Random Musings

The Joy of Painting

September 8, 2009 0 Comments

My new hobby is painting. I’m not very good at it. That doesn’t matter, though. It’s calming. Relaxing. Therapeutic. And so talent be damned, I sit out back with brush in hand, some music on, a drink nearby, and I paint. Most of my August weekends were spent painting, and damn was it a great way to wind down and get my head cleared. So I thought I’d share the few pieces I’ve done. After all, aren’t self-indulgent, “hey everybody, look at me!” posts exactly what a blog is for? This is “Florida Sunset,” and you might recognize this photo as the inspiration. It’s a bit sloppy. Intentionally so; I wasn’t trying to capture detail, just impressions. I thought I’d try to paint an object…
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Random Musings, Uncategorized, Works by Eric

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In between projects … and glad

September 4, 2009 0 Comments

It has now been several weeks since I have been neck deep in a major project. And I’m glad for that. Sometimes I let myself get swamped in an effort to alleviate my perpetual boredom. All those writing projects I posted about a few months ago are on temporary hiatus as I get my head cleared. The comic anthology is finished and should be ready for order any day now, so that’s off my plate. I’m not seriously working on any music projects right now (though I have some potential releases in the queue). Yes, the Year of Hitchcock podcast chugs along, but that’s an obligation from which I cannot escape at the moment. Otherwise, though, I’ve set everything aside for some family, relaxation, and…
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Random Musings, Uncategorized

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Trunk novel? What the hell is a trunk novel?

June 27, 2009 2 Comments

Trunk novel. Somehow I had never come across the term, only seeing it for the first time these last few days. Don’t know how it eluded me. If you’ve never heard the term, you’ll certainly be familiar with the concept. A trunk novel is an old, unpublished manuscript stuffed away in a trunk (or drawer, or closet, or box, or whatever), in most cases because it’s terrible. You pull out your old trunk novel, read it, and remember how bad you were. I can relate to that! My trunk novel — and dear god I hope I don’t build up more than, say, three of them — was an epic fantasy, the first book in (naturally) a trilogy. The delightfully bland title was The Fortress…
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Random Musings, Writing

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Calvin & Hobbes was the greatest thing ever

June 25, 2009 3 Comments

Is there anything in the world that was better than Calvin & Hobbes? I’m not sure there was. Sure, sure, there is eating and sex, but Bill Watterson’s masterpiece of a comic strip is right up there. Far more than three panels of humor each day, the full scope of the work will long stand as one of the great achievements of sequential art. And no, I don’t think I’m overstating the case.   In 10 years, Watterson evolved his strip from a quirky and funny comic strip that was a slightly edgy, modern version of Peanuts into something wholly unique. Something with a pretty amazing range. Something that could be risque one day and charmingly quaint the next; dealing with childhood antics on Monday…
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Comics & Graphic Novels, Geek Stuff, Random Musings

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Balancing enjoyment and WORK

June 22, 2009 1 Comment

I write because I love to write. But sometimes I write because it provides a check. I don’t apologize for that. We all need to eat. Still, taking assignments you don’t love can be a slog. You take a freelance assignment because it will make you a few extra bucks — always welcome in this economy — but if it saps all the joy out of being in front of the keyboard, is it worth it? I don’t have an answer to that. I still throw my all into each project, even if it bores me to tears. I always strive to do my best work. And hey, I must be doing something right or I wouldn’t get hired for this stuff, right? But let…
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Random Musings, Writing

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