Whenever I come home from university I can always count on one thing happening: a book discussion with my brother, Anton (from Book Nerds Unite). The Recent Reads One book he finished some time ago is so bizarre that I MUST share the ending. The ending paraphrased: A normal-ish troublemaker guy is invited by the … Continue reading Sibling Book Swap
When I was earning my AA, I had a history professor (PhD) who was also a fabulous storyteller (going to class felt like episodes and I had to come back next week to find out what REALLY happened; AH! She was so good!). I would absolutely take her class again, just for her. Aside from being educational … Continue reading Epic History-Inspired Story Ideas
COLIN LOUNGED on the packed dirt floor of a shaded bamboo jail cell. At least this place is a lot nicer than the last place I was arrested. Movement outside the bars drew his eye again. The cell faced the road which allowed curious villages to stop and look. Last time there were kids. The … Continue reading Jolly Jailbreak
I miss drawing fan art. This is from 2010. Anyone familiar with the anime Ronin Warriors (aka Yoroiden Samurai Troopers)? It's one of those shows that was great in middle school but is too painful to watch now (1980's animation/dialogue, anyone?) however it will always have a special place in my heart (and on my bookshelf; I … Continue reading Old School Fan Art
Alaska to Florida Adventure: Last Day! We didn't really want to leave the wonderful Drury Inn & Suites (but we did anyway, FL was calling). Chick-fil-Awesome Megan hadn't had Chick-fil-A in over 5 years (Alaska doesn't have any) so we found one and hogged 5-ish parking spaces (I was loving parking sideways across multiple spots with … Continue reading Home
Dr. Tristan Shadow took the second path and emerged at a pair of benches facing the lake. The fat envelope in his gloved hand wouldn't deliver itself to the Department of Medicine but he needed to sit. Not at a desk, not with a patient, not with a doctorate student seeking academic guidance, but on a quiet bench in … Continue reading Eccentric Peace of Mind
Villainy (the story) began in January 2014 when my best friend, Megan, sent me a writing prompt: "What does your villain do on Tuesday nights?" Immediately a nameless villain with ridiculously normal Tuesday nights was born. And he became a part of an outrageous clash of cliché vs anti-cliché forces, one of two nameless characters I referred to only as "Hero" and … Continue reading How I Embraced Villainy
Alaska to Florida Adventure: Day 17 Leaving Memphis behind, we had at least 2 days of driving between us and home. Medical Emergency? Let me say that I enjoyed every last bit of our adventure, but the trip was starting to kick my butt in the physical stress department. Here's why: 6 hours of flights from FL to … Continue reading Drury Isn’t a Lane, It’s a Castle
One of my top reasons to be in a bookstore (not the library) is to analyze current fiction. One of my favorite topics of study: story beginnings. The Art of Storytelling I base how and what I write on what moves me. If I adore a certain character in a show, I figure out why. If I want … Continue reading Bookstore Recon
Today is Cow Appreciation Day and if you wear a cow costume to Chick-fil-A, they'll give you a free chicken sandwich. Which reminded me of a brief story: A few years ago, my brother Anton had really wanted to participate in Chick-fil-A's Cow Appreciation Day but didn't have a cow costume so he went as a gorilla. … Continue reading The Gorilla on Cow Day
