Stories meander mysteriously – randomly – yet make so much sense after all
BABWorks Birmingham Core Team (L-R): Reese, Ali, Jax (yes those are boots, it was still cold in April... I'm a tropical girl, come on.), Stacey, Jordan, Phil, Liam (Content Partner); Sonja (BABWorks Zurich) From My Story… At the end of 2014, after a long flight from Manila via Dubai, I landed in “Mordor”. At least … Continue reading To Inpsire & Equip Everyone Here
The Village by Bing West My rating: 5 of 5 stars A well-told little-known story about the Vietnam War that people should know. I'm a newbie to war details, so I had to learn some terminology (e.g. "Bobby was at point" means that Bobby was the guide, marching at the front of the patrol) and … Continue reading Book Review: “The Village” by Bing West
“I’m writing a science fiction novel,” I say. Most people, especially those who have known me in previous lives, ask the question that my statement begged. “Why?” The answer is not particularly sexy. “Because I dreamt the ending and I didn’t have any time to do research before I had to write an entire novel … Continue reading The Thing about Sci-Fi
Rats: Observations on the History and Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert Sullivan My rating: 4 of 5 stars Mr. Sullivan's book is a delightful mix of facts and anecdotes from his year-long rat adventure, interviews with experts (like exterminators) and forgotten chronicles of history. Walden-esque in nature (!), it is well-written … Continue reading Book Review: “Rats” by Robert Sullivan
In July 2014, I started an experiment with a blog called "Science | Fiction | Technology". On December 31, 2014, I wrote the final post on that blog. Today, I killed the blog. Well, I didn't exactly kill it. Clearly, you're still reading a post on http://www.sftboox.com. But SFT now stands for "Sort | Filter | Tipple" and I will … Continue reading SFT Has A New Name (Experiment’s Over, Results Are In)
Judging by my Facebook feed, 2014 wasn’t particularly kind to many of my loved ones – most are bidding the year “good riddance to you” and some have already moved on to 2015 without looking back. And so I close the memory and trauma series just as 2014 is winding down: looking back to look … Continue reading In the Extreme: Memory and Trauma (Part 3 of 3)
Warning: This post could be a bit emotionally painful to read. I apologize in advance. What’s one of the worst things that has happened to you in your life? Please remember it now. What happened? How did you feel? Keep this in your back pocket and read on. When Memory Processing Works Well: Dealing with … Continue reading Memory Injuries are Physical and Everywhere: Memory and Trauma (Part 2 of 3)
The universe converged during this WriMo’s 2014 win moment. This year’s NaNo wasn’t about just surviving – 2014 was about thriving. Love and the spirit of this annual worldwide novel-ing November made it all possible. This one’s for the WriMos, no matter what color your bar is. The NaNoWriMoment If you want to remember something as faithfully … Continue reading A Write to the Finish: NaNoWriMo and the Better Life
In my last post, I could have told my story about the Legend of Write or Die with more certainty. With fewer “maybes” and “might have beens”. The truth is, I really can’t remember the entire conversation all that well. I only really remember bits and pieces. It happened years ago and I’ve only recalled the … Continue reading Why You Can’t Trust Your Memory and What to Do About It: Memory and Trauma (Part 1 of 3)
There is this legendary thing I have heard tell of a writer's passion - write or die. I've felt it burn through my veins only twice in my life: last November, when NaNoWriMo saved my life, and now. But the thing that got me to finish my manuscript wasn't exactly that. And when it comes to winning, … Continue reading How I Wrote My Manuscript (Or, How NaNoWriMo Saved My Life)
