Month: September 2010

As some of you may know, my son is taking Astronomy this year.  Since we homeschool, this means I’m taking Astronomy too.  Not that I mind.  Any chance to learn something interesting (odd, bizarre, different, unique…any of the above) works for me. I’ve discovered a couple of awesome Astronomy resources that make the experience much more interesting.  First, the Starry Night sky chart shows you an interactive map of your portion of the sky on any date and time (and from a variety of directional views).  It’s great to know what to look for and what we’re looking at.  Second,

Yesterday I signed up to participate in the upcoming Dewey’s Read-a-Thon, a 24-hour reading challenge that takes place on October 9, 2010.  (You can still join up.  The link is here.) When I announced this insanity decision to the family, my son decided he’d like to read along, so there will actually be two of us participating here at Spann of Time.  We’re planning to read for the entire 24 hours, starting at 5am PST on October 9 and ending at 4:59 on October 10.  We’re compiling reading lists now, and I’ll update on the process as time goes by.

Last weekend a quadruple amputee swam the English Channel.  42 year-old Philippe Croizon, who lost his arms and legs after suffering an electrical shock in 1992, used special prosthetics (legs ending in flippers) during the swim and finished the crossing in 13.5 hours. Not only did Croizon complete the swim, he did it fast (Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the channel, took 14 hours and 39 minutes to complete the task, and her time broke the then-existing mens’ record by over two hours.) His time isn’t record-breaking … but only if you compare him with swimmers who still

In 1629 the Batavia sets sail from Amsterdam on her maiden voyage, loaded with passengers and supplies for the Dutch colonies in the East Indies.  When the ship wrecks on an uncharted reef, the survivors face dwindling supplies, a hostile climate, and the increasingly dangerous whims of the man they expected to save them. Greta van der Rol’s Die a Dry Death is based on the true story of the Batavia‘s wreck off the coast of Australia.  The passengers and crew end up stranded on a series of rocky islands, with little food and even less potable water.  When Captain

Those who read Weronika Janczuk’s blog probably already know that the title answers the question “Why do you write?” As it happens, that’s exactly the answer I give most people who ask, partly because I prefer to go for the cheap joke but more so because most people who ask don’t really want a longer answer.  They ask because it’s what you ask a writer (along with the always popular, “have you sold anything,” and “are you published or do you just do it for fun”). To those like Weronika who really want to know, however, I follow that up

Last weekend at the writers’ conference I found myself sitting in a very interesting session, stifling the urge to yawn. Because yawning at someone you enjoy listening to is seriously bad form. Not only does it make the speaker think they’ve bored you to just this side of tears, but if they’re like a majority of us, it will make them yawn too.  (Note: you can create a parallel prompted response by sucking lemons in front of musicians who play wind instruments – when they see you suck a lemon, their mouths dry up and they can’t play.) Unfortunately, I’ve

Last night on Twitter I challenged any and all procrastinating writers to create a one-draft, 1000-word short story featuring a coat hanger.  (Don’t ask how I thought of it.  I’d tell you “it’s a long story” but let’s be honest: 1,000 words is a short story and we all know it.) In keeping with my theory that I should never ask anyone to do anything I wouldn’t do myself (unless it involves dentists, fire-eating