ThunderBird Walking … 4 Years Later

Four years ago I was in the process of finalizing a version of ThunderBird Walking for self publication. I released it in November of 2013 as a sort of 50th birthday gift for myself. Today I looked over some parts of it thinking about creating a few internet memes for my Facebook writer page. Lots of thoughts and emotions connected to the journey of writing such a personal book hit me.

Wonder Woman and Feminism Versus Female-ism

I watched the new Wonder Woman movie some time ago, and I’ve read lots of blog reviews by millennial women. It strikes me how so many of the reviews struggle with ideas of female empowerment and feminism. There seems to be an amazing lack of clarity there, as if there’s no recognizable difference between feminism and something one might call ‘ female-ism’. Is anyone learning about the arts anymore?

Judgement trumps Description?

I’m sure you’ve heard someone say “you shouldn’t judge people” or “don’t be so judgmental.” So you shut down rational thought and feel a little bad, mainly because you don’t want someone judging you. I hear this said often, but like so many sayings or ideas, it has wandered from its original meaning. There’s been times when I offer a description and get accused of passing judgement, but actually the accuser passed judgement on my description.

The 5-Star Rating System Sucks

The 5-star rating system sucks as a way to rate people. It’s original purpose was to rate products and services so that the people offering those products and services could improve upon them. Now, corporations—from car dealerships to transportation providers and more—use 5-star ratings from customers to rate their employees, and all that does is end up creating animosity and antipathy hidden behind fake friendliness.

What’s in a Pen Name

There are lots of reasons an author may write under a pen name. Maybe they want some anonymity or to create some disconnect from family members; perhaps they find themselves exploring controversial ideas and want to avoid confrontation; maybe a bird (or other mystical creature) whispered in their ear or came to them in a dream;

A New Direction

I’ve been pondering a new direction to go, and I’ve decided to change course on a lot of things including this blog. There are several things I practice in relation to writing that I am letting go of or changing.

How Did Liberalism Die in America?

How did liberalism die in America? It’s actually pretty simple. It happened when the word “liberal” changed from an adjective to a noun.

Today’s the Day

“Writers are tortured souls.” Someone spoke those words to me about two-and-a half years ago, and they still ring true—at least for the American writer. I wonder why that’s so, and I realize it’s the reality we create.

My Hollywood Career

Way back when, I had a brief Hollywood career. I wrote a few Star Trek spec scripts and one of them got noticed by the producers of Voyager. (Back then you could sign a waiver and actually send scripts to the show.) So I got invited to pitch a few stories by phone to Michael Taylor (an Executive Producer who later worked on Battlestar Galactica). I pitched 5 stories, none of which were bought, but I got invited to pitch again. Full of confidence (or something) I decided to move to Hollywood and make a go of it, figuring it might be better to pitch in person.

Area 51 and Ingrate Writers

I wrote this on my birthday in 2014 and didn’t post it. I took some of the ideas and put them into a different post a couple weeks later. While looking over lost threads I found this again and decided to put it out there in its original form…changing the title from “51”, my age at the time, to a vague reference to area 51—for no good reason.