Getting through those difficult chapters

Getting through those difficult chapters

Posted inWriting
Sometimes the words don't come. It's not a matter of not having ideas, it's that the ideas won't come out. You sit down, place your hands on the keyboard knowing you need to get something done ... but nothing happens. You don't have any words. I've had a few of these nights recently as I've tried to get back into the swing of things. Six weeks away from writing ended up being far too long. As I previously blogged, for me routine and momentum are absolutely vital in staying productive. Short breaks are fine, but those extended breaks can put…

Poll question for Hitchcock podcast

Posted inAlfred Hitchcock, Films
If you're following the Alfred Hitchcock podcast I do with Jim McDevitt (and if you're not, why not?), take a stroll over to the official blog of the Year of Hitchcock podcast and cast a vote in our new poll. If you're not listening, now is a GREAT time to start. Jim and I will be sitting down this Saturday for a marathon recording session, during which we will discuss classics such as Rebecca, Suspicion, Shadow of a Doubt and Notorious for future episodes of the show. Feel free to leave us questions right here on this blog or on…

Do not pester the editor!

Posted inRants
As some of you may know, I am an editor in my day job. That means I get plenty of letters, emails, faxes and calls from people who want to see their stuff in print. Press releases from marketing firms, mostly (I work in local newspapers), but other items, too. Let me share with you my least favorite call in the world: "I'm calling to confirm that you got my email?" Do not do this. I could go on a bitter tirade about why it's irritating and why it's unnecessary and why it defeats half the purpose of email, but…

Back to the keyboard!

Posted inWriting
After taking a long break from writing, as of last night I am officially behind the keyboard again. Or in front of the keyboard. Whichever. It's been about six weeks, which is as long as I've gone in quite some time. Sure, I had a good deal of work to do on my comic anthology during that time, but by the end of the process it wasn't writing that needed to be done, it was largely administrative stuff and layout work. So last night, after another superb episode of Deadwood, I sat down for a short writing session. Got back…
The Wire’s David Simon is an opinionated man

The Wire’s David Simon is an opinionated man

Posted inTelevision
Based on my recent blog post touting HBO's television programming, it's safe to say that I have become devotee of The Wire, a stunning, five-season long portrait of a city in decay. It may be second only to Deadwood as the best television HBO has to offer -- and maybe that anyone has to offer. Television writing just doesn't get any better. So as I am prone to do when I become heavily invested in something, after watching I immediately sought out interviews with David Simon, creator of The Wire and the Lead Brain behind the brains that brought the…