The Doubting Writer Blog
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
Time off
On Friday, we went and picked up the Catbird at college for her college recess. It’s nice to have her home. My wife figured it out, we’re down to four more round trips to do this, maybe as little as
“I think there’s a play there!”
Monty Python’s Flying Circus once featured a skit in which a well-dressed, professional looking young man named Ken (Eric Idle) returns to the home of his parents, where he receives a warm welcome from his mother (Terry Jones), but hostility
Elevation: A quasi review
Well, a little late today, but better late than never, right? Let’s hope so, anyway. I actually had some partially-written posts going, but when my alarm went off this morning I turned it off–then woke up forty minutes later and
Gone Fishing
We’re still picking at the remains of Thanksgiving dinner here at my house, still delighting in turkey and stuffing (a once a year thing), sweet potato casserole and apple crisp. Thanksgiving is, in many ways, the loveliest of holidays, both
Finally
It finally happened. On Saturday morning, after inserting and feathering in an 810-word sequence, I sent off my manuscript to that “one more reader.” I kind of wanted to feel like Rocky running up the steps while training; I felt
Almost there
I’ll admit it, I’m a little disappointed in myself. I was hoping to be done by now, but when I finished working on The Weighty Tome yesterday, I was on page 376 of what is now just 400 manuscript pages.
More Revising
Hoorah, hoorah! Two weeks ago, I finally reached the last page of my WiP! When I pushed back from my desk two Mondays ago, I had cut some 14,000 words from my bloated epic. Perhaps more important than pure word
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