Friday, July 29, 2011
Guest Blog on Scott Nicholson's Haunted Computer
The very-awesome Scott Nicholson was kind enough to host a guest blog of mine. It's my thoughts and musings about how we come to our genres, whether it be the ones we write or the ones we read. Check it out!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
How to Land Your Kid in Therapy
A relative of mine sent this thought-provoking article my way: How to Land Your Kid in Therapy.
As a parent of a 14-month-old, the article's topic is one that's on my mind a lot. Am I doing enough for my son? Am I doing enough to stimulate his mind? Am I playing with him enough? Or am I doing too much?
The article was both encouraging and discouraging. While you don't have to be "a perfect [parent] to raise a well-adjusted kid," trying to prevent a child from having "low self-esteem," or shielding them from all discomfort as a child can actually make adulthood harder. "By trying so hard to provide the perfectly happy childhood," the author writes, "we’re just making it harder for our kids to actually grow up." Good to know that when I don't rush over to my son when he takes a spill, I'm actually doing him a favor!
Then, though, the article takes a turn that goes beyond parenting:
“Happiness as a byproduct of living your life is a great thing,” Barry Schwartz, a professor of social theory at Swarthmore College, told me. “But happiness as a goal is a recipe for disaster.”
That might be the biggest takeaway in the whole article, and it's something I've been thinking about for a while. Happiness, I'm beginning to think, is overrated. I actually find that I'm most happy when I'm not trying to be happy, like when I'm helping others or getting neck-deep in hard work.
So I've stopped looking for rewards, and, instead, started looking for rewarding challenges. I teach for two online colleges, in addition to my day job as a high school teacher. I'm writing more. This year, I'm on track to finish two novels. I'm also a bit of a poetry nut, so I'm submitting more to lit mags. I try to take my family out to the zoo, to the children's museum, and to the pool whenever possible.
I'm busier than ever. But you know what? I just might be happy, too.
As a parent of a 14-month-old, the article's topic is one that's on my mind a lot. Am I doing enough for my son? Am I doing enough to stimulate his mind? Am I playing with him enough? Or am I doing too much?
The article was both encouraging and discouraging. While you don't have to be "a perfect [parent] to raise a well-adjusted kid," trying to prevent a child from having "low self-esteem," or shielding them from all discomfort as a child can actually make adulthood harder. "By trying so hard to provide the perfectly happy childhood," the author writes, "we’re just making it harder for our kids to actually grow up." Good to know that when I don't rush over to my son when he takes a spill, I'm actually doing him a favor!
Then, though, the article takes a turn that goes beyond parenting:
“Happiness as a byproduct of living your life is a great thing,” Barry Schwartz, a professor of social theory at Swarthmore College, told me. “But happiness as a goal is a recipe for disaster.”
That might be the biggest takeaway in the whole article, and it's something I've been thinking about for a while. Happiness, I'm beginning to think, is overrated. I actually find that I'm most happy when I'm not trying to be happy, like when I'm helping others or getting neck-deep in hard work.
So I've stopped looking for rewards, and, instead, started looking for rewarding challenges. I teach for two online colleges, in addition to my day job as a high school teacher. I'm writing more. This year, I'm on track to finish two novels. I'm also a bit of a poetry nut, so I'm submitting more to lit mags. I try to take my family out to the zoo, to the children's museum, and to the pool whenever possible.
I'm busier than ever. But you know what? I just might be happy, too.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Death Before Swine -- Ben Hart Mysteries #1
Small town high school chemistry teacher Ben Hart is just doing his job when he shows his students what happens when you mix together certain common substances: BOOM! But then someone uses that same chemical reaction to take down the statue of beloved football coach Simon Griffin. Ben's demonstration is blamed, and he loses his job.
Feeling guilty, Ben goes to apologize to his colleague Simon and discovers him murdered. The police think it's a home invasion robbery gone wrong, but Ben quickly figures out that Simon was murdered at the statue and moved. Simon's daughter wants the killer found and doesn't have faith in the police. Ben needs a job, so he takes the case. Now he's got to sort out lies from truth before the killer gets away--but the closer he gets, the more danger he's in.
"Death Before Swine" is a full-length novel: 65,000 words in length or about 260 pages.
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