Step by step, it comes together

Posted inWriting
I think I'm close to ready to begin pitching my next book. This one is a middle grade adventure novel in the spirit of Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. You might remember them from when you were a kid. Earlier this week I finished the umpteenth or so draft of my query letter (I talk more about queries here), and last night I think I nailed down a pretty solid synopsis. They're both essential ingredients in getting the attention of an agent. Nailing them is vital. Of course, the best query in the world doesn't mean squat if your book has…

New challenges = hooray!

Posted inWriting
When it comes to writing, I like facing new challenges. Trying something I've never tried before. Figuring out how to put the pieces together and make it work. It's exciting. It's thrilling. Sometimes I'll just invent some challenge to overcome, for no other reason than it seems like fun. Right now I'm facing an enjoyable challenge. As mentioned in a previous post, I'm putting together an anthology of comic stories. Not comic as in funny, comic as in illustrated fiction. The challenge of taking these plots, pacing them out so they work in a mere eight pages, working with the…
A brief history of time

A brief history of time

Posted inMusic, Random Musings
Well, my work PC kinda got borked on Friday, so I spent all day today running scan after scan after scan after scan. Think the problem is resolved. I blame ... well, I blame someone who is not me. It wasn't my fault. I swear it. Because things are rarely, if ever, my fault. Totally forgot to post this to my website after it was finished, so I'll post it here instead. A month or two back I spent a few hours playing around with music by Stanley Lieber. He does moody, atmospheric ambient music I quite dig, so, in…

A Beginning

Posted inMusic
I got a phone call a little while ago, an excited phone call from my friend Tim. He was talking about this project we started about three weeks ago. Just wanted to drop me a quick line to share a thought. “This is music for the iPod generation!” I paused. Reflected. And realized just how right he was. For a little over three weeks, Tim and I have been working on music. Writing. Tinkering. Tossing out ideas and seeing what sticks. I play guitar. He sings and comes up with everything else on the computer. The result so far has…