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Book Report: An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel
Glittery vampires have had their day. Even Tom Cruise’s Lestat, with his frilly cuffs and meaningful glares, had his moment in the — forgive me — sun. Mr. McDoniel’s main character, Yulric Bile, would...
View ArticleHacked for the millionth time
Twice a year or so I get a message from my web host saying that WordPress has been hacked again. It happened yesterday. Again. That’s what I’m dealing with right now. Thanks for looking at my site....
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I’m abandoning my coffee table book “Stupid Birds of North America”
I was helping my brother-in-law move furniture. It was a long few days because of a death in the family. Trying to lighten the mood, I started riffing on how much I hate birds, most of all the Canada...
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Yes You Can Be Like Me, A Competitive Professional Zip Liner
I would say the best thing about being on the cutting-edge of a developing sport is that a lot of the stuff I’m coming up with now will have whatever name I give it forever. You know, like Tony Hawk...
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15 Names for Science Fiction/Fantasy Characters
Feel free to use these in your work if you like. You don’t have to credit me if you do, but I’d love to hear about it. Also, I want a walk-on role in your TV/movie adaptation. Tarn Bwango Debbil Flot...
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How to Make A Decent Author WordPress Template Maybe
WordPress is like a robot companion who fights alongside you, facilitates your livelihood, but also might explode into a cloud of fart gas and flying turds at any moment. You might be wondering: “How...
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I’ll read work at WONDERBOOK on Saturday
I started wishing there was a small, laid-back literary event that I could go to with a bunch of my local writer pals. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything like that to be had so I had to make it...
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10 Character Names for Romance Novels
You may use these in your work, if you like. All I ask is a walk-on role in the eventual movie adaptation. Jack Hardcliffe Torn Abripple Cord McShoulders Mason Huntington Sean O’Commitment Janice...
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Wonderbook Literary Open House Wrapup
I thought it might be fun to gather some of my local Atlanta author friends and have a relaxed hangout, and I’m pleased to say I was right about that. I grabbed my pals Jonathan French, Catie Hogan,...
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I Owe Miley Cyrus an Apology
A video made the rounds last week of Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon, dressed as Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, singing “Islands in the Stream.” It’s two people going to great costuming- and set-design...
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Columbus Has Syphilis, a sketch in “honor” of Columbus Day
This is a sketch I wrote for the Atlanta performing troupe Sketchworks. It was performed a few years ago to great acclaim. It being Columbus Day today, I thought we all might enjoy it once again....
View ArticleRick, Morty, Sauce, Fandom, and Fear of a Millenial Planet
Rick and Morty is an animated science fiction show on Adult Swim. It has a lot of craft to it, and enjoys a rabid fanbase as a result. It doesn’t grab me the way it seems to grab so many people, but as...
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MidSouthCon 36 (2018) Wrapup
I’ve been to MidSouthCon two times previously, but this was my first trip purely as a vendor. I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of book sales, given that I wasn’t paneling at all, but it was Kool...
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I’m Your Republican Boyfriend and After a Lengthy Investigation I Have...
I have found no evidence that I made out with “Sarah,” if that’s even a person’s name. Perhaps there was some bad judgment, like when I accidentally took off my shirt. But bad judgment, as we all know,...
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Cryptocurrencies are Becoming the Everest of Stupid
If you know me from my mountain climbing books, you know that I try to inject a little humor into mountain climbing, which is a sport whose practitioners often take themselves too seriously. Let me be...
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Malcom Gladwell is Mad at Satire
PHOTO: Kris KrügI like Malcom Gladwell’s work because I want to feel smart without doing the work of research or analysis. Remember when he dropped that 10,000 hours knowledge bomb? People devoted...
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My Weekend at Hotel Terrible
I read the reviews of the Ramada Plaza & Conference Center by Wyndham Louisville before I went there, so I knew I was in for … something. “Nasty place STAY AWAY,” one review read. On the other...
View ArticleThe Vulgar History of Atlanta
Thanks to some creative pestering in my part, Village Theatre agreed to help me stage a play I wrote called The Vulgar History of Atlanta. I was thrilled and flattered to have a number of extremely...
View ArticleBad Gladiator, an audio drama, has launched
What would it be like to aspire to be a gladiator as Rome is coming to an end? …and also to find out that you kind of suck at being a gladiator? We find out with the story of hopeful combatant Atticus!...
View ArticleThe Complete Ozel the Wizard Trilogy is out
Thanks to everyone who came along on the Ozel the Wizard journey this year. This has been my best-performing series by far. Since Wizard’s Resolve has been out a while now I released a bundled version...
View ArticleHow to Write Funny
I put a course together on Udemy to help folks learn how to write funny which you can take for free. Whether you’re already funny or you’re just beginning your practice, I think you will find some...
View ArticleReview: Gay Future, A Narrative Podcast
When Bad Gladiator, the audio drama my comedy group produced, came out in January, we were lucky enough to be written about by The Bello Collective in a roundup of new audio dramas out that January....
View ArticleHow to Make Money Writing Books
This is a guide for anyone who wants to make money selling fiction work but does not already have an audience. If you’re already famous, save yourself a couple of long years of work and just hire...
View ArticleThe Awkward Post-Band-Fight Load Out
I’m reminded, watching the Mötley Crüe movie on Netflix, how awkward band fights can be. There are a lot of things to consider about choosing your moment, but none more real than the knowledge that...
View ArticleThe Foodie Scene in Asheville, NC: Is My Dog Big Enough?
Face it. The answer is probably no. No, your dog is not big enough to push you to the top of the Asheville, NC foodie scene. You might be able to earn a few extra status points if your dog is an...
View ArticleReview of Gad Elmaleh’s show “Huge in France”
Gad Elmaleh’s “Huge in France” is like selecting a book at random off a library shelf and immediately diving into a novel so good it’s as though it was written specifically for you. I have seen people...
View ArticlePittsburgh to DC: Riding the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Towpath
I was attracted to the GAP & C&O by the prospect of consecutive days of bike riding without any cars. That dream was destroyed by a Bed & Breakfast in Leesburg, VA called the Leesburg...
View ArticleIn admiration of Questlove
Rather than attempt to approach Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s career with any sort of breadth, I want to focus on a small facet. I highly recommend a deep dive into the guy’s work, from The Roots, to...
View ArticleLance Armstrong: The Trump of Cycling
If you are uncomfortable due to the chaos, corruption, and falsehood firehose that is the Trump administration, I can offer a minuscule bright side. Now you can understand how I feel about professional...
View ArticleMaybe If We Don’t Want Qanon Adults We Shouldn’t Raise Kids On Santa Claus
I’m by no means an expert in any of the related fields, but it seems to me that the Santa Claus myth trains people that belief is as good as, and often better than, fact. Maybe it’s time we have …
View ArticleThe Silver Leaf Serotta Part 1 – Inspired by Hartley Bicycles
Someday, when the plague has ended and my comedy films and live shows bring me the success I deserve, I will mark the occasion by purchasing a Hartley bicycle. These things are absolutely gorgeous and...
View ArticleMy Titanium Serotta Cyclocross “Racing” Bike
Granted, I look less like a Tour de France rider and more like I’ve eaten one or two. Even so, I do enjoy cyclocross racing. Well, I say “enjoy.” It’s hellish. But I still do it. Trouble is, the bike …
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