Archives in Category: Writing

Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Pre-Driven

Posted on April 17, 2005

I was driving on Niles Avenue when the sign struck me in the face, figuratively speaking. It read: “Pre-owned cars.” I’ve seen similar signs before and they always catch me off guard. I mean, just what is a pre-owned car?

 … finish reading Pre-Driven

See more 10 Minutes in category , | Leave a comment

The Plot Thickens

Posted on March 28, 2005

My son, Keith, and I are each going to write a novel of at least 50,000 words in thirty-one days, starting May 1. It’s all the result of a book called No Plot No Problem by Chris Baty, founder of

 … finish reading The Plot Thickens

See more 10 Minutes in category | Leave a comment

Only

Posted on March 23, 2005

‘Only’ is a tricky word. Basically it means “without others; alone; solely; exclusively,” as in “This document is for your eyes only.” (I get my credibility from Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary.) In this instance, the meaning is very clear.

However, according

 … finish reading Only

See more 10 Minutes in category | Leave a comment

1893

Posted on February 26, 2005

I just finished reading The Devil in the White City by Eric Larsen. It’s an amazing study of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, more commonly known as the Columbian Exposition.

Created to honor the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s

 … finish reading 1893

See more 10 Minutes in category | Leave a comment

Grammar

Posted on February 15, 2005

Last Sunday the Chicago Tribune Magazine’s lead story was titled “Is Grammar Dead and Does It Really Matter?” I snatched the magazine from the rest of the paper and settled down to learn the answer.

The magazine’s cover looked ominous.

 … finish reading Grammar

See more 10 Minutes in category , | Leave a comment

No Plot, No Problem

Posted on January 14, 2005

My son, Keith, has heard me moan more than once that I will never be a great fiction writer because I’m unable to develop and sustain a plot. Without it, there’s no structure on which to hang the tale.

Enter,

 … finish reading No Plot, No Problem

See more 10 Minutes in category , | Leave a comment

Reading Time

Posted on January 7, 2005

As the new year settles in, I’m inclined to hibernate, not because of January’s arrival but because of the cold temperatures, snowy conditions, and gloomy skies that accompany it. The good news is that it makes for a lot more

 … finish reading Reading Time

See more 10 Minutes in category , | Leave a comment

Two Days Off

Posted on December 1, 2004

I haven’t written anything creative in two days, which is something of a record. It felt strange, not as if something were missing but as if I had a lot more time on my hands to pursue other things.

I finished

 … finish reading Two Days Off

See more 10 Minutes in category | Leave a comment

Blogging

Posted on November 19, 2004

I often wonder why I blog. In the beginning it was to write ten minutes a day, as my distant mentor Natalie Goldberg recommended, so as to improve my skills and hone my creativity.

I’ve done that for years. I’ve

 … finish reading Blogging

See more 10 Minutes in category | Leave a comment

Grammar Grief

Posted on October 23, 2004

I’m pretty liberal about most things, but I take a conservative view of what’s happening to the English language as it is spoken and written in the United States today. Frankly I am surprised at how many people do not

 … finish reading Grammar Grief

See more 10 Minutes in category , , | Leave a comment