It won’t be much by way of confession if I say I have a weakness for old-fashioned—dare I say archaic—words and phrases. Language seems to have lost all elegance over the past century or so. So most people don’t use the phrase “beyond the pale,” let alone know what it originally meant. The Pale: a... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Not The Same Thing A Bit
Every so often, I get the eerie sense that I’ve wandered into a scene from a Lewis Carroll book. It happened once at my first job, my senior year in high school. There was a woman working there alongside me who could have passed easily as a ringer for the Queen of Hearts—complete with the... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Writer as Human Cannonball
In my place of work, we often use a certain term for the feeling one gets from workdays that begin at a hectic pace: being shot out of a cannon. This year, May is the month when my life gets shot out of a cannon. I am trying to finish a novel. I am primarily... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Comedy is Serious Work
Writing a comedic novel is more complicated than I had expected. This is the first time I’ve tried, mind you, so I didn’t know what to expect when I began. I’ve read and enjoyed some very comical writers—P.G. Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett being two of my favorite—but they do make it seem very easy. And... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Nomad’s Land
Peregrination seems to be written into my genetic code. My family moved a lot when I was little, and in the past thirteen years I have moved six times. I suppose this is only to be expected. One doesn’t become a writer for the sake of money (normally there isn’t any) but for the love... Continue Reading →
Howling At The Moon
[Deep breath.] WhenwillIhavetimetoworkontheideasthatI’vestockpiledImeanIhavesomanyprojectsbutIdon’thave thetimetodevotetothem,letalonetheenergy,becauseIhaveadayjobthatstretchesmytemperament beyondrecognitionwithcoworkersforwhom,shortofdivineintervention,Ifeellittlebutantipathy, andeventhoughIhavedivineinterventiontogetmethroughtheday,Istillcomehomecompletely wipedoutattheendofeveryworkdayandthatshootsholesinthetimeIdohaveforworkingonmywriting, notthatitmattersbecauseIdon’thavethefirstideahowtosellmyworkeffectivelysothatIcancreatea footholdformyself,whichiswhatitwilltakebecausewhatIwritedoesn’tquitefitthebasicpigeonholesofits genrewhichisalsothestoryofmylife,really,andI’veneverbeenabletoshakefreeofthatperpetualoddness that,true,somepeoplelearntoenjoyanyway,meincluded,butthefrustrationstillsometimesbuildsup becauseaslongasI’maliteraryoddityI’llneverbeabletoestablishacareerthatenablesmetodedicatemy timetodoingwhatIlove(writing,ofcourse)whilestillmakingaliving,andthatdiscouragesmenoend, whenwritingissupposedtocheermeupafteraharddayamongequallydifficultpeople. [Deep breath.] Okay. Rant completed. I feel a little better now. Back to spring cleaning.
“Slowly I Turned”: I Dream of Bacon
Once upon a time, when my doctor decided to try out a certain medication on me, she warned me of potential side effects. One of them: unusually vivid dreams. Naturally, my inward reaction was, How will I know the difference? Virtually all my dreams are unusually vivid. In fact, I know I’m under too much... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: How to Recognize Love from a Very Long Distance
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP * THE FOLLOWING IS A TEST OF THE MORAL EMERGENCY SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT A RHETORICAL QUERY. IF THIS WERE A REAL RHETORICAL QUERY, THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS WOULD NOT REQUIRE ANSWERS.* BEEEEEEEEEEEP * “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Scars of a Clown
I wake up in the morning at five. Lights on, sweats on—time for morning exercise. I beat the air with my fists as if it were my enemy, all to prepare myself for the real fight ahead of me. Punch, punch, block, dodge, kick, ha! Thank goodness that’s over. Now I can shower and put... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Introvert Inside-Out
I did something stupid recently. I’m not saying that that in itself is newsworthy, mind you. I’m pretty sure nobody even noticed, but I felt the consequences of it keenly. But enough with the build-up. Here’s what I did: I passed more than two weeks without taking a single day to be entirely alone.... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: A Form of Self-Encouragement
I have had the worst time writing this week. Honestly. Worship team practice on Thursday, another funeral on Saturday, church and travel on Sunday, more travel on Monday. Every time I end up with a schedule of any kind beyond my regular routine, I end up throwing the regular routine out the window-- and I... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Flashbacks, or Candy Doesn’t Need To Have A Point
Today I spent some time looking at my big-picture timetable for some of my current writing projects. I don’t remember if I’ve given the matter serious consideration before; it’s so terribly easy to let the struggle for a daily rhythm become all-important. I have other issues with big-picture planning that tend to deter me, but... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Eustress, You Say?
Eustress, You Say? I’m told there are two different kinds of stress, one healthy and one unhealthy. At the moment, I can’t really see a difference between the two. Anyone who has been following this blog (or any of my various Internet efforts, for that matter) knows that my newest book, Makkarios: Come Together,... Continue Reading →
“Slowly I Turned”: Directing My Own Funeral
Any time I deal with people, I find that an event that normally would have nothing whatsoever to do with me suddenly takes over my life. I suppose that’s why I don’t like dealing extensively with people. My routine this week got overthrown by an unexpected event of the previous week. One of my coworkers... Continue Reading →
Routine, Resolutions, & Resolve
I’m back! Well, I say that, but I have been sitting here at the computer for some time now without any sense of direction for this post. I’m only here, frankly, because I set a schedule for writing here. This past holiday season reminded me that I need the structure of routine. It provides an... Continue Reading →
H. M. Snow, Fantasy Novelist 