Be mighty, and keep your axes sharp!
I was never the punk that Bobby McGarvey or Stevie Saturn were in “Cubicle Punks,” but I do have something in common with them: I have always struggled with certain things that come with a “responsible” job.
The pull between a day job that pays the bills and pursuing one’s dreams is a recurring theme in several of my stories.
I talk about it on this episode of Behind the Cut…
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All but three little things are true in “Bobo.” Find out what those things are, why I quit clowning, and…how I measure success today.
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“El Concusso” is one of the few things I’ve written directly for somebody.
Here’s the story behind the story…
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This time, I sit down and chat with Cynthia Griffith about recording an audio drama instead of a narrated work of prose.
It’s the longest episode of Behind the Cut, but it gives a good peek at the process behind putting an audio drama together.
And remember, in a few weeks it’s the next Not about Lumberjacks story. It was written for a special occasion: the one-year anniversary of the show!
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If you listened to “Purvis,” it’s probably clear that I spent a lot of time when I was younger playing Dungeons and Dragons and being picked on.
If you’ve not listened to “Purvis,” I suggest you listen to the story first because there are some big spoilers in this behind-the-scenes look at the story.
But this is not wholly about what it was to be bullied — it’s also a celebration of a game that saved my life and made me the person I am today.
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As far as I can remember, “Shadow Dancers” was the first story I wrote around the time I was 20 and decided to make writing a serious pursuit.
I talk about those early days of writing and how this is one of the few stories my father read before he died. He wasn’t keen on the idea of my giving up studying biology to write, but this story changed his mind.
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Fly Me to the Moon came about in an old writing group. Find out how three basic elements led to the story…and how different it was from other stories composed of the same pieces.
(Also, find out how Mad Man Morgan got his name…)
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“Standstill” is one of those stories that turned into something more than I expected. People seem to really like this story, and I must say I like it enough that I want to do more with it in the future.
I’ve bumped into that problem with all the new stories I’ve written for Not About Lumberjacks.
(It’s not a bad problem to have…)
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Sometimes the weight of everyday life catches up with you and, instead of posting the story you intended to post, you end up sharing something older.
Some thoughts about twists in stories, the rush of everyday life, and how sometimes the best defense against it all is simplicity.
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Find out why “Rabbit Eyes” was written, and how this recording differs from the original manuscript.
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