Category fear
When the Muse Is A Crack-Addicted Mess
The muse is a fickle creature. A few authors I know claim their muse guides their creative energy, breaking through self-imposed writer’s blocks, and delivering them safely to the land of a finished pristine manuscript. To them, I proudly give back a big fat jealous raspberry. I don’t have that relationship with my muse. Sure […]
Adventures in Allergy Season
Ah, it’s that glorious time of year–the flowers bloom, trees leaf out, and the hillsides are awash in fresh green grass. All of these chamber of commerce postcard moments brought out the doomsday prepper in me over the past few weeks. They saw fresh flowers–I saw pollen. Townsfolk posted Facebook photos of newly leafed trees–I […]
Prison Break–Doin’ Life in Assisted Living
I had a flashback to my old prison days this week. For a moment, it seemed like I was on the yard and I spotted a convict passing a knife for another con to use. Something was about to go down. But this flashback was actually in a memory care unit for seniors. Okay, let […]
The Social Media Sweet Spot
How I long for the days when the National Enquirer was the only questionable media out there. Current events and how they turn up on my social media timeline is an interesting lesson in human behavior. We–as a species–are so gullible that we willingly grab onto the first snippet of information that matches our narrative, […]
The Season of Trolling
You know that insurance commercial with the fisherman who pops up with a dollar bill on the end of his line, taunting his clients to grab it? Then he jerks the cash bait away at the last moment, saying “You’ve got to be quicker than that.” Most times, I am that person, the one who […]
Was it A Comet or a Conspiracy?
I saw a comet last night. At least that’s what I’m supposed to think. The timing was suspicious. And the government (with a lower case g) was quick to respond to the sightings and report them as a meteor burning up in the atmosphere. Now, I ask you, when has the government ever–ever been so […]
Blank Page Intimidation
That stark white space is intimidating as hell. I don’t know what it is about the emptiness that makes the obsessive compulsive in me begin to itch. You’d think that an empty page is perfect, all in order, with nothing out of balance. But, no it’s a negative space, a sucking black hole of self-doubt. […]
Is Our Guest Room Ready?
I don’t blog about politics, but I often touch on social issues in posts, from human trafficking, to violence and crime. All great makings for flashy television news ratings. I’ve been watching the coverage on the Syrian refugee coverage for months. Nearly 5 million refugees have fled the country, and another 6 million displaced within […]
The Dark Side of Writing – The Synopsis
There is a great evil among us. This force of darkness fell upon the Earth long ago, the exact origin is shrouded in legends of mystery and fear. It seeks out the weak and the vulnerable, waiting for the moment to strike down its prey with a crushing blow. The victim often survives, but is […]
Make Procrastination Your Bitch
Listen. Can you hear that? Tick, tock, tick, tock… The clock spring unwinds and each swipe of the pendulum is like a 50,000 volt charge to your frost-protected nether regions. Get off your ass – tick, get moving – tock, get something finished for crapsake – tick. Time is wasting! This particular time of year […]
James L'Etoile
James L'Etoile 