writing life

Good morning from the back porch

Trying something different.

Jun 21 •

The Holiday Gift Your Writer Friend Really, Really Wants This Year

Engagement begets engagement. Here's what that means (and it's not about diamond rings or elephants).

Dec 17, 2024 •

Five Buckets of Nerdy Nostalgia (and Eighteen Rolls of Toilet Paper)

Children, books, gowns, catastrophes, and so on.

Nov 3, 2024 •

Edgar Allan Poe’s Deliberately Meta Writing Process for Maximum Spook

How Poe purposefully set out to make “The Raven” evoke gothic melancholia — with no creative flights of fancy involved.

Oct 30, 2024 •

It's! A! Giveaway!

To celebrate 500 subscribers, I'm giving away...

Sep 27, 2024 •

I Went to the Seaside to Take a Rest, and Nary a Word Did I Write

Relaxation can cultivate creativity. Yet giving in to the impulse to work in these conditions undermines the point of taking a break. (In other words…

Sep 17, 2024 •

Introducing The Summer of Jane Austen

A new endeavor for the next few months, with a Worthy Goal in mind.

May 14, 2024 •

"Please Include a Bio of 200-300 Words"

An introduction of sorts, some musings on the distillation of ourselves into stand-alone adjectives and nouns ("tall! decaf! cappuccino!"), and the…

Mar 8, 2024 •

Medium vs. Substack: Why You Should Do Both

Pros and cons of each platform (with real numbers!), and the benefit of giving your readers options.

Feb 26, 2024 •

A Reflection on Failing NaNoWriMo

and what's ahead in 2024

Jan 9, 2024 •

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