250 Words on Accessible Style
When I set out to write and draw my first graphic novel, Mom’s Cancer, more than 20 (!) years ago,* I faced a decision.
250 Words On...
I'm a writer, cartoonist, and sometime-science-guy who tries to start most mornings writing 250 words on anything. I post one of the good ones every Tuesday.
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Latest posts
250 Words on Netiquette
An anonymous commenter on a recent post scolded me for not writing about a subject that’s very important to them.
250 Words on 26,000 Words
Today begins my third year of writing and posting one 250-word essay per week.
250 Words on Options
When a movie studio wants to adapt a writer’s work they “option” it, which means they pay you to NOT make a deal with another studio while the project is in development.
250 Words on Notable Quotables
Sometimes a particularly memorable quotation makes its way into everyday conversation.
250 Words on Criticism & Editing
One of my breakthroughs in becoming a professional writer, back when I was a cub reporter, was learning to not take criticism personally.
250 Words on Adulting
“Adulting” is a newish word for an ancient concept: growing up, shouldering responsibility, making your way in the world.
250 Words on Cursive
I hear that schools don’t teach cursive anymore.
250 Words on Public Speaking
Surveys say people dread public speaking more than death.
250 Words on A.I. Art
A meme I like* compares people who write with A.I.
250 Words on Star Pitching
In the 1980s and ‘90s, the Star Trek spin-offs were unique in that they would consider story ideas from anyone.
250 Words on Practical Education
I took the usual mix of science, math, art, English, and history classes in school, some of them excellent.
250 Words on Outliving Mom
As of today, I have lived longer than my mother did.
250 Words on Burning Out and Fading Away
“It’s better to burn out, than to fade away.
250 Words on Living on the Edge
“Innovation occurs at the intersection of things,” wrote Eben Bayer in A Brief History of the Future. “The greatest opportunities are in chaos.
250 Words on Homegrown Food
When I was 9, my grandparents took my sister and me to visit friends of theirs in Phoenix, Arizona as part of a month-long swing through the western states.
250 Words on Being Too Good to Ignore
My two favorite books about writing and creativity are On Writing by Stephen King and Born Standing Up by Steve Martin.
250 Words on Dreamscapes
I have a couple of recurring dreams.
250 Words on My Favorite Con Story
A podcast host recently asked about my experiences with fans at comics conventions.
250 Words on Overwriting
“I have made this letter longer than usual because I did not have time to make it short.” —Blaise Pascal
250 Words on the Colbert Questionert: Part Two
Talk show host Stephen Colbert sometimes asks his guests to take the “Colbert Questionert,” which he says is meant to reveal a person’s soul but is mostly for fun.