writing

Required Reading (If I May Say So Myself!)

In the past week, several instances have arisen that made me want to make in-your-face recommendations for my book about media and PR.  I resisted, of course, but the reasons why I wrote it keep piling up and people working in media keep sending me more examples. I don’t even have to try to prove that it’s needed! The proof comes to me.

Perfect Imperfection

Not long ago, I found a bunch of old letters I’d written to my parents. They dated to the early-and-mid-80s when I was striking out on my own. They were full of confidence and professed a knowledge about work and the world that I don’t know I’d feel comfortable espousing now, so many years later. The older I get, the less I know for sure.  …

The Weekend, The Book and Other Things

Saturday was hotter in London, Ontario than it was in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Dubai, that over-populated, but-it’s-a-dry-heat, desert playground, where 40C+ is the norm. Where millions of people hustle through the world’s tenth-busiest airport on their way to spend their wealth at luxury stores while the sun beats down with a relentless burn. No wonder we didn’t want to go outside. …

Throwback Thursday – At Your Service

When I was a kid, I loved the poems of Robert Service. They told stories of the Yukon gold rush in a musical cadence that included lots of alliteration and rhymes. Service didn’t bother with subtleties in his most famous works. You knew what you were getting with The Cremation of Sam McGee, The Ballad of Blasphemous Bill and hundreds of others. He also wrote six novels, two autobiographies and even acted in the 1942 film, The Spoilers, with Marlene Dietrich. Visiting his restored cabin in Dawson City, Yukon – a preserved historical site – is on my bucket list. 

Writing Group 2017

For much of the latter half of 2016, I’ve been trying to write a novel. No, that’s not true. I started a novel, and then didn’t get back to it until the year was almost over. After writing four books, I know the secret to writing a book: there is no secret. You have to actually write it and sometimes it’s difficult!  …

Judging a Book

One thing I’ve never been called, is a best-selling author! I have written four books and they’ve all had varying degrees of minor success. My most popular book, The Naked Truth, continues to sell a few dozen copies each month. Every author dreams of best-seller status, but a book marketer in Texas decided to expose the notion of what that means these days.  …

Contradicting the King

Stephen King’s On Writing is one of the best how-to books I’ve ever read. It came out 15 years ago but I still haul it out every few years and give it another skim. Like his work or not, he’s one of the most successful people who ever put fingertips to keyboard. It’s worth knowing what he has to say about the craft.  …