page contents Google

NEW EXPERTS: ASK THEM ANYTHING, JUST DON’T ASK ME

New experts are different than old experts. Just ask them and they’ll tell you. But what’s the right question? “Could you tell me your qualifications?” is not the right question.

FOR OLDER PEOPLE: WHAT’S IT LIKE?

Who doesn’t like a question directed to ‘older people?’ This was the question from twitter: I wonder what it’s like for the older people now, who were born in the previous millennium. How can people born in 1999 be old? Easy.

BOOMER DREAM: I WISH I KNEW WHAT I KNOW NOW WHEN I WAS YOUNGER

A boomer dream sung by Rod? Poor old grand-dadI laughed at all his wordsI thought he was a bitter manHe spoke of women’s waysThey’ll trap you, then they use youAnd before you even knowFor love is blind and you’re far too kindDon’t ever let it show I wish that I knew what I know nowWhen […]

STORY MEDICINE PRESCRIPTION: READ AND WRITE

Story medicine is good for what ails you. Why? Because you deserve a break. Things go bad, and you read a story about something worse? You might feel better. But what about when things are going good, never been better. What story is going to improve that?

KEEP GRINDING, WRITERS

“Keep grinding’ is the message all writers tell themselves, but not out loud. Instead, what they say is their word count for the day. Maybe it’s a thousand, maybe more. The message they send is keep grinding.

TAKE ‘THE PAUSE’ TO SHOW RESPECT

‘The Pause’ in this post is the moment a medical team takes after a patient dies. Whoever is in the bed deserves a moment of quiet for the life they led. I’m a fan of people understanding the idea of respect and how it’s shown. But why wait until the last moment?

PEOPLE UNITED BY GIVING WRITERS

Needy people? You see them all over the place? So do I. I’m one of them. Oh, and so are you. We need things we don’t have. Writers give some of those things, or at least the feeling of giving. So what?

WRITER ENCOURAGEMENT: WHY IT MATTERS

Writer encouragement works like this: “I just read a book so good I will stop writing forever.” That’s encouragement if you read between the lines. Read a book that moves you to feel something. My favorite book?

PRACTICE TIME FOR UNCONSCIOUS COMPETENCY

Practice time doesn’t have to bore you half to death, but it should. If you have the notion to do something hard, and do it consistently, it takes practice. Do it with no practice and what do you get? Surprised if it works out, but not surprised if it doesn’t.

WRITERS WRITE IT DOWN IN KOLOA TIME

Writers write no matter where they are. From Paris to London to Koloa, Kauai, I write it down. From North Bend to Portland to Tigard, I write it down. Is it a good idea? Or a waste of time?