Does imagination save lives? You bet! Most of the children I know lead secret lives. I certainly did. My imagination was fueled by good books, lots of time to read them and freedom to roam the library stacks at will. Every time I opened the cover of one of those magic kingdoms, I grew. That is […]
If you can’t believe the flavor, try again. I’m not in the restaurant review business, carefully describing flavor, textures and presentation. This is probably a good thing for restaurants as well as for me. I don’t know how restaurant reviewers snap their jeans. But since I am traveling I have had the opportunity to try […]
A large vocabulary opens doors. Although not always the doors you expected. I was just muddling through Wuthering Heights again when I tripped over negus. That’s right, despite my fascination with cool vocabulary words, I never took the initiative to look the word up until now. Hard to believe. I’m reading Wuthering Heights on my […]
Two Great-Tailed Grackles just wandered by the window. I hadn’t ever seen any before, so I looked them up online. Apparently Great-Tailed Grackles usually travel in great flocks of black-blue iridescent blur, wreaking bird level havoc on any area they settle into. They eat whatever they can find, make a lot of noise at inconvenient […]
Stephen King talks about the importance of having a dedicated writing space. Specifically he recommends choosing a place which allows the writer to shut the door signaling to others and maybe more importantly to himself that he is ready to focus on writing. I like the idea. Although most of the people I interact with […]
Technology is amazing. And often weird. I just finished reading about a brand new product, a ring which sits at the base of a condom and measures all sorts of things while the condom is in use. The description of the data generated by this new technology is pretty strange. Why would anyone need to know how […]
A book fast can make you hungry. Eat a cookie. I finally know who I am writing for the next romance which in itself is pretty exciting. The hard part initially, at least for me, is figuring out who my main characters are and why it’s imperative I write their stories. And now I’m jittery […]
Making a living learning. How cool is that idea? Years ago, in a former life, I read On Studying Singing by Sergius Kagen. At first, I found the book painful. I was new to singing but I knew I wanted to sing for a living and Kagen’s voice was disconcerting and frankly discouraging. It’s a […]
Bees are already smarter than some of us. So apparently bees are capable of teaching each other to use tools. Not hammers yet. But it’s only a matter of time. In addition, once a bee learns how to use a tool, it can strategize for most efficient usage. I don’t know whether to feel delighted or […]
If you envy an author’s character development skills, is that a sign of weak character? I know. I promised something frivolous. And I had every intention of providing it until the main character in All the Time in the World by Caroline Angell grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go. I stand in awe of a writer […]