Category James L’Etoile
A Hypochondriac’s Nightmare
I’m gonna let you in on a little secret… I suffer from Selective Squeamish Disorder, or SSD. This “condition,” let’s call it that, has no telethon with dancing bears or a single late night television commercials with that Harbinger of Sadness, Sara McLaughlin, to draw attention to our plight. Ours is a pain to be […]
Big Box Paranoia
The Big Box Paradox There’s something odd going on in my local big box store. By odd, I mean there are strange, unexplained happenings in the cavernous warehouse that defy the logic of our world. There are unseen forces at work in these places and I’m convinced they are not as benign as the Big […]
Get Off My Damn Lawn
Pardon while I squeeze into my ranty pants… I don’t know when it happened. I didn’t feel the day I changed, but I have become that guy – the crotchety geezer who wants to yell at the local young folk, to get off my damn lawn. To be honest, it isn’t always directed at the “kids,” […]
What The Hell Was I Thinking?
So you typed the words, The End Remember that first manuscript you finished? The one you thought was going to rocket to the top of the bestselling lists? Sure you do. I remember that day. Queries went out and I sat back waiting to watch the big 5 publishers fight over the rights to the book. The […]
Character Interventions
Addictions and Interventions They come in different packages. In a dream, I find myself entering a uncomfortable, but familar room, a windowless basement. In this dank space, ten other slack-jawed, baggy-eyed people sit in a circle and stare at one another, each waiting for the other to break the silence. Their faces turn as I take […]
Is Your Bucket Full?
Memory loss, fatigue, headache? Have you had a sensation, deep inside your brain and you’re not sure if it is a impending migraine or a minor league epiphany? It is that split second when you get a flash, and instead of the pain, you are left with this little infertile kernel of an idea. The thought, by […]
Writers With Issues?
Who doesn’t have issues? We all got ’em. Take a good look in that mirror and if you’re human you’ve got your share (some more than others) of quirks, habits and flaws. Collectively, these are your “issues.” They aren’t all bad, don’t get me wrong. That mix of psychic stuff is what makes you – you. […]
Let Me Enjoy My Happy Place
The Time In Between Writing Projects I’ve found that sweet spot, the one right after you finish reading a good book, and wrapping up the revisions on a manuscript of your own. A warm glow spreads from the center of my being. Could this be contentment? This vaguely familiar feeling smells of an overheated computer […]
Death and Taxes
I started writing a post about timing and fate, but the damn thing got way too heavy and dark. Now I like dark, but mysterious life forces pushing you around to the beat of some demented drummer is another thing. So, I opted for something lighter and in recognition of the season, here is something […]
Timing is Everything
Timing is everything. Timing and fate seem to stroll hand in hand down the pathways of life. The two forces push and pull, a rip current of influence, moving us to some unseen script, a story that hasn’t been finished yet. But timing and fate can only go so far. They provide a nudge in one direction […]
James L'Etoile 