To anyone reading this before 2056, please tell no one. If you are reading this journal you have ventured onto a part of the internet that is not meant for human eyes. It is certainly a matter of life and death, and worse than that
When We Deny Ourselves Words, We are Committing Self-Harm
We have all experienced the dreaded stagnation, avoidance, guilt, panic, and/or anxiety filled [panged!] procrastination of finding that we somehow have gone days, weeks, or even months without completing a book. Further, for the writers out there
GNAW
Paul wasn’t sure he could eat the hand of a fellow human being, but he was dying…. He took out the pocket knife with frost bitten fingers. Opened it. Held her hand a long time. Her flesh was pale. The painted fingernails looked like bloody claws. He shuddered. He definitely would avoid the fingernails. Still…
I Love You, I Love You, I love You
This is a Love Letter to Elibezabeth Barret from Robert Browning that was sent January 10 1845. They would be married in 1846. It is interesting to see how “forward” Robert is being. He is very much pushing for his soon to be bride to take him seriously. She did not believe he could love…
Writer’s Block: Breaking the Chains
We’ve all been there. Staring at the blank page wondering what we’re doing, how we got here, and what on earth to do next. For some it may be a few hours, for others it may be years. I was one of the unfortunate ones who let the Block chain me down for four years….
Small Talk Will Be the Death of Us
After 10 whole minutes of silence that’s all I had to say. What makes so unfortunate is that it has become the norm. How did two people who connected over their mutual hatred of small talk wind up being so fluent in this nonsensical language?
< //: delete: parameter 1\\ > Entry 1
Welcome to my debut novel Delete Parameter 1. This project terrifies me. I plan to post about an entry per week. Maybe a little more. As of posting the first entry I have about 3,000 words of the novel written. I started writing it 2 or 3 days ago. If you leave a comment below,
Targets and Goals when Selling My Book
Targets and Goals when Selling My Book Selling your book online or in the real world is a daunting task. I applaud any author out there fighting the good fight. I’m discussing some things that may help indie authors better understand their goals and targets and what might work in turning leg work into book…
Martin’s Conscience (The Dog)
Martin’s driving fast and reckless. A bottle in his hand. His teeth clenched in an angry snarl. It started this morning. Late for work at the telemarketing company where his sales are down. His boss came in and fired him.
Delivery
Darren Tanian stared wide-eyed at the party planner, a short bald man in a green polo and khakis named Chico. Darren said, “What do you mean I’m not getting paid?”
Swallowing Light
Jonathan Douglas Dowdle was born in Nashua, NH and has traveled throughout the US, he currently resides in South Carolina. Previous works have appeared or are appearing in
What Exactly is Creative Nonfiction?
When I was an undergraduate at UNM (University of New Mexico), I took Intermediate Creative Nonfiction, a class that should have branched out into various forms of nonfiction, but instead stuck solely to memoir and the personal essay. This does not mean I am not in favor of the memoir; it is the genre that holds…
Tips on Selling Your Book and Brand
I have had multiple questions from writers about marketing over the past couple of months. I also see many writers who don’t seem like they know exactly what to shoot for when they are marketing their books. I’ve been on the web a long time. I have made a good deal of money in marketing,…
Splash Splash
Gene Lass has been a professional writer for more than 20 years. He served as Managing Editor for KSquare magazine for most of its run. His work has appeared in Electric Velocipede, KSquare, and The Albatross. His first collection of poetry, Like a Moth on a Pin, done in collaboration with photographer Dawn Zellner was published in 2019.
What are We?
I wasn’t comfortable here, I should have just said “no!” The house was abandoned, and from what Kelly confessed to me while driving here, made me angry.