Monthly Archives: January 2011

5 Things The Designated Hitter Rule Taught Me About Business

Posted on January 10, 2011 by

On January 11, 1973, Major League Baseball’s American League enacted the Designated Hitter rule. It’s a stupid rule, in my opinion, and many baseball purists agree with me. The rule states, in part, that the position in the batting order … Continue reading →

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If I Could Turn Back Time

Posted on January 9, 2011 by

Normally, I don’t spend too much time looking backward with regret, but this nifty little writing prompt from the Plinky people got me thinking. Do you remember Elfquest? It was originally a series of comic books and graphic novels launched … Continue reading →

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Hocus Focus

Posted on January 8, 2011 by

At latest count, I had a half-dozen projects in the works. Being the good little Franklin-Covey acolyte that I am (hey, don’t laugh, it works…at least for me), each of these projects is divided into its own sub-projects, which are … Continue reading →

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The Health Hazards of Freelancing

Posted on January 7, 2011 by

Twice during my career, I’ve jettisoned the 9-5 world for the independence and flexibility of freelancing. Twice I’ve had to face the pitfalls of being my own boss: the long hours searching for clients, the pulsating pressure of an hour … Continue reading →

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Don’t Censor Huck Finn

Posted on January 6, 2011 by

Next month, an updated, combined edition of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer will be published by NewSouth Books, minus two-hundred-plus total instances of the “n-word” and several other racial slurs used at … Continue reading →

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Acronymlish

Posted on January 5, 2011 by

Unlike the purity that the French desire to retain in their language (au revoir, le hamburger), American English is a dirtier affair: a living, breathing organism that adapts to changes in times and styles. Dictionaries, even the stodgier names, regularly … Continue reading →

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6 Commandments For Novelists

Posted on January 4, 2011 by

My uncle, who passed away some years ago, wrote and had published several novels, the bulk of them crafted roughly around his terrible relationship with his father and his childhood in the Catskills. I remember reading one of his unpublished … Continue reading →

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Have You Hugged Your Proofreader Today?

Posted on January 3, 2011 by

Every glamorous profession requires its share of trench workers. For every Kate Moss wannabe strutting down the catwalk during Fashion Week, there are dozens of people toiling away behind the curtain to make sure she doesn’t fall on her pretty … Continue reading →

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