Writing-related New Year’s resolutions

Posted inRandom Musings, Writing
I'm not much for New Year's resolutions. They're either a laughable waste of time, a recipe for disappointment, or both. But I do believe in setting goals, especially when it comes to what I want to accomplish with my writing. I'm way too scatter-brained and easily distracted to stay focused without a clearly defined set of goals in front of me. So with this in mind, last December I outlined a set of goals to accomplish in 2009. They were as follows: 1) Finish refining my middle grade fantasy novel and BEGIN SEARCHING FOR AGENTS. The book needs at least…

Stuff for which I am thankful

Posted inRandom Musings
We're supposed to reflect today (though really we ought do that every day, don't you think?), and so, as I wait for the family to get ready for our car ride to grandmother's house -- we will be going over a river, but won't be near any woods -- I thought I'd quickly do just that. I am, of course, thankful for a wonderful family who not only support me when I devote long hours in solitude to my creative projects, but who also make me proud by being the good, smart, and of course loving people they are. I…

Ueten ven hein! Schnell un blitzenberg!

Posted inAlfred Hitchcock, Random Musings
Okay, I've got to link to this week's episode of the Year of Hitchcock podcast, if only because I cracked myself up while editing it. The faux German shtick in the first few minutes of the Lifeboat episode were a bit of unexpected stupidity that had me howling when I listened to it a few weeks after recording. I had completely forgotten I did that. Moments like this are the reason why we do the podcast. Because it's fun, and hopefully entertaining. We enjoyed writing the book of the same name and think it holds up quite nicely as a…
Yet more photos by Eric

Yet more photos by Eric

Posted inRandom Musings, Works by Eric
Following up my first two photography posts (this one and this one), here are a few more photos I snapped during various misadventures. I don't fancy myself a photographer (though I have at times been paid to do it in the course of doing my day job), just another schmuck who likes taking pictures. I took this one at the Met in New York City. Obviously I can't take credit for the beautiful piece of art. I ended up using the photo on a record cover. This one was taken ... I don't remember, actually. I think at a Little…

The novel chugs along

Posted inRandom Musings, Writing
Since vowing last Thursday that I would finish the first draft of my dystopian science fiction novel by the end of the year -- a ridiculous vow, considering all else I'm juggling on a daily basis -- I've averaged just at the maximum end of what I need to average to get it finished. In doing so, I've slammed out a couple of chapters, wrote my way through a three-chapter action set piece, and figured out a plot puzzle that had been vexing me. Wrote myself into a corner while I was at it, but I'm sure that will work…