I’m taking Labor Day off so thought I’d do a labor-free article–repost last year’s! Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is an American holiday (though it occurs throughout the world, with different names and dates) dedicated to the achievements of workers. I take it literally. A keyboard, three screens, four tasks, and a six-pack … Continue reading
Category Archives: humor
Now That I’m Published
An efriend writer originally published this as a guest post on their blog to help me launch Against All Odds August 2020. In case you missed it there, here’s a reprint (I’ve made a few updates): *** K.M. Allen has a wonderful blog subtitled “Writing Advice From A YA Author Powered By Chocolate And Green … Continue reading
How to Survive Rejection
An efriend writer originally published this as a guest post on their blog to help me launch my latest prehistoric fiction, Against All Odds. In case you missed it there, here are my anecdotal thoughts on how to survive rejection (something I know a lot about): *** I have a lot of experience with rejections. … Continue reading
Get Your Geek On–from my Education blog
As a Tech Teacher, I’ve been Geek for years but these days, with remote and hybrid teaching, everyone has to get their geek on. I have this poster on my Ask a Tech Teacher blog I share with colleagues on how to do that: More Geek Humor (from Ask a Tech Teacher) Everything I Need … Continue reading
Writing on Labor Day? Here’s the Easy Way…
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is an American holiday (though with different names throughout the world) dedicated to the achievements of American workers. Take today to think about it. Me, I’ll take it literally–labor! A keyboard, three screens, four tasks, and a six-pack of Red Bull. I’m ready! If you’re devoting Labor Day … Continue reading
How to Talk to a Geek
There’s always been something mystically cerebral about people in technical professions like engineering, science, and mathematics. They talk animatedly about plate tectonics, debate the structure of atoms, even smile at the mention of calculus. Popular lore says they can drop a pin through a straw without touching the sides. Which isn’t true, of course. Here’s … Continue reading
Are you a Writer?
I posted an early version of this a long time ago, before I really understood the depths of what ‘being a writer’ meant. I’ve updated! You love research more than your cat. Or dog. A friend called you because they hadn’t heard from you, well, forever, and said, “There’s an old saying in poker. If … Continue reading
What Worries Me When I Write
I published this about a year ago on Alex Cavanaugh’s website. If you missed it, here’s a reprise: Six years ago, when I prepared to publish my first book, I shared my worst fears with blogging buddies. Now as I publish my seventh book, The Quest for Home, I still don’t feel like I have … Continue reading
How to Say “As dumb as…” Without Being Boring
A while ago, I published an article with 51 similes to spark the imagination as part of my collection of posts on how to describe in writing. That not only was one of my most-visited collections but readers also contributed their lists of similes that are far richer than anything I’ve come up with. Here’s one … Continue reading
10+ Tips on How to Know Your Story is Done
Every month, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (known by we-members as #IWSG) bring the most insecure among us together to discuss (in pithy concise posts) what bothers us, what helps/hurts our writing, and what we would suggest to others who would like to write. Last year, one of the optional questions was When do you … Continue reading