I’m a voracious reader and have been since fifth grade, when good ol’ Mrs. George sparked the reader within me, kindled that flame of...

A lot of things (more than we like to admit) are out of man’s hands, beyond his control. One of those things is the weather. Yet, we...

The difference between minor surgery and major surgery is determined by whether you are having it. That’s sort of the way it often is...

As I sat engaged in the various tasks of readying Christmas cards for mailing, I began to muse. I weighed how the practice has changed...

One of the key ingredients of both good fiction and creative nonfiction is realistic dialogue. Readers certainly know that fact. Writers...

Things notoriously often move slowly in the publishing world. Quite some time ago, I queried an editor with an article idea I had. I was...

Another month has flown by. It’s only 25 days until Christmas! Wasn’t it just last week that we were returning Christmas decorations to...

It’s always been hard, it seems, to get “back in the swing” once I’ve been away for a while, and the week just past has been no...

The best writers, writing teachers often say, are avid readers, and high on their reading lists are great writers, those who stand as...

“You get only one chance to make a good first impression.” That statement is especially true when it comes to submitting your writing to...

He was born on this date in 1928, about 11 months before the big crash. Most of his formative, pre-adolescent years were within that...

Recently, I’ve been reading a little [DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!] fiction, and old fiction at that. Few people today recall the author or his...

The first week of November is a busy time! It starts off with National Authors’ Day, which affects only a relative handful of people, but...

It’s usually the little things in life that make the difference. Perhaps we can’t see the significance, potential, or danger of such...

It’s interesting how something small and seemingly insignificant to others can trigger in one a vivid memory. This phenomenon can be, for...

It never fails. Soon after one makes a commitment to do something, that commitment will be tested. How long one is able to remain...

One hundred ninety years ago today, a man was born who later published a book the influence of which stretched far beyond his own...

On this date in history, several important events occurred. Columbus landed on San Salvador, discovering the New World in his quest to...

On this date in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved a secret project that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people...

It’s amazing how, over time, one’s perspectives change. As I’m on the verge of testing the adage “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,”...