COP26: a historic but imperfect accord

“World leaders signed off on a new climate change agreement after two weeks of intense negotiations in Glasgow, Scotland. While some countries committed to more ambitious cuts to heat-trapping pollution, many nations did not agree to reign in emissions fast enough for the world to avoid the worst damage from climate-driven storms, heat waves and

Words, Wonderful Words

Words fascinate me. They always have. It might be genetic. My mother also loved words and once, with a smile on her face, told a supervisor she did not respect, he was just a curmudgeon. He, having no clue what the word meant, took it as a compliment and said ‘thank you.’ By the time

Thoughts on Columbus and his Day

Once again, people in the United States are squabbling over a made-up, moved-to-create-a-three-day-weekend holiday. Being honest, I must say that when I taught a long weekend in early to mid-October was always welcome, especially because it occurred around the time of my birthday. However, I urge those who are patriotically waving the flag to stop

World building in Science-fiction and Fantasy

“If you write science-fiction or fantasy, world building can make or break your book.” ProWritingAid. World building is harder than you think. It is difficult and takes time. Many details need to come together in a cohesive fashion to produce a believable world. You can be creative and design your own world from scratch or

Choosing Our Words

As writers, we must choose our words carefully. Not ever reader will comprehend our words in the same way. This is true for writers of every genre, from short pieces of flash fiction contained in a few hundred words or less (Ernest Hemingway’s six-word, heart-wrenching story comes to mind) to multi-volume epic tales spanning hundreds

Using Facebook for Inspiration

I admit it. I’m addicted to Facebook. It’s a terrible time killer and keeps me from doing much more important things—like writing—but I can’t seem to help myself. Acknowledging my addiction is, however, the first step in getting a handle on it. And one of the ways I hope to manage my Facebook addiction is

Practice Practice Practice

There is a hackneyed joke about a visitor to New York asking a pedestrian how to get to Carnegie Hall. The pedestrian happens to be a musician, who answers, “Practice, practice, practice.” Any endeavor that requires development and competition, requires practice, be it Olympic swimming, gymnastics, fencing, concert piano or professional bowling. “But wait,” you

Nichola De La Haye–Who Knew?

One of the more famous (or infamous) villains in English medieval history is the Sheriff of Nottingham, the nemesis of Robin Hood. A sheriff or shire reeve, was responsible for overseeing the county or shire for the king, enforcing the laws, collecting taxes, keeping the peace.  There was one very unusual sheriff during the reigns

High School Reunions: A Time of Reckoning

I am a writer, so I am curious. I often consider the mundane in a way that others sometimes regard as weird. My questions on a topic are often met with “Who cares?” or “You’re overthinking it.” I cannot disagree with these sentiments. However, I almost always feel compelled to pursue an inquiry despite the

STARTING

STARTING This piece is targeted at those who have long dreamed of writing, though have yet to begin; to those folks who know there is a story inside them and are ready, or nearly ready, to let it out. WHERE TO BEGIN? So, now you sit at the table or desk facing a blank page