Monthly Archives: April 2021

The Crackerjacks

Posted on April 30, 2021 by midiguru

Writing is a solitary activity. Sitting alone in a quiet room staring at the screen, waiting for words to assemble themselves in one’s brain, for hours on end. For days, For years. As Mick Jagger said, we all need someone … Continue reading →

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Theo-What?

Posted on April 30, 2021 by midiguru

Four or five years ago I decided I needed to do something to broaden what we might call my social circle — my contacts with other humans. I had had some losses during the five years before that (Owen, Kelly, … Continue reading →

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Crit Crit

Posted on April 27, 2021 by midiguru

I am such a hard-ass. I should know better. A guy in a Facebook group for mystery writers was recruiting for a critique group, so I said sure, count me in. I’ve been looking for a good critique group. Tried … Continue reading →

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What’s Old Is New Again

Posted on April 26, 2021 by midiguru

Reading should be fun. If it’s not fun, why do it? A few days ago I ordered two 3-book fantasy series from Amazon, both by authors I had never even heard of. That’s taking a chance, but both series looked … Continue reading →

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Turbo-Charge Your Story!

Posted on April 24, 2021 by midiguru

We would all like our novels to be as good as they can be. Nobody wants to publish second-rate work! The temptation, when one finishes a draft, is to sit back and feel proud of one’s work. And that’s appropriate! … Continue reading →

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Lurn 2 Ryt Gud

Posted on April 20, 2021 by midiguru

Millions of people have, it seems, a craving to write a novel. God alone knows why. It’s a lonely activity, it’s hard work, and if you think you’re any good at it, you’re probably kidding yourself. If you were any … Continue reading →

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Props & Crutches

Posted on April 18, 2021 by midiguru

After looking at a couple of online courses in fiction writing, I’ve concluded (not surprisingly) that a course is not what I need. These courses are expensive, and they’re directed at novices. You’ll get a week on dialog, a week … Continue reading →

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The Text

Posted on April 12, 2021 by midiguru

Interpreting words on a screen can be a fraught undertaking. I’ve found myself in a few interactions on Facebook where feelings were hurt and friendships damaged. In asking myself whether I might be to blame or need to do things … Continue reading →

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Us vs. Them

Posted on April 10, 2021 by midiguru

Group loyalty is such a basic human instinct that it’s likely to seem perfectly natural to us. We don’t even notice that an instinct is swaying our thought processes. I got to thinking about this this morning when I read … Continue reading →

Posted in random musings, society & culture | 4 Comments

Virtue Signaling

Posted on April 9, 2021 by midiguru

A quick note for my UU friends. This article in the New York Times discusses a vigorous campaign by a religious professional against the release of a film. According to the article, the film was not actually anti-Islam at all, … Continue reading →

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