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We were told at work to do some kind of training. I've always wanted to learn how to draw. I've never drawn in my life except doodles in meetings (if you don't count Celtic Cthulhu) and it seems like, if you have any idea worth exploring and you want to communicate it at the Mouse, it helps enormously if you are both verbally and visually ( Read more... )

I have been craptastically busy ( Read more... )

I spent a lovely evening with the Orange County Science Fiction Club last night, speaking to their group about how I became a writer and what my current challenges are. It seemed to go really well. I began to wonder before I left if they were going to let me leave. :) It was a great feeling until my bladder started bawling ( Read more... )

In this last draft of SILENCE OF THE IAMBS, I had a revelation about writing dialog thanks to award-winning author Al Guthrie and my pal Deputy Dave.

Al wrote a fantastic blog entry for Mulholland Books called "Tips for Budding Crime Writers: DialogueGo read it. I'll wait ( Read more... )

Why do I not like writing about writing? In other writer's blogs, they tap-tap-tap about the tap-tap-tapping. I'm sure they not only savor it, but they also have fans who want the tap-tap-tapping porn. If I ever develop a large following, I'll probably come off as an authorial prude, not even flashing a nipple ( Read more... )

Monday night I entered the dojo ("Konichiwa!") and the first thing I noticed were large garbage bags full of damp, tightly rolled tatami mats. They are sometimes wound around bamboo to create the consistency of flesh and bone, but that night there was no bamboo.

We were going to perform tameshigiri -- the Japanese art of target cutting ( Read more... )

I'm thrilled to announce that the sultry songstress, Jill Tracy, will be writing the Introduction to my upcoming poetry collection, At Louche Ends: Poetry for the Decadent, the Damned, and the Absinthe-Minded from Burning Effigy Press.

Clive Barker says, “Jill Tracy creates an elegant netherworld both seductive and terrifying.”

And, may I add, ( Read more... )

Wow, have I brushed against the sharp edges of life this year ( Read more... )

Monday night, Sensei took me aside to the white board and drew symbols representing each of the goho battoho -- or, "five (sword) draws". As soon as I saw the symbols, I realized that I needed to be writing everything down as Sensei had been recommending. For whatever reason, I can't truly memorize something until I've seen it in writing. It works ( Read more... )