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Posts Tagged ‘Writers’

Have A Good Day!

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on January 8, 2026| 2 Comments »

It’s a good day when I can promote a friend’s fiction, and today is a good day!

Here’s the latest flash fiction from the always terrific Arthur H. Manners in the excellent Nature: Futures (if you can’t see the full text, the easiest way to get access is to log in with a Google account):

A troubleshooting guide to your flat-pack planet

Got a problem? The Sandbox Corporation makes every effort to provide a seamless world-building experience, but occasionally issues occur. Please see our comprehensive troubleshooting guide, with more than 1015 scenarios covered.

Confused? Contact a customer service representative today*. Or, better yet, see below for our curated FAQ of common issues.

It’s funny because it’s (going to be) true;)

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Photo by Lidia Zajdzińska on Unsplash

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Artist, Be Brave

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on January 6, 2026| Leave a Comment »

You don’t have to be miserable or suffer to create art; but you do have to be honest, and honesty is terrifying.

— Elizabeth Bear

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Photo by Zachary Keimig on Unsplash

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Lessons from the Past

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , on December 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“That’s what literature is. It’s the people who went before us, tapping out messages from the past, from beyond the grave, trying to tell us about life and death! Listen to them!”

— Connie Willis

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Image by Europeana / Rijksmuseum on Unsplash

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Journey to The Journey

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on December 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

I ran across this short piece by Brian Lewis (self-described Cosmic Poet, which is awesome), and wanted to share. 

In the fall of 1929, with America days away from financial ruin, Joseph Campbell committed what everyone called “professional suicide.” He walked into his advisor’s office at Columbia—degree in hand, future within reach—and announced, calmly, boldly, disastrously: “I don’t want one field. I want all of them.”

Yes, that Joseph Campbell, Mister Hero with a Thousand Faces.

By now, most of us have heard about Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, and how it distills thousands of years of mythology into a useful, easily transferrable model to help reach an audience.

(It also generated follow-on models, including Gail Carriger’s Heroine’s Journey.)

But how did Campbell build that original model? The essay shares some of the backstory of that process, and was full of new-to-me details. How did Campbell go from obscurity to one of the best known framers of storytelling?

Read the full essay for more. And yes, George Lucas plays a significant role:)

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Photo by Javier García on Unsplash

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First Things First

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on December 18, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Your first workout will be bad.

Your first podcast will be bad.

Your first speech will be bad.

Your first video will be bad.

Your first ANYTHING will be bad. 

but you cant make your 100th without making your first. 

So put your ego aside, and start.

— Alec Zamora

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Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

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He Went to 11

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged , , , , on December 17, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Rob Reiner, Actor Who Went on to Direct Classic Films, Dies at 78

“People take a look at ‘Princess Bride,’ and exclaim, ‘God, this is such an odd conglomeration!’” Mr. Reiner told The New York Times shortly after the movie was released in 1987. “‘How could you balance all those things?’”

“But it didn’t seem all that strange to me,” he went on, “because those are all parts of my personality. I’ve definitely got this satirical side to me, and this romantic side, and this more realistic way of looking at things.”

I don’t know about you, but Reiner’s eclectic approach to storytelling was one of the things I loved about his work. That and the clever humor, the touching moments, and the personal stories. 

My favorite quote from this statement, Close friends of Rob and Michele Reiner release statement on their lives and work, is a reminder that we all make an impact.

“Each man’s life touches so many other lives, and when he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” — from It’s a Wonderful Life

Maybe we’ll watch The Princess Bride this weekend. Or Stand by Me. Or Spinal Tap. Or When Harry Met Sally. Or A Few Good Men. Or or or.

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Photo by Alex Skobe on Unsplash

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Making Peace

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , , on December 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Here’s a lovely thought piece by Spencer Sekulin on making peace with the ghosts of lives unlived and becoming your imperfect, unpredictable, beautiful self.

Forgive Yourself for Not Becoming Everything You Wanted – Spencer Sekulin

To live one life, you need to condemn many others.

Yet to try to live all of them keeps you stuck, forever.

Spencer’s fiction is also terrific. If you’re looking for excellently written fantasy, check out his work!

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Photo by Brittney Strange on Unsplash

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Story for a Monday

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , , on December 8, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Emily Bressler is helping you recognize, reflect on, and reject hypocrisy with this story at McSweeney’s:

I Work For an Evil Company, but Outside Work, I’m Actually a Really Good Person

I love my job. I make a great salary, there’s a clear path to promotion, and a never-ending supply of cold brew in the office. And even though my job requires me to commit sociopathic acts of evil that directly contribute to making the world a measurably worse place from Monday through Friday, five days a week, from morning to night, outside work, I’m actually a really good person.

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Photo by Joeyy Lee on Unsplash

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A Happy Writing Life

Posted in Writing, tagged , , , , , on December 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

What does James Patterson, one of the world’s top authors, have to say about leading a creative and happy life? Here are three suggestions that resonated with me:

James Patterson’s Maxims for a Happy Life

2. Pay attention to process rather than outcomes.

3. Excellence is less about talent and inspiration, more about hard work and persistence.

5. Focus on what’s getting better, rather than fretting over what’s getting worse.

For the full list, check out the article above, or listen to the full podcast with Arthur Brooks.

In the end, “how does Patterson find the work of writing? ‘I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it.’”

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Photo by Sean Nufer on Unsplash

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Magic and Meaning

Posted in Other, Writing, tagged , , , , , on December 1, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Now this is exactly what I need on a Monday.

How John Green Fights Despair Every Day | The Interview – YouTube

I mean the problem with hope is that it feels like a very easy word. You know, it feels like very convenient and sort of kumbaya. But I’m interested in the kind of hope that holds up to scrutiny. The kind of hope that does hold up to the worst things that happen to us, that holds up to our worst days. That’s the kind of hope that I’m interested in.

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Photo by eko tavkhelidze on Unsplash

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