Writing – Page 3 – John D Reinhart.com

Trying to Write a Sequel

Founding a dynasty is a plenty robust task. But how can you become a world-famous writer on only one book? Sequels, my friend. It’s all about the sequels.

Acting Like a Writer

You’re a writer – you know how it goes. You work, work, work, and write and create and think and write and… wait a second, does that mean you ARE a writer?

Chipping Away at Perfection

Yvon Chouinard, the mastermind behind the Patagonia clothing company, used to quote somebody even more famous, but I forget who. I don’t suppose that’s the point…

It’s DONE!!!

You’re a writer, you know how it goes. You spend so much of your heart and soul and sleepy long hours into your rewrite, and then, IT’S DONE!

The Thing is, You Gotta Branch Out

I keep asking myself “what in heaven’s name are you doing?” To be honest, I haven’t a clue. But this much I know…

Mercury is in Retrograde

It’s a thing. Look it up. Go ahead, we’ll wait. Did you find it? It’s a thing! And it EXPLAINS a lot!

Surfin’ the Briny Blue

So, I’ve been on a strange odyssey, searching the world for pirate clothes. Yep. Clothes for pirates. But not for me.

Cool Nautical Terminology

I was going to make a comparison between the recent events in my life and those of the fellows who accompanied James Cook on his last voyage, but then I got hung up on the word “sprung.”

Cool Nautical Terminology

I was going to make a comparison between the recent events in my life and those of the fellows who accompanied James Cook on his last voyage, but then I got hung up on the word “sprung.”

Cool Nautical Terminology

I was going to make a comparison between the recent events in my life and those of the fellows who accompanied James Cook on his last voyage, but then I got hung up on the word “sprung.”

Wait, What Street is This?

Those people who wear socks ‘n’ sandals will tell you it’s about the journey, man, not the destination. But sometimes you gotta look out the car window and ask WTF?

Beginning Again, Again

A new year, a new start, a new begin…. blah, blah, blahbiddy blah blah. This time it’s serious, and I’m pretty sure I’m not fooling around…

Plugging Your Stuff

Wow, is that a title rife with double meanings! But well, you know how it is – when you create a buncha stuff, you can’t just leave it sittin’ around…

Escape from Geezerville

I was going to call this post Dam the Lazy River, but instead chose to tie it to a previous post. See how clever this gorilla marketing thing is?

Idiot of the Year

It’s a weird thing to be an idiot. It takes some doing, lemme tell you. And, when you catch yourself at it… oy.

Mr. Peanut Yard Art

Sometimes ideas hit you out of the blue. Sometimes, maybe that’s where they should have stayed.

Update from Geezerville

Man, life can be tough. Just when you think you got things figured out…

Release the Inner Popeye!

We all have an inner Popeye – unless you don’t know who that is, or you don’t think you have an inner Popeye, in which case you may not.

The Forever Moment

Nothing about anything matters more than this very moment, because, truly, this moment is all you’ve got. Oops. It’s already passed…

Chin Up, Chin Up

When I was in high school, a chin up was the absolutely worst form of exercise ever devised. Now that I’m a trifle older, I’ve found some other exercises that may qualify for the worst!

I Posted Over There

If you’ve got nothing better to do, or wanna see some cool cross-platform marketing in action (gorilla style), this is it. Yeah, right…

Waiting for the Big One

When I was a kid, my dad told me a lot of stuff. Always check your fly. Life’s not all beer and skittles. But some of it was actually helpful…

On Being Busy

“Being busy and having business are two different things,” he said with a start. “Dang. What the heck?”

Awaiting the Return

My family calls my enthusiasm for details about the Battle of Midway “the lecture series” but this post isn’t about that. Well, no, no, not really…

A Network of Blogs

You know, you do so many things when you’re trying to get somewhere that you sort of lose track of where you’ve been…

Writing Your Way to the Top

There was a time when you could create an entire writing career out of blue sky, and get paid for it. I know, because I did it.

