The Crotchety Old Man

Tag: Athens Writers Workshop

  • Hurry Up and Wait

    The most common advice for new writers is to keep writing. Serious writers devote a few hours to the craft every day. I try, but too often, life gets in the way. Serious writers would say that life getting in the way is just an excuse. If I really wanted to, I’d find the time.…

  • The Week in Review

    For the past two weeks, I’ve been too busy to blog. I’m still busy, but the bug I picked up at a conference last week in Charlotte has prevented me from running or going to the gym. Consequently, I have a bit more free time. The conference went well–better than I expected. The hotel staff…

  • More Than Friends

    I finished writing Glass Houses about a year ago. After receiving rejections from the agent of my dreams and a publisher that seemed perfect for my book, I knew I needed help. Several friends suggested I check out local groups for writers. A Google search turned up a group right here in Athens. I sent…

  • Progress!

    I spent the better part of last year writing Addicted, my first novel. For much of that time, a freelance editor was working her magic on my memoir, Glass Houses. Though she sent me her recommendations and suggestions back in November, I decided to finish the novel before turning my attention to revising the memoir.…

  • Finished…Mostly

    Ten months ago, I started submitting 5,000 word chunks of my first novel to my writers group. As a novice writer, I was eager for the feedback of more experienced writers. Their numerous suggestions continue to help me to be the best  writer I can be. Tonight the group critiqued the last six chapters of…

  • Destiny & Gratitude

    That I am a slow learner is one of several themes throughout Glass Houses, my as yet unpublished memoir. Besides adding an element of humor to the story, it also happens to be true. Where self-awareness is concerned, I’m especially obtuse. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to write. Out-of-town friends and…

  • Practice Makes Perfect

    I fully expected to get a lot of writing done over the long weekend.  With my partner being out of town and a rainy forecast, I hoped to make significant forward progress on Addicted, my first work of fiction. Unfortunately, aside from a few new posts here on the blog, I haven’t gotten any writing…

  • Following My Dream

    Writing a book is easy. Writing a good book is more difficult. Unless you’re somebody famous (or infamous), getting even a good book published is a great deal more challenging. My dear friend, Terri, posted on my Facebook wall today that The Help was rejected sixty times before author Kathryn Stockett found a publisher. Two…

  • Writing Myself Out of a Corner

    For the last month or so, I’ve made very little forward progress on Addicted, my first work of fiction. I know where the story is going and how it will end. Even so, for some reason I’ve been stuck at the 40,000 word mark. Addicted is a male/male romance novel about Josh Freeman, a middle-aged…

  • Back in the Saddle

    After a month-long hiatus from blogging at The Crotchety Old Man, I’m back in the saddle with a new blog.  The hardest part of starting this blog was coming up with a good title. Glass Houses is a memoir about the first roughly fifty years of my life. My Glass House picks up more or…