For this week’s virtual vacation, I took a tour of NCC-1701, the Enterprise, under the command of Captain Kirk. This is a picture snapped by Yeoman Rand on the bridge. I’m standing in the back, in my blue science officer uniform, near the elevator. All right, if you insist. This […]
Found this on the InterWeb and it tickled my fancy. This is Sauron from The Lord of the Rings…on the cover of Times magazine as their selection for Person of the Year. Maybe I’m easily amused, but I thought this was funny.
This is the new, rebranded, retitled cover for the novelette I originally published in 2017 as “The Good Book.” It’s a surprisingly fun and uplifting story about a man who thinks he has nothing left to live for until a Magic Book with a bad attitude changes his mind. Sales […]
Episode 13 of the Hourlings Podcast Project (26 minutes) is now available on YouTube. This episode’s topic is “Writing a Series,” in which our awesome writers describe the ins and outs of open-ended series, trilogies, and “same universe, different characters” series. Also covered are some of the ramifications for series […]
I’d like to introduce you to the Hourlings Writing Group. They’re a writing group in the Northern Virginia area which has been instrumental in my development as a writer. I’m one of the founding members of the group, from way back in 2013 when they were still called the Loudoun Science […]
This is a great image from the back of a departing yacht as a group of survivors leaves Los Angelos behind during a zombie apocalypse. Behind them, the city burns uncontrollably, caught between ravening hordes of zombies and an implacable military that still thinks they can win against them. From […]
Episode 12 of the Hourlings Podcast Project (17 minutes) is now available on YouTube. This episode’s topic is “Writing Action Scenes,” in which our illustrious writers prescribe techniques for crafting effective action scenes, particularly fight scenes, that move the plot along while also revealing character. This episode features: Martin Wilsey […]
It’s been an awful day. Insurrectionists wreaked havoc in the capitol and the Confederate flag was raised in DC for the first time in the history of the United States. Time for some counter-programming: here’s a T-Rex trying to make a bed. If that doesn’t make you chuckle, I don’t […]
Interview enough writers and you’ll find that the inspiration for stories can come from almost anywhere. Sometimes the writer starts out with a social issue, a new technological development, a character, or just a single scene. Slowly, writers accrete details in their minds until the pieces coalesce as a story. […]
I’ve never been to Venice, though I hope to visit sometime in the post-COVID-19 era. I’ve always been fascinated by its prominence in history, first as a major financial and maritime power during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and later as a major player in the arts. I’m intrigued […]
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