Story Cubes Challenge: Dichotomy
Part of my novel-in-stories Story Cubes Challenge. Dichotomy Joe O’Leary passed the glass of wine — he made sure to find those plastic ones that looked real — across the table to Annabelle. She didn’t like beer, …
Story Cubes Challenge: First Impressions
Part of my novel-in-stories Story Cubes Challenge. First Impressions Joe O’Leary skirted the Campus Pond, backpack slung over one shoulder. He’d blown off his first class that morning — who wouldn’t? Everybody in the dining …
Story Cubes Challenge: Missing Details
My current round of Story Cubes Challenge prompts comes in a weekly email, and I’ve chosen to use the prompts to draft a novel-in-stories to tell the story of an Exeter character who’s been on …
Back in the Northeast
I’ve been quiet for a while, mostly because lots of things have been in flux. Several weeks ago, I moved to a group of my company’s upstate New York papers, so between packing, moving and …
Michael Sam, Dan Reilly and the Power of Backstory
For those who don’t know, I’m a Mizzou (University of Missouri) grad, and a proud one at that. I went there for the top-notch J-school, but I also was in Marching Mizzou and thus went …
Spinning Mob Tales (or, Why New Englanders Are Different)
As is pretty obvious to anybody who’s read an Exeter book or short story, the mob was present in my small town as a kid. Or, to be completely fair, the Mafia had a presence …
Discretion: A Drabble Challenge Response
This week’s prompt for the drabble challenge was “practice.” Again, a word that could have worked for several of the characters. I ended up going with Becca, who might be my favorite character in Exeter. …