What do teachers think when they grade written assignments? I think most student papers probably fall between the two extremes: (EXCELLENT) so clever and grammatically glorious that teachers glow with approval, and (*&^%?!) so disappointing they don't know how to grade it fairly without dipping it in red paint and placing it solemnly atop a funeral pyre. Captive Audience Just like in fiction writing, I consider … Continue reading Professional Audience
I met up with my brother Anton, my sister Vanessa, and her children at the beach for a few days. They were there for the whole week but, with summer classes, I could only make the tail end. The Everglades-Big Cypress Crawl Leaving Miami, I drove east on US-41 across the Big Cypress National Preserve and then took I-75 … Continue reading Gulf Coast Beach Fun
The Imaginary Night Zoo, vol. 1 will be ready by November as planned (an exact date has yet to be set; I'll give a heads up when I know). Having someone else edit (Villainy) hasn't been as scary as I thought it'd be. It's actually given me ideas. So! While I could settle with what I … Continue reading Fall 2016 Story Updates
LEE SURIAH rushed through the harbor town from guide office to guide office, desperate to recruit help. His quick footsteps echoed off narrow brick roads and cozy buildings, shuttered and dark, shingles dripping from a recent sun shower. Rounding a corner, he broke into a walk and fumbled to a stop, almost slipping in a … Continue reading One Last Run
Arriving on campus early to beat midday parking drama, I decided to hang out in the Fortress of Solitude (book nerd version) until it was time for class. Fortress, but not of "Solitude" The campus library is more like a crowded ice castle of silence (solitude is only available on Fridays, weekends, and anytime that feels "too … Continue reading Library Play Day
3rd-person is my bread and butter but 1st-person is tons of fun. How 1st-Person is Like Theatre I know the script, I'm aware of other characters' intentions, I can recite my lines in my sleep but when the curtain goes up I must react organically to the other players in that moment despite how I may have rehearsed. In doing so the scene flows naturally … Continue reading 1st-Person Theatre
I don't get "story inspiration." I get "character inspiration." And then those characters grow up, run off, have adventures, screw up, tell bad jokes, mature, make friends, tell more bad jokes, make enemies, figure out what they stand for, and come home to tell me all about it. And that's where stories comes from. Fluffy Bunnies … Continue reading Bunnies Can Be Heroes
The train hissed at Claude Bouchard as he stepped from the empty passenger car onto an equally vacant platform. Faded wooden signs pointed with white arrows toward ticketing, a gift shop, and an adjoining diner offering a special involving a chowder he'd never heard of. He crossed Fruit Town's train station in four minutes where he saw only one other person, … Continue reading Where Tall Grasses Wave
I liked to read about animals and draw in elementary and middle school. Naturally you'd think that I drew animals. But, no. I didn't because I was also a perfectionist who couldn't draw real animals as accurately as I wanted. (I was aware of drawing methods like the grid method but I disliked using them for a few reasons: (1) I felt like I should … Continue reading Shading Practice
Projects Villainy goes in to see the editor in 1.5-ish weeks (sounds like a doctor's visit....) Villainy is looking at an October release date. The Imaginary Night Zoo is looking at a November release date. New Semester The start of a fall semester at university always ends up feeling more like a "Happy New Year!" moment … Continue reading Project Updates & Evil Comrades
