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
Creative Writing
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
Plot Elements
I'll admit that I'm feeling my way through this whole "write your novel" thing. I've been reading a few of the writing magazines since university. I have a shelf full of books on the different aspects of writing the perfect novel. I have more different types of thesaurus references than you can shake a stick … Continue reading Plot Elements
Writing and Readers
The theme that popped up most on my social media this week was writers looking for family members to read their stories and be proud. The fact is, I'm not convinced that most of our family members "get" us and the fact that we writers have so much going on in our heads. When I … Continue reading Writing and Readers
Writing and Depression
I have a confession to make. I suffer from depression. I suppose if I'd been honest with myself or been more knowledgeable, I might have recognized it earlier in my life and been treated sooner. But see, I grew up in a time when mental illness, or mental health for that matter, was never discussed. … Continue reading Writing and Depression
Spring Has Sprung
Spring has officially sprung. Last week was the Spring Equinox, and the time changed a couple of weekends ago, so now I wake up in the dark, and it's light later in the evening. I can feel the change as the sun warms the atmosphere, cutting the chill from the air as the earth once … Continue reading Spring Has Sprung
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
Aye, and begorrah, here ‘tis, Saint Paddy's Day! As you can tell, I took last week off from posting for several reasons. The first of which being that last Sunday was The Morning After the Night Before(TM). And I will admit to bleeding from the eyes a little that morning. Mostly, though, I couldn't focus—my … Continue reading Happy Saint Patrick’s Day
Friday Night Gamers
For the last handful of years, I've spent most of my Friday evenings in the virtual company of a group of like-minded gamers. Now, none of us is too serious about the game that we play, and we tend to argue like siblings, but we (mostly) get the job done. I've mentioned this group before, … Continue reading Friday Night Gamers
Write That Story
When asked how he writes, author Stephen King answers, "one word at a time." And that is precisely how stories are built—one word at a time. I struggle to stay focused on my writing, partly because I get bored quickly and partly because I spend a lot of my day job staring at words on … Continue reading Write That Story
J.J. Shaun 