There is no perfect moment to begin.
— Seth Godin
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Posted in Other, Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, action, creativity, inspiration, procrastination, Thoughts, writing | Leave a Comment »
Let’s call this post the latest in my “actually, some things are very definitely better, thankfully!” series.
What was food like before the FDA? | Popular Science
Short answer? Not good!
Read the article for more on formaldehyde, brick dust, lead and other things you never thought would be mentioned in a story about food. (There’s also a shout-out to Upton Sinclair’s classic novel The Jungle, which, among other things, helped publicize the unsavory conditions inside Chicago’s meatpacking plants.)
Now I’m off to have a Plaster of Paris-free sandwich, yum!
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Posted in Food and..., Other | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, better now, FDA, food, olden times, regulations, Writers | Leave a Comment »
Not getting everything done you’d hoped? Life intruding into your carefully made plans? It happens. Some days are weird.
And some days you just need to give yourself a break.
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Posted in Other, Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, Thoughts, Writers | Leave a Comment »
Why Tolkien thought “sub-creation” was the secret to great fantasy and science fiction
There is something about great fantasy that emboldens the spirit and gives fire to the fight. It is found not only in the words and plot but in its atemporality. It tells us that there is something universal to the human condition that ought to be celebrated. It is something as true for Anglo-Saxons in their snowy mead halls as it is for office drones changing their login passwords.
It says that no matter what monsters we face, we shall overcome and live on. We shall not be defeated.
That’s a pretty good secret.
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, fantasy, J.R.R. Tolkien, speculative fiction, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
“Dare to be strong and courageous. That is the road. Venture anything.”
— Sherwood Anderson
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, inspiration, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
Today, a quick visit to Sicily to make tomato paste by hand. I had no idea it was this concentrated!
How to Make Tomato Paste in Sicily | The Kid Should See This
It’s easy. Take a ridiculously large amount of perfectly ripe Sicilian tomatoes. Cut them up. Leave them in the sun for 4 days to reduce down to about one tenth of their original volume. Put them in a jar and save it for a gloomy February day.
Here’s the video:
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Posted in Food and... | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, cooking, food, learning stuff | Leave a Comment »
“For only after, can one nail down, examine, explain. To try to know beforehand is to freeze and kill. Self-consciousness is the enemy of all art, be it acting, writing, painting, or living itself, which is the greatest art of all.”
― Ray Bradbury
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, art, creativity, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.
— St. Francis of Assisi
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, Thoughts | Leave a Comment »
Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, creativity, quotes, Thoughts, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
I talk about science and fiction here, but I also like fantasy, science and otherwise. What’s up in the world of speculative fiction, fantasy edition? The World Fantasy Awards shortlist, that’s what!
Here’s the full ballot, with links to the short fiction list where available:
Here Are the 2025 World Fantasy Award Finalists – Reactor
Short Fiction
“Our Best Selves” by Hiron Ennes (Weird Horror Magazine #9)
“Godskin” by CL Hellisen (Strange Horizons, March 4, 2024)
“The V*mpire” by PH Lee (Reactor, October 2024)
“Raptor” by Maura McHugh (Heartwood: A Mythago Wood Anthology)
“Everything in the Garden is Lovely” by Hannah Yang (Apex Magazine #143, March 2024)
Do some of these look dark and scary and filled with content warnings? They do, but perhaps that’s your thing? If not, check out the other novels, novellas and more.
Winners will be chosen and awards presented at the World Fantasy Convention in the UK this November!
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Posted in Writing | Tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2025, awards, creativity, fantasy, Fiction, free fiction, Writers, writing | Leave a Comment »
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