Category: Uncategorized (Page 6 of 6)

There is a well in my mind. It’s not only been there my whole life, but always–since the beginning of time probably, a product of the Big Bang.

The well is ancient and timeless.

I think it’s made of stone held together by mortar. It’s cracked and leaky, covered in ivy. The wheel is rusty and squeaky but lubricated with use. Sharp splinters poke out from the crooked arm that holds the wheel. The rope attached to the bucket is thin from wear but strong.

Bad days are when the bucket has to travel way, way, way deep to find water, scraping the bottom before it comes up nearly dry. Good days are when the water nearly overflows the stone and mortar sides, bursting to be released. Most days, though, the water level sits in a comfortable middle; the bucket has to go down in search for it, but not so far as to make my arms too tired.

The well is where ideas come from.

Some ideas are a tiny trickle dripping from the bucket. Others a deluge as the bottom of the bucket falls out, gushing water over my head.

I’m not the only one with access to the well. An intricate labyrinth of tunnels connects other writers, artist, dreamers, and musicians to the well. But it’s not only for artsy types. Mathematicians calculate numbers and equations there; astrophysicists explore the stars and galaxies; doctors find cures for disease.

The well connects us all.

I mistakenly think I write to make connections, take the thoughts and stories in my head and share them with readers, giving them thoughts and stories of their own. I actually write to explore the connections that already exist through the well.

So I suppose I’ll see you at the well. Some time or another.

Want an inside peak at my writing ways? I’m guest posting over at fellow Muse author Mary Waibel’s blog today.

Confession #2: I’m a very soft critic of other writers on the interweb.

I recently started writing (very brief) reviews of the books I read on Goodreads. I decided to make the time to start reviewing the books I read because I know how important it is to get the word out about books. And I’m very soft when it comes to rating and commenting about books.

(BTW…I’d love more reviews of Elixir Bound to show up on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and any other place you can post reviews. Sooo, if you’ve read the book, I’d really appreciate if you could rate it and share a few words about it on those sites. I don’t even care if you have criticism for it…I’d appreciate the rating or review no matter what.)

Here’s my approach on my book ratings. Three stars means I liked the book, but it didn’t blow me away. Four stars means I really liked the book, but I didn’t quite love it. Five stars means I really, really liked the book, maybe stayed up late to read it and maybe even loved it. My comments generally give away whether it was a really, really liked five star or a loved five star. I don’t think I’ve ever given a book less than three stars. Anything worthy of less than three stars I probably didn’t finish reading, and therefore didn’t end up on my read list.

Why am I so nice in my ratings? I believe it’s important to publicly build up my fellow authors, rather than tear them down. Until you’ve written a book and actually been through the process of trying to have it published, you have no idea the work it takes to get that done. Anyone who’s been through that process deserves to be applauded. So if I took the time to read a book, it means I felt it was worthy and I have no problem telling the rest of the world I enjoyed it.

On the other hand, if you personally ask me, in person, my opinion about a book, I may be a little more critical and candid. Because now I’m having an actual discussion with a real person about a book, a conversation that is not likely to be shared with the greater online world. A personal conversation is very different than a post on Goodreads or a comment in a blog. I’m much more careful when it comes to the latter.

That’s not to say my reviews are dishonest. They are 100% genuine. I just choose to point out what I liked about a book rather than solely focus on what I didn’t care for. After all, I’m an author, not a reviewer.

Do you review books online? What’s your approach?

I figured, everyone else is doing it, so why not me? No, that’s not true. I never really do anything because “everyone else is doing it” (Thanks, Dad!). Seriously, while my puzzle-editing career is on the rise–I finally got that promotion to Associate Editor–I’m still trying to do that whole be-a-writer thing.

What better way to make my web-writing debut than to start a blog? Notice the title is “Observation Desk.” This is a place for my (almost) daily observations on life, straight from my desk to yours. It will definitely be a little sarcastic, but I also hope it will be witty, evocative, and perhaps even occasionally educational. We’ll see how that goes.

I recently returned from London, so my first posts will focus on that. Check back every few days for new posts. Be sure to tell your friends if you like what you read (or even if you don’t). Oh, and thanks for visiting my desk.