My Friend Blaise
My dearest friend, Blaise van Hecke, passed away early Monday morning. Everybody’s posted the sweetest platitudes about her on social media. That’s what happens when somebody dies. People say the nicest things about them. They’ll say those things about me when I pass away. In my case, just know about half of those platitudes won’t be entirely accurate, or will even omit a few things. The truest platitude for me would be something like, “Oh, he could go out of his way to help you, but sometimes he could be a surly prick.” That’s still being kind. But we don’t say those things about those who’ve left us. As far…
Just Another Week in Suburbia: Revision ~ Part 1
Writing’s a spill. Even the most calculated first draft is a mess. But revision is where you find shape. After I’ve finished writing something, I’ll read it repeatedly while my head’s still in that world, fleshing out the story as much as possible. When I’m done, I’ll put it away for as long as possible – for at least a month. But I’ve got manuscripts that have sat in exile for years. Often, ideas for revision will occur to me – it’s always the same: once you step away from the computer, that’s when the ideas come. I think this is because when you sit down to write, you put…