…but if you can’t even do that, you’re a failure! Today on the way home from school, Ray announced that she was going to buy a baby and travel around the world when she grew up. “Adopt a baby?” I said. “Adopt,” she agreed. “Why?” “Because no boys like me,” she said. “So I will […]

How many mystery writers does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Two … one to screw it in most of the way and the other to give it a surprising twist at the end. (via Beckyland – more jokes in the comment thread at her site).

Mythic Structure for Storytellers & Screenwriters, by Christopher Vogler. On my quest to learn how to write (instead of just spouting stream-of-consciousness like it was the end-all of all artistry), I’ve run across some really, really good books: The Art of Fiction, by John Gardner Style: Toward Clarity and Grace, by Joseph M. Williams Techniques