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I love words. I'm learning to use them.

Month: October, 2012

October 20, 2012

Why story endings aren’t the end of the story.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith is one of my favorite movies. There’s that spectacular tango scene where the two lead characters interrogate one another on the dance floor. Great irony, slick editing and priceless expressions. Then they say it:

John: So much for our happy ending.
Jane: Happy endings are just stories that haven’t finished yet.

I’ve always loved this exchange. It makes me wonder: What happens after a story’s happy ending? Read the rest of this entry »

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October 19, 2012

Eastbound Sailing – now an eBook as well!

After much resistance, I finally stepped out of the stone age: Eastbound Sailing is now available as an eBook!

The Kindle version comes out Monday, October 21. Pre-order for just $4.79 (the price of a pumpkin spice latte, but you won’t throw it away 10 minutes later…well…hopefully).

Click here to order your copy today!

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October 13, 2012

We need a generation that knows how to convey the human experience.

I stumbled across a phenomenal article this morning entitled “A Passionate, Unapologetic Plea for Creative Writing in Schools.” The article speaks for itself. I’ll give one pull quote as a teaser, but I highly encourage you to read this article in its entirety. Read the rest of this entry »

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October 10, 2012

It’s your duty to lie.

“There’s an enormous difference between being a story writer and being a regular person. As a person, it’s your duty to stay on a straight and even keel, not to break down blubbering in the streets, not to pull rude drivers from their cars, not to swing from the branches of trees. Read the rest of this entry »

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October 8, 2012

Thankful for wonder.

Today marks my first Thanksgiving in Canada as a permanent resident. I love food; I love family; I love celebration. I especially love that I get to celebrate this holiday twice – once with my Canadian family, once with my American family.

As I celebrated today, I was filled with wonder and was overwhelmed with thankfulness for this wonder. Here are the four instances that left me in wonder. Read the rest of this entry »

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October 2, 2012

Why patience is as important as practice.

Yup. That was me tonight.

I renewed my pool pass today and went to do an impressive number of laps. Sure, it had been four months since my last trip to the pool, but I could pick up where I left off. I was sure of it. Read the rest of this entry »

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October 2, 2012

Don’t weaken what is naturally strong.

“’Very’ is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. For example, would you rather hear the mincing shallowness of ‘I love you very much’ or the heart-slamming intensity of ‘I love you’?”

Florence King

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October 1, 2012

Dream come true.

Thanks to everyone who came out to my first book signing event for Eastbound Sailing. I was (and still am) blown away by the enthusiasm and support. Truly was a dream come true.

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