Swords, Specters, & Stuff
Welcome to My World
I started this blog in January 2012 for one simple reason: I love to write. I named it “Swords, Specters, & Stuff” because I especially love to write about writing, about books and movies in my favorite genres, about authors that mean a great deal to me. But there’s more to it than that, which is why I included “Stuff” in the title. It is “Stuff” that gives me carte blanche to write about anything, which is why you’ll see stories about special trips to Cooperstown, Sedona, and other places; about getting older; about baseball; about the otherworldly way in which I met my soul mate; about the loss of good friends, and so much more. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a comment.
Where Was #MeToo Back In The Day?
Recently, I discovered something about myself that, quite honestly, I did not like. It has to do with a fictional character: Dirk Pitt, the ubiquitous creation of bestselling author Clive Cussler.
Throwback Thursday: Read & Critique—The Drama Queen
In facilitating read & critique workshops in my home for over a dozen years I’ve encountered more than my share of drama queens—and kings. The subject in this post is a compilation of them all.
Myths And Legends: The Ghosts Of Alcatraz
If you’ve been to San Francisco (who hasn’t), you probably rode the ferry across the bay to Alcatraz Island. You took the tour of the old federal prison, stood inside one of the 4’ x 8’ claustrophobic cells (I lasted ten seconds), gawked at the Who’s Who of former inmates. But in the daytime, with so many people around, you likely did not encounter one of the many spirits that inhabit its creepy corridors.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—Finding Forrester
We writers don’t usually find cause to save the country, or the planet, or the galaxy (except in our own stories), so making us the heroes on the silver screen is not something that gets box office-driven Hollywood all atwitter. That said, there are more movies about writers and writing than one might think.
Native American Film Gems: Hostiles
The 2017 Western drama, HOSTILES, will take most viewers out of their “comfort zone.” At times it is difficult to watch, but its overall message of tolerance and inclusion is evident. The excellent performances by its stars, Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, and Wes Studi, make this an exceptional and necessary film.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—Deep Rising
Not having felt “guilty” for a while, I dug way down into the well of duds for DEEP RISING, a 1998 action-horror flick. I mean, how could I not like a movie co-starring Famke Janssen (X-Men’s Jean Grey and a Bond villain in GOLDENEYE) and a bunch of giant, multi-tentacled sea worms? What more could a (weird) guy want?
Exploring The Planet Of The Apes: Part Five
If you read this blog, you may recall that Part Four in this series appeared a little over a year ago. At that time WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, the ninth film in the franchise and the third in the latest reboot, had not yet been released. It came out later that summer, and I saw it then but chose not to write about it until I watched it at least one more time, which I did last week.
Throwback Thursday: Trimming The Fat From Your Manuscript
We writers tend to fall in love with our words—sometimes too much. As a writing coach and editor for decades I have been personally responsible for millions of words of unnecessary exposition being excised from my writers’ manuscripts—usually with those writers kicking and screaming.
Whole Lotta Shaking Goin’ On
We had an earthquake here in Southern California last week. Like, what else is new? The 4.5 temblor—its epicenter in Riverside County near the San Andreas fault—occurred just before 5 a.m., which means I sure as heck did not feel it. Two subsequent aftershocks also went unnoticed. This quake was not even close to the long-prophesized Big One.
Throwback Thursday: The Best Writing Advice Of All
In my decades as a writing coach and editor I have worked with first-time writers whose talents and abilities ranged from “I think you should take up needlepoint or jet skiing instead” to “How in heck are you not published yet!” The latter, to be sure, is the rare exception rather than the rule.
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