That way, we can give a damn — One of my many faults as a fiction writer is I’m a nice guy. By default, I’m an agreeable person who tends to avoid conflict and doesn’t want to rock the boat unnecessarily. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with this in real life (most of the time). But when I…

A horror story in the great outdoors — 1 HE STARED AT THE GUSHING RIVER wondering how he could have been so foolish. When he crossed it from the other direction earlier that morning, it had only been a small creek, but with the afternoon sun and rising spring temperatures, snowmelt from the Rockies was quickly making its way…

A horror story in the great outdoors — SHE STUCK HER FOOT INTO THE FIRE. Andy couldn’t believe it. The sole of her boot was melting and she didn’t seem to have the slightest clue. “Hey, your foot’s on fire,” he said, unable to raise his voice past a whisper. …

A horror story in the great outdoors — SHE’D HEARD THE LEGENDS AND STORIES. The tales of Po-ho-no, the Evil One, and the whispering waterfall. But she never put any stock in them. She knew they were just that: legends and stories. Nothing more than spooky tales people told each other for entertainment. They’d be totally fine she…

Or at least your career — The battle against the fragmentation of our minds rages on, intensifying ever more with each passing day. I’ll save you the platitudes about social media, the 24-hour news cycle, and the evils of e-mail. Well-covered ground, right? I’m sure you know all about it. But lately, I’ve been feeling the…

№. 3 — Writing is like shooting arrows — I’m obsessed with learning the best of what other people — especially writers — have already figured out and using it to better my own writing practice. So naturally, my ears perked up when I was listening to one of my favorite comedians hand out writing gem after writing gem…

Start telling it — “We speak of inspiration and muses like they’re exterior forces and we’re just their puppets. The truth is far more crass and crafty, I find: If you wait for inspiration to show up, you’ll never get the work done. Sometimes you just have to start telling the story. The act…