Words are magic.
Many people helped bring this month’s post to life. A special thank you to Kelley Haldeman, foraging guide extraordinaire, and to Nissa Peterson, who connected us. Thank you to Eric, for accompanying me in the woods, taking pictures, and keeping […]
This month, I learned how to make a few different types of fire catchers. If you’ve been following my blog recently, you know I’m attempting to learn a different survival skill each month (for research purposes and because it’s just […]
When the proverbial poop hits the propeller, people will inevitably attend to their base needs—the foundational items that make up the base of Maslow’s pyramid. These needs include shelter, water, air, and food. You’ve probably seen post-apocalypse movies in which […]
Spring thaw reveals a graveyard, dirt-spattered. The sole of a shoe, peeled from its upper, candy bar and condom foils, mummified dog shit now free to decay, seep, join the soil. An empty fifth of vodka catches my eyes, breath, […]
Growing up in northern Minnesota, you learn how to fish. When I was young, my dad bought me a fishing rod and reel, set up a five-gallon bucket in the middle of our yard, and had me practice my casting. […]
As part of the research for my Middle Grade work-in-progress, I’m learning as many survival skills as I can. My goal is to learn one skill per month in 2019. So far so…meh. To be frank, this past month didn’t […]
“My imagination isn’t what it used to be.” Amanda and I are standing around a kitchen island, catching up at a friend’s winter party. Most of the guests know each other through a local writing group, so talk often turns […]
This year, I somehow managed to take down 40-ish books (not counting the ones I edited), despite the craziness. Amid editing, ghost writing, and building my book coaching business, I found a few moments here and there to let my […]
Below me, a sea of humans jostle for space, chat, sip on amber-tinted beverages. They spread across a trough-like expanse, facing an enormous stage with several thirty-foot high screens stretching across it. There are 8,000 of us. I’m standing against […]
July passed by in a blur of plot-building and scene-setting. For the third time in two and a half years, I cranked out 50,000 words of a single novel in a single month (actually 55,000, but who’s counting? …Me. I’m […]