A Peak Behind the Mask: Why I Will Watch Jimmy Fallon and Bradley Cooper Laughing for Five Minures

Man in Groucho Marks mask; courtesy of gratisography

Talk shows are fake. We all know it. The host might not be fake. The guests might not be fake, but the entire setup is quite forced and restricted. There is a set amount of time that needs to be filled with quality material: a few laughs, perhaps an anecdote that makes us a bit […]

Writing to Feel the Burn

Woman trying to touch her toes. Courtesy of gratisography.

Some days, writing feels a lot like stretching to me. I reach and reach and make myself uncomfortable for a while, and then I return to my normal, stiff self. Nothing seems to have changed; there are no visible signs of progress. I still can’t reach my toes. I still can’t do anything close to […]

Thoughts from Theo: Is Your Food Sneaky Cheeky?

Two cats playing with a pink balloon, demonstrating the importance of play. Courtesy of gratisography.

Last night after dinner, Theo and I started a silly word game. I don’t remember if I asked him about his food or if he took the initiative himself, but he soon began describing what he ate with made up words: sneedy food, doodie food, poodoo food. I countered with mostly real words in silly […]

Audience and Embarassment: Sometimes It’s Best to Pretend You’re Alone

Bike on its side.

Walking with Theo and Rory, I approached a young kid, eight or nine, having a blast on a razor scooter. I know, I didn’t realize they were still around either. He was pumping along until he built up enough speed to blast though the puddles accumulated next to the curb, spraying miniature wakes across the […]

Thoughts from Theo: Let’s Bring in the Sky

Photo of mountains and sky with castle. Courtesty of Splitshire.com

 The other day Theo and I were heading inside after a nice time playing in the backyard. We were gathering all the toys that we didn’t want to leave in the elements (stuffed animals, wooden cars, etc.), and I asked him, “What else should we bring inside?” His response: “The sky.” The kid has some pretty […]

Josh Shares A Crappy First Draft: Weird

Primate screaming. Courtesy of New Old Stock Photography

One of the secrets to good writing is crappy writing, specifically crappy first drafts. Rough drafts are one thing, but crappy drafts are golden because they allow us to set low expectations. They remove some of the pressure of hitting the blank page with quality writing. They also get us into the right headspace for […]