-
Under Attack
The first time it hit, I thought I was dreaming. My head wasn’t quite right after the previous day, and my eye still hurt like hell from whatever happened last week (I can’t remember). But oddly enough, it was the eye that most dragged my consciousness forward. I don’t usually have black eyes in dreams.…
-
Writing and Screenplay Format
Right on the heels of the Oscars, it’s probably a good time to mention that I have always loved screenplays—and the screenplay format. I first ran across one back when Stephen King scripted Storm of the Century, and I quickly realized that this was the way that all Hollywood movies were written on paper. I was…
-
Writing Advice: Avoiding “Thought” Verbs
Nuts and Bolts: “Thought” Verbs – Chuck Palahniuk Ran across this post by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club), which features some of the simplest but most powerful writing advice I’ve seen in a while: avoiding “thought” verbs as much as possible. These are verbs like knows, thinks, wonders, and remembers. Instead, he implores us to be as…
-
Are Our Stories Good Enough?
Browsing through Facebook, I’m always a bit stunned to find how often we share things from strangers (i.e. the internet) instead of ourselves. It’s so easy to view others’ extraordinary achievements (“Man leaps over fire to propose to fiancée!”) as much superior to our own (“Man nervously takes wife to a park only to give…
-
Imaginary Tea
Imaginary Tea, by Jon McLaughlin Here’s one of many reasons why Jon McLaughlin is my favorite musician: an incredible love song for his little girl. Every time I hear the line, “Before you know it, you’ll be old and grown,” it breaks my heart a little. Cherish your little people every day. Imaginary Tea I…
-
Every Day is Groundhog Day
It’s fascinating to think that this very moment is the culmination of everything you’ve ever learned to date—skills, habits, mannerisms, education, and even which things are truly important to you. On its own, each bit of learning seems so insignificant. But compiled over time, they represent an enormously important part of who we are. Amusingly,…
-
Corporate Key to Success #4: Cubicle Decoration
After arriving at your desk, still feeling the exhilaration of your first meeting, you suddenly realize that you have no idea how you’re supposed to decorate your cubicle. Don’t worry—this happens to everyone. Not surprisingly, your first moment of panic comes you realize that everyone will judge you by your new corporate home, just as…
-
In Search of the Little Things
This afternoon, an avalanche of e-mail spilled steadily into my inbox, and for a moment I wondered if somewhere a great dam had finally crumbled beneath its own weight. Support requests of many different types tumbled down the hill, and as I often try to do, I ran at them with the gusto of a…
-
The Forsaken
For a little while now, I’ve tried to figure out what it is about the current political discourse that so deeply disturbs me. There are all of the obvious things on the surface: the ceaseless stalemate, the fiery (and unfruitful) rhetoric, and the growing divide among our everyday neighbors. Perhaps worst of all, most cable…
-
Corporate Key to Success #3: Meetings
(This is the third in a series of posts on Corporate Orientation.) There is little doubt that the following is true: Corporations hold a tremendous amount of power in America, and this power has increased significantly in recent years. We often see it exercised in the form of large financial transactions, but where does the…