The Doubting Writer Blog
This Story Will Never Go Out of Style
A few years back I had a great idea for a novel. Like the one I mentioned a few weeks ago, I wish I’d written it, as it would be quite appropriate given our current situation. The concept was inspired
Writing Time
“And here was another familiar sensation, back for a return visit after four years: that anger at the telephone, the urge to simply rip it out of the wall and fire it across the room. Why did the whole world
Flash: On the Barricade
For today, I’m posting a piece of very raw, very unrefined (can something truly be very raw? Or very unrefined? Seems to me that while something can be cooked or refined to varying degrees, there’s really only one raw, one
Reviewed!
Well, here I am, back to my old habits, it seems. No excuses, I suppose, but I’ll offer some up anyway. Last week’s storm dropped eleven inches or so of some of the wettest, heaviest snow I have ever seen.
Knocked Out
I’m a day later than I normally am in this resurrected blog. Blame April. When I was a kid, I remember hearing that the Inuit people of Alaska and Canada had something like 50 or 80 different words for snow.
Writing “In”
At various times through this lengthy writing drought I would try, to put a twist on a song from Hamilton, to “write my way in”–instead of waiting for some grisly abomination to kick its way out of the back room
A Cover Story
Some years ago, I was at a local arts center where The Magpie’s high school class was having an open mic event as part of a class project. It was a very enjoyable event with kids displaying their admirable talents
It’s Cover Day!
I. Am. Thrilled. I’m assuming if you’re reading this you’ve already seen the cover for Powerless*, coming in August. Haven’t seen it? No worries, it’s right here! I’m thrilled with the cover, done by Laura Duffy Design**, and what can
Where Have I Been?
It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted anything of substance. When I stepped away in April of 2019 I honestly believed that my hiatus would be pretty much like others I’d taken previously, that I’d be back in a
I’m Still Here, Are You?
Well, folks, has it really been 2-1/2 years since my last post? Looks like…yes. Wow. It was never my intention to be gone so long. I think when I checked out on April 1, 2019–a whole pandemic ago!–I figured I
At Last: A Sequel I Can Get Behind
It finally happened. Yesterday, Netflix announced that El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie will air on the the streaming service on October 11. Aaron Paul, who played Jesse Pinkman on the original show for five seasons and reprises his role
Reading List 2019 Part I
Prepare to be underwhelmed. The Crossing (2018), Jason Mott Family Trust (2018), Kathy Wang Unsheltered (2018), Barbara Kingsolver It doesn’t seem possible that I’ve only read three books. On my list, I note that The Crossing was finished on February
A trip to the past
Quite often, when we face an uncertain future or an uncomfortable present, we retreat into the safety of the past. Perhaps we look at old pictures or videos, listen to favorite music, pay a visit to an old haunt. We
Opportunity stolen
When I was a kid, I was spoon-fed the Myth of America. You know the one. It tells us that America is the land of opportunity. The land of the free. The place where anyone could become anything. Where a
Yet another query post
And just like that we’re back in the dark. Among the many things to not like about the return of Daylight Saving Time is that, as I write this, sunrise is still 21 minutes away. Yes, it will not be
Gearing for battle
It seems like almost every movie that includes some sort of battle–be it epic fantasy, war, even a sports film–features a scene in which Our Heroes prepare for the coming fight. We see Our Heroes gearing up for battle: sharpening
And still another wall (and still not THAT one)
I thought I would be done. When I posted last week, I thought I would be done by now. My brief wall notwithstanding, I was pretty certain I would put a bow on it and be finished by the time
A wall, but not that wall
Way back in school–and I’m talking elementary school, mostly, so it was a long time ago–our teachers tried to impose a certain degree of structure on how we wrote. Whether it was an essay or a short story, we were
One of those moments
My boss is smart. She has a Ph.D. She’s done research in aquatic biology, conducted wetland restoration work, taught at the university level, and now she’s running the premier environmental organization in my region. She’s got a quick mind, strong
A thought on my return from Washington, DC
This weekend, we visited family in Washington, DC. Aside from a few hours almost thirty years ago where my soon-to-be wife and I visited the National Zoo, I have never been there. On Saturday, we were fortunate to have good
Glow Puck is back!
Twenty-two years ago, the National Hockey League’s broadcasting partner, Fox, broke out a technology that would revolutionize the game. After much work with the league to be sure puck integrity wasn’t harmed, a micro-chip was embedded in the puck, allowing
Word Nerd Monday: Ruggedized
Last week, while reading through a Request for Applications for grant funds put forth by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, I came across something completely unexpected. In a section describing what grant funds could be spent on,
Slumping
David Pastrnak is a talented, All-Star right winger for the Boston Bruins who won over the fans in Boston from day one for moments like this: …and for moments like this: Pastrnak has developed into a tremendous hockey player. After
Reading List, 2018, Part Final
Hello again! A week later, happy 2019. I hope all of you had an enjoyable holiday season. I was fortunate to have two plus weeks off at the holidays, owing to the fact that I needed to burn a bunch
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