Jen, a reader that I don’t know, challenged me for the 2015 Edition of What Shall I Write About?, with a request to write a letter of advice to my 16-year old self. Tough, but interesting. Here we go. Dear Dan, Today, you are sixteen years old. Your dad and stepmom are going to forget … Read more
Every so often, I will start floundering with the blog a bit. This is one of those times. And when I do, I usually go ahead and ask the few readers I have to suggest topics for me to write about. This is one of those times. Drop requests in the comments section of this … Read more
Years and years ago I graduated with a degree in Creative Writing. And I never did much with it. Or anything, really. This blog and some other random scribblings elsewhere. I’ve started a bunch of novels, which never really went anywhere. But I’ve had this idea that I can’t let go of, and for the … Read more
— Judd Apatow, interviewed in Esquire, about the greatest showbiz lesson he’s learned
I’d like to intro this piece with a caveat — I started writing this review before I finished reading the novel. I was so moved by an experience about halfway through (mentioned later), that I felt the need to start putting down my thoughts even before reaching the conclusion. The first thing you’ll notice in … Read more
Most American fiction about the wars in which we’ve been embroiled seems to focus on the gun carriers — the guys that comprise the pointy end of the stick — and rightfully so, given that their stories will have the most potential for drama and for visiting themes of morality. In Fobbit, we spend a … Read more
http://lifehacker.com/use-a-layered-reading-approach-to-get-through-your-back-1697745696?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_facebook&utm_source=lifehacker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
So yeah, I read a lot of science fiction. In any given year, it accounts for anywhere from 50% to 80% of what I read. (Closer to the former the last few years.) I’m a sucker for a first contact novel, and with a minor in Linguistics, if you make your lead character a linguist, … Read more
A good friend responded to my Feburary 28th post with five pretty legit ideas for posts, so I’m taking these cues and running with them. 1. Snow Crash This book changed what I thought about the process of writing. I had gone through a phase when I was younger of wanting to be a science … Read more