Nov 08
Like the stepping stones in the serene Japanese Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden, storytellers recount tales moving through a series of classic plot points. The concept of plot stretches back to the earliest recorded histories: cave drawings, tribal tattoos, epic poems, plays and theatre. Plot is the weave of our history, ancestry, immigration and …
Nov 06
“Bad decisions make good stories.” – Author Unknown “Let’s recreate the dinosaurs.” Bad decision, great story – “Jurassic Park.” Walking down a dark alley in the middle of the night during a zombie apocalypse is a dumb idea. Scary story – “The Walking Dead.” Disgruntled employee steals money from her employer and spends the night …
Nov 03
Going through airport security through the pre-check line is usually fast and efficient. I typically get through in 5-7 minutes from entering the line to leaving for the gate, although Atlanta and Washington Dulles take longer. For those unfamiliar with this great deal, pre-check passengers have gone through a rigorous background check. The result is …
Oct 24
As I write this, it’s more than a week into the remodel of my master bathroom, and I’m happy to say there have been no ugly surprises. Well, when my contractor, Vince, took the mirror down he uncovered some of the horrible pink and green wallpaper that used to be in the master bedroom. I …
Oct 23
Here comes fall. What an appropriate name for a season in which the leaves drop as fast as the temperature. My blog last month talked about possibly using crowdsourcing to publish Broken String, my new novel that is now in final edit. I received several comments at Deadwood Writers Voices and thanks to all of …