I finally saw Disney’s Christopher Robin, and it did exactly what I hoped it would do. It did not bog me down in “but’s” or “on-the-other-hand’s.” Adults get too wrapped up in the importance of their work and forget what they are actually supposed to be working for: the means to make the rest of…
“Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” This is a no-brainer, right? Almost everyone I know listens to music to relax, but what is interesting is the different composition of each person’s playlist. I was talking with my older son’s fiancée yesterday about her affection for…
I am often asked where I get the ideas for my stories. The answer is “Anywhere.” I don’t just sit on the sofa and wait for inspiration to strike, however; I look for it wherever I go during the day, or in my environment when I am home. Things hit me at the craziest times.…
I committed to a writing career on my 40th birthday–May 27, 1999. I figured that, given the average lifespan of 80 or so years, I was about halfway done with my life, and if I was going to be a professional writer I had better be about it. Do the math. That was 19 years…
When people tell me they love math and science but hate writing, I always tell them how mathematical writing is. It never fails to get me a puzzled stare, but once I explain it they see it is clear as day. After all, I’m not a genius, I just spend a lot of time thinking…
I always worry that my novels are too short. Soul Lost is my longest at 81,000 words, but Megan is much shorter, only 47,000. A book that has not yet seen the light of day, The People of the Green Hills, is more epic in my mind, but on paper it is only 67,000 words.…
One of the things I love about my sons as adults is that they are now the teachers, and I truly enjoy learning from them. Currently my younger son is teaching me about alternative rock, and I’m loving it. Context: I’m working on a new book with a working title of “Maisie’s List.” The protagonist is…
