As children, we tell all kinds of stories. We talk to our imaginary friends, and they answer us. We take our friends on all sorts of adventures. But as we get older, we are inevitably yanked back to the "real" world by our family, friends, peers, teachers, bosses. Over time, if you don't use a … Continue reading Nurturing Your Creativity
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Finding the Time
Summertime is my time of year. The air is warm, the sun is out later, and the landscape has exploded with foliage. When the Spring rains have finished greening up the scenery, I’m ready to crawl out of my den. This is the season when I find it the most difficult to make the time … Continue reading Finding the Time
A Tribute to My Dad
First, I want to say Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there. Being a Dad isn’t easy. I’ve watched family members struggle with what it means to be a Dad in the twenty-first century. My advice to the young men in my family who are about to be fathers for the first time … Continue reading A Tribute to My Dad
The Tools We Use: Part II
I’ve been using Scrivener for the last month or so, looking for a way to better organize my larger projects. Part of the reason I’ve had to take this step is that I’ve promised the backstory of one of my characters to my Game Master. I had an idea some time ago about a sort … Continue reading The Tools We Use: Part II
Meeting Old Friends for the First Time
Last week, I met one of the guys with whom I’ve been writing for the last five or six years. We met through an online game forum. I was interested in writing some fan fiction in an online game called Dungeons & Dragons Online (DDO for short). I had finally dragged myself away from World … Continue reading Meeting Old Friends for the First Time
Travel and Imagination
Tis the summer travel season. So, First Reader and I drove halfway across America to attend the graduation of my Eldest Granddaughter. Now, neither of us are fans of Tornado Alley. Frankly, we'd prefer to avoid that area of the country when Mother Nature is so active, but when an event as momentous as graduation … Continue reading Travel and Imagination
Tell A Riveting Story
One of the arguably grandest television events in history concludes tonight. A Song of Ice and Fire rates up there with The Lord of the Rings when it comes to enthralling story development, but what makes these stories the successes they have become? Well, in my opinion, they each bring something a little bit different, … Continue reading Tell A Riveting Story
Happy Mother’s Day
First, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. And a big shout out to my own mother, even though she is no longer with us. If you haven't called your mother, I urge you do give her a call, no matter your relationship, and wish her a Happy Mother's Day. Why? Mostly because … Continue reading Happy Mother’s Day
The Tools We Use, Part I
As a professional Technical Writer, I know the importance of the tools we use. At the Visible Means of Support™, we use FrameMaker® as the main application to create documentation. I've been using FrameMaker for so long that I can use it in my sleep and some of my colleagues come to me with questions. … Continue reading The Tools We Use, Part I
Adding Experience to Writing
One way to add realism to your writing is to go out and experience things. Ride your bicycle, take a hike, go camping. In my case, I like to ride my motorcycle. Now, motorcycle riding requires a wholly different skill set than some other sports. For one, the rider is out in traffic with very … Continue reading Adding Experience to Writing
J.J. Shaun 