5275 Nothing major—no one was killed—more like an extra “is” somehow got into my most recent query. Sounds like nothing, right? Except when you’re querying a book you spent three years writing, and you realize your “minor” error will ensure a quick and decisive death for your work with that agent. So let me take … Read more
5276 Nine years ago today you died in Berlin at the age of 58. The statistics say nothing: 34 years of the kind of relationship that seemed to transcend friendship, but those kind of relationships can never really be expressed in words, can they? Saying that I loved you seems weak, especially since we were … Read more
5279 Let’s start with being real (at least in my experience): They may never go away, but you can learn to recognize them. And recognizing them is half the battle. The problem is, even if you’ve spent decades in therapy rooting them out, these dysfunctional beliefs tend not to show up until you’re trying to … Read more
5280 What would the kind of person I want to be do?
5281 Slow down. Put some gas back in the tank with whatever inspires you. Then get back grindin’. Nobody ever said this shit was easy.
5282
5283 Some days I’m better at handling rejection of my writing than others. “No response means no” is a tough pill to swallow, yet that’s how publishing today works, so I’m just going to have to deal with it. Fortunately, dealing with hard things is one of my strengths. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, … Read more
5284 Slowly, over decades, our society began to lose trust in institutions—then in Science itself. And this was BEFORE the advent of ChatGPT… I’ve always prided myself in being able to vet legitimate sources of information, but with the advent of AI, this is becoming increasingly difficult to do. It’s now the norm for me … Read more
5285 What we pay attention to literally restructures our brain. Our neuronal connections rewire themselves to maximize our ability to focus on where we are directing our attention. Think about that.
5286 ER craziness run amok. How many patients can you cram into an already overwhelmed ER? More than you think. A lot more. It’s not pretty, but amidst all the chaos everyone eventually gets taken care of. Getting a bed in the hospital is a whole other question. Longest wait time for my patients hoping … Read more
5287 So, let’s say you’ve created something you think is pretty great, but no one with the power to help you market it agrees. Could be a business idea or could be a piece of art. At the end of the day, even if you’re failing to get anyone to back you, you’re still ahead. … Read more
5288 Let’s start here: What is the opposite of agreeable? Disagreeable, of course. But disagreeable doesn’t have to mean unpleasant—it can simply mean “I don’t agree with you.” So when is this a positive personality trait? When you are doing something you believe in and “gatekeepers” ignore you. An agreeable person might accept this as … Read more
5289 Writing, particularly novels, is a very different art form from film. Every detail of a film must be carefully mapped out—it’s just too expensive, with too many people involved, to do it any other way. Writing a novel, on the other hand, is a process that takes place only in the writer’s imagination. Spontaneous … Read more
5290 I recently watched some great documentaries about Stanley Kubrick (“Filmworker,” 2017, and “S Is For Stanley,” 2015) and have been thinking about how he approached his art. So, what can I learn from him? A couple of things immediately jump to mind: He had an amazing ability to visualize the film both on a … Read more
5291
5292 To get these goddamn stories out of my head. Hmmm… beyond that. You know, like, What do you want to accomplish? Oh, that. Well, let’s see… I don’t do it because it’s something I want to do, I do it because I’m compelled to, and the act itself gives me immense gratification. So, right … Read more
5293 In fiction, the “Ticking Clock” is a trope used to increase the sense of urgency related to a plot point. We’ve all seen these devices used untold numbers of times before in television and movies. “He only has 30 seconds to disarm the bomb before the entire world is vaporized!” You know, that kind … Read more
5294 Unbelievably, this a close-up, high definition shot of the face of a beetle. I promise if you look closely, this will show up in your dreams…
5295 Ok, so I got this email from The Washington Post offering a one year subscription for $29.00, full price after that. Wow, I thought. Definitely want to take advantage of that. So I click on the link and end up on what appears to be their order form. But before I entered my cc … Read more