Sometimes a deal goes bad. Maybe more deals than you want. You're an artist and writer. You dedicate time to your craft. I am a writer. I dedicate time to perfect my craft, but challenges arise when you choose to become a freelance writer. There are many great freelance writers. I've met them. Some have more luck… Continue reading When Deals Go Bad
What I Learned from Sports Journalists
The best journalists are sports writers. That is right. Writers. When I volunteered at The Daily Gamecock, I wanted to write with that passion. I hoped to shoot pictures that captured a fire of emotions; the kind in which you see every line, feeling, and expression in a player's face. In high school, I shot pictures… Continue reading What I Learned from Sports Journalists
Six Sentence Sunday
It is a great idea. You know: the six sentence Sunday. I have read great six sentence Sunday posts by favorite bloggers, such as Jennifer M. Eaton or The View Outside. Inspired, I thought I would take part this week. I look for ways to share pieces of my writing related to Sons of the… Continue reading Six Sentence Sunday
Why We Need to Pay Attention to Men and Boys
JD Bannister wants attention. Not just anyone's attention. He needs his father to care. In the opinion of my character, Andrew Bannister, his son has everything. He provides JD with a big house, playroom, and expensive toys and clothes. A main character in the manuscript, Sons of the Edisto, JD experiences another kind of desertion.… Continue reading Why We Need to Pay Attention to Men and Boys
Write it Honest
Take up the pages. They belong to you. It does not matter what the subject is. The matter belongs to you, too. Since the last week in July, my schedule has been abnormal. I chose to take one month off from writing to take time with the boys, John and Charles, and to train for a… Continue reading Write it Honest
Boys at War
Boys went to war. My great-uncle was one of them. His plane was shot down over the Mediterranean Sea in World War II. Saint Paul's Cathedral lists his name in the American Memorial book in London. Now women serve, and I thank men and women for their dedication, training, and sacrifice that is beyond our imaginations.… Continue reading Boys at War
Through the Mountains, Part I: When Hope Rises
Two campers light a fire using a propane backpack cook stove. Light rain trickles from the sky. Drops touch toes, hiking books, stone, and extinguish fire. Prior to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, the same men hiked 15 miles up a mountain to an inn. They also carried dinner they wanted the inn cooking staff to… Continue reading Through the Mountains, Part I: When Hope Rises
Coming Back – What Does it Mean to Return Home?
I am back. Back from road tripping and one week of training for a new job. I return to the keyboard, as I have many times before, to write. Ideas came to mind as I drove past peach trees and a restored house constructed either in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. New peach… Continue reading Coming Back – What Does it Mean to Return Home?
Under Exposed: The South Carolina Upcountry
The twenty-first century fades on the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. Known for the Gaffney Peachiod, early American history, and the Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills, automobiles drive past landscape seemingly unchanged with exception of the road. Before you pack up for Orlando or California, consider what you might find on roads less explored. There are… Continue reading Under Exposed: The South Carolina Upcountry
Where Magic Lives
Legends say magic rises through winter mist; a mist so thick you must hold your hand two inches from your face to see it. The summer feels more like a South Carolina autumn. Humidity stays at the ground level, and river water is cool. The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of the first roads in the… Continue reading Where Magic Lives