On Making it Big

First, let us be clear. Oh, so very clear. Clear like a mountain stream, like a windswept sky, like a razor in the eye (clearly painful…): I have not made it big. This is not about that.

45,300

That’s a pretty big number. If your goal is 50,000, you’re plenty close. Why does it seem so far away?

Character Hijackery Part II

It’s been a while, but I previously posted a bit on how the voices in your head sometimes take over your story. Oh, wait, I just said what this entire post is about. Rats.

Finishing Things

I’m working on my third million dollars. Yes, I gave up on the previous two…

I Am a Phone Pirate

I almost titled this post “The Pirate in My Pocket,” but then realized that could be a serious double entendre. But I digress… I admit it. It’s me. Uh oh.

Doing that Thing that You Do

G.B. Trudeau, the cartoonist behind the legendary Doonesbury cartoon strip, said something unusually profound today. Even I got it!

Oh, I used to have one, I promise. And it worked pretty good. But it’s gone now, that brain o’ mine. Been thinking about putting up posters on the light posts: Lost Brain, pinkish gray in color, answers to “hey, moron…”

Always Writing

You’re a writer, you know how it is. You write. You have to write, not because it’s your job, but because it’s like breathing.

Twinklings of the Past

You’re a writer. You know how it goes. You work your keester off writing something that you just think is the bee’s knees, the cat’s pajamas, the Maharajah’s… uh, well, you get the idea.

But life happens and stuff happens and somehow it just doesn’t seem to be the big hit you expected. And then, one day…

Avast, Ye Readers!

Nothing says nautical mayhem like the word “avast,” doncha think?

Right out of the box you know the words that follow are coming from some seafaring devil, a maritime monster, a nautical ne’er do well. This is because good guy pirates and Navy types don’t use the word.

Networking Fool

That’s me. Look, Mom, I made a post! It’s vaguely stupid, and wouldn’t put it on my resume, but, hey, I made a post!

If you’re like me, you’re a busy person, with lots of interest. I know I am – you know, like me… whatever.

On Writing Nonfiction

You’re a writer. You know how it goes. That helpful idea is really great – it might even make a pretty good book.

I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction lately, gearing up for a great adventure.

On Giving Up

When is giving up really giving up?

You’re a writer. You know how it goes. You work your keester off to create what you think is a great piece of art – and it is a great piece of art because you put your heart and soul and God knows how many hours of mindbending labor into it. And then you burned a gazillion more hours rewriting it – getting the characters just right, moving scenes so that it flows just as smooth as butter on a hot bun.

Facing Your Inner Fred

Do you think Fred Flintstone ever made it big? Do you think he owned an expansive place in the Hollyrock Hills, up next to the sign, and hung out with the likes of Dash Riprock, Stoney Curtis, and Ann Margrock?

And, do you think he ever expected to? That’s the big question.

The Droppington Franchise

I’m flashing my curtains at you – did you see it?

If you’ve read my novel Droppington Place, you’d know that flashing the curtains is how Penrose, the sawdust copy of an obscure 16th Century playwright, lures Byron into the world of Droppington Place. It’s a paper world, hidden from time, from which Byron and his middle school friends Hailey Shen and Kyle Rodriquez must escape before they, too, become paper.

If I may be blunt: it’s a pretty good book.

Character Thievery

Damn their eyes, these characters!

They say things you didn’t expect, do things you didn’t think of, steal your gosh darn story right out from under you.

About Yes And

Can you please explain this to me? Can you please sit me down in a chair, one that doesn’t face the window, because I’m obviously easily distracted, and use small words, because clearly I’m a bit dim in the “I get it” department, and tell me what is going on?

On Going Big or Going Home

When you were a little kid, remember how exciting it was to think about Christmas morning? All the commotion, the gifts, the noise, the screaming parents. Well, maybe not that one, or the barfing dog, but you understand what I’m saying – the anticipation. Oh, how great it was gonna be…