still neck deep in the world of the first book. It… Continue reading Thunder from the Throne
Thoughts on Immortality
I am not defending my book. I have read a few reviews that disagree with my rendering of an old character. That character’s actions have been called into question with the idea that he is old, and so he should know better. I have done a lot of thinking about the nature of immortality and… Continue reading Thoughts on Immortality
Viva La Revolution: Character Motivation
I’m back to set fire to a few ideas and tip over a van or two. I want to break apart the things we as writers do to create characters, because we have been fed a line, told by teachers and mentors certain ways to make a character that are not working. Many of our… Continue reading Viva La Revolution: Character Motivation
The Goddess
She was crying. I was in a cardboard cut-out restaurant, a place we have seen over and over again, trying to eat a meal without a soul while I stole glances at my college Lit book. And this girl was weeping. It was the kind of crying you do when your heartbreak is new, when… Continue reading The Goddess
Waiting for the Sun to Go Down
There is a low hum. A bit of a hiss. Like that first few minutes on vinyl before the song starts. You can hear the song churning out low and slow. You are in the dark now. Lying on your floor with those huge headphones on. Around you, the world is still going. You have… Continue reading Waiting for the Sun to Go Down
Epic?
There is a form of art that has always inspired me. When I think of the amount of work that would be put into such a piece, it humbles me. This form is the epic poem, or epic ballad. The form demands a few features. First it is written in verse. Often there is a… Continue reading Epic?
