True to my cross-genre roots (is that an oxymoron? roots are stationary), Crossing Polansky: the Blog About Everything has retired to that great archive in the cybersky. As mentioned in the last post, I give you Stands With a List: Writer Squaw Make Word Medicine. While blogging about anything my heart desired was rewarding and sometimes cathartic, amassing lists …
As I watched Julie and Julia for the third time, I braced myself for the Cinderella ending: when frustrated writer Julie Powell hits the big time with her blog on working her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Of course, she didn’t hit it overnight; it took a year of daily …
…there was Safe Living. Whatever happened to that? Last night I caught the anecdotal TV series I Survived in which people describe life-threatening situations (mostly of a criminal nature) and how they cheated death. I’m fascinated with the human body’s and spirit’s abilities to click into survival mode and see it through. Some of the stories involve accidents and …
I was a high school junior when the iconic TV show Saturday Night Live debuted. By the time I started college, America was hooked. No matter what we did on Saturday night, come 11:30 p.m. everyone found a TV set to which we glued ourselves for the next 90 minutes (it was actually a great way to meet guys, …
Just when you thought there wasn’t anything mundane left for me to talk about, I proffer, for your consideration, continuity errors. In film, television, and written fiction, continuity (also called time-scheme) refers to “consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time” (Wikipedia). Mistakes in continuity …
“Speed-pitching” describes a very brief, face-to-face pitch of your project to agents and/or editors. Often a component of writers conferences, speed-pitching is a golden opportunity that comes with the pressure of dazzling agents/editors with your project in the space of a few minutes. A tall order, to be sure, but with a little preparation, speed-pitching can …
One on One: 10 Tips for Optimizing Speed-Pitch Sessions Read More »
The question of whether animals have souls never fails to spark debate. Regardless of religious affiliation, biblical evidence exists for both sides; it all comes down to inpretation. I believe that any living creature capable of love has a soul. Eternal life is not an issue because all life is energy, soul or no soul. Energy is everlasting, like the …
I heard it late this morning: that faraway, unmistakable roar of Navy FA-18 jet engines. Ah, the Boys of Summer are back. Every year about this time I’m reminded why I love this town. It’s Commissioning Week at the Naval Academy and the Blue Angels kick off their annual summer performance tour with an air show over …
On my desk sits a favorite photo of me and seven year old Marisol against the beautiful backdrop of the Alps in Bezau, Austria. We met in the swimming pool of the hotel: she on vacation with her parents, and I on a hiking tour with my grown daughter. Marisol is one of those delightful blends …
Mother’s Day is fast approaching and it’s going to be a tough one. In this year of firsts, this will be the first Mother’s Day without my mother to honor. Then I remembered that I honor her every day. Not in the trite traditions of saying please and thank you, or eating what’s on your plate even if you …