my photo, effects added for my own amusement Today we went to the park, and for a few minutes I slipped away from my family and went up the treehouse. I got to lay down on a net and look up at the sky. I didn't stay long. I chatted with the two other women. …
This is my third effort to write a blog post. Is it time for the blog to end? I dunno. Nothing lasts forever. And who reads blogs anymore? I've got the blog, Patreon, art, newsletter, and my novels-in-progress. But I've also got a job and an aging parent to care for. Why on earth would …
What story have you read with a lot of characters? And in that story, are the many characters together in one space? Think The Fellowship of the Ring when the council comes together to discuss what to do with the Ring. Granted the movie does things the book doesn't do, but certain issues remain in …
I drive by these apartments almost every day. Recently, everyone moved out. No one moved in. I can't tell yet if the place is going to be knocked down or remodeled or left to fall in on itself. At least a couple of the screen doors are bright blue. And a strand of Christmas lights …
How has the New Year greeted you? It has greeted me with plumbers, roofers, and soon a mechanic. Such is living in the modern world. As I type this, it's cold. 27 degrees according to the magical hunk of tech I carry around. That I can look at a slim humanmade object and know the …
What to write for the start of a New Year? I have never been dreading a year as much as this one. But here we are, and I might as well put some words to the page. Do you remember fortune tellers? The paper kind made mostly by kids in junior high but still made …
It's a favorite week of the year. I'm a teacher, so I'm lucky enough to have this week off work. Memes are out and about on social media about this week. The one above makes me laugh, but it's only partially true for me. Any breaks between semesters I lose track of the days. You …
I love NaNoWriMo. The first few years I took part, I made great friends. It's weird because writers are often introverts and writing is a solitary activity. Yet, there I was, typing away in a coffee shop, sometimes in silence and sometimes commiserating with a fellow writer. "What's your word count?" "Why am I doing …
Dad and I watch old Perry Mason and Columbo in the evenings. We like to watch shows in which the good guy wins. I prefer such story endings before bed. The world dumps enough anxiety and terror during the day. Why not feel the world is righted before dreamtime? I like how in Perry Mason, …
I read Grant Faulkner's substack today--Divination: A divining rod is just another word for a pen. The beginning struck a cord; indeed, aren't we always looking for signs? A divining rod helps. So does a wand. A pen. Today, I'm sitting on my patio for the first time in months enjoying the weather. The scorching …
Marta Bacon 