Monthly Archives: August 2020

Monday Musings: Race — Again, and Still, and As Long As It Takes

Posted on August 31, 2020 by dbjackson

This past week, I listened to an NPR interview with some Trump voters in Florida. One woman, who swore she couldn’t be a racist because she was of a non-Caucasian ethnicity herself, spoke of the George Floyd killing and the … Continue reading →

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Photo Friday: Late-Afternoon Vista, and a Message

Posted on August 28, 2020 by dbjackson

Last Friday, at the end of another week of work and screaming headlines, I spent my late afternoon, exploring our little college town, enjoying the golden light and ever-changing cloudscapes. As I’ve mentioned before, our town is perched atop the … Continue reading →

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Writing-Tip Wednesday: Writing Musically

Posted on August 26, 2020 by dbjackson

It will come as no secret to anyone who knows me that I am a huge fan of The West Wing, in particular Seasons 1-4, when series creator Aaron Sorkin was writing nearly every episode, and his creative partner, Thomas … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: Political Rant, No Punches Pulled

Posted on August 24, 2020 by dbjackson

Okay, serious question: When did the world get so insane? When did people start believing wackadoodle conspiracy theories while refusing to believe that wearing a mask over their nose and mouth would keep them from spreading germs that come from … Continue reading →

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Photo Friday: Sunset Among Friends

Posted on August 21, 2020 by dbjackson

Last weekend we had a socially-distanced get together with friends at the home of one of the couples. Their house, as it happens, sits right on the bluff in our little corner of the Cumberland Plateau, looking west and north … Continue reading →

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Writing-Tip Wednesday: Let’s Talk Trunk Novels

Posted on August 19, 2020 by dbjackson

A good idea remains such, regardless of the market and our inability to execute that idea when first it comes to us. Sometimes we need to grow into the ambition of certain projects. Let me tell you about my trunk … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: How Are You Doing? How Am I Doing?

Posted on August 17, 2020 by dbjackson

How are you holding up? No, really. I’m asking. I’m asking you, and I’ve been asking myself over the past week or so. This is a remarkable time we’re living through. Obviously, I don’t mean remarkable as in “This is … Continue reading →

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Photo Friday: Thinleaf Coneflower

Posted on August 14, 2020 by dbjackson

Happy Friday, all. Another week has drawn to a close — another spate of news, some of it maddening, some of it tragic, some of it uplifting. And another set of work tasks — editing, writing, revising, online convention panels. … Continue reading →

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Writing-Tip Wednesday: Short Fiction Anthologies — When Does an Idea Become a Story?

Posted on August 12, 2020 by dbjackson

What is the difference between an idea and a story? It sounds like a basic question, but we have just begun the Zombies Need Brains Kickstarter for the coming year’s anthologies, and once again I am hoping to co-edit one … Continue reading →

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Photo Friday: Fifteen Years Ago Today

Posted on August 7, 2020 by dbjackson

Today’s Photo Friday images were captured exactly fifteen years ago — August 7, 2005. We had moved to Australia for the year only days before, leaving the States on August 1 and arriving at Sydney Airport August 3 (it’s an … Continue reading →

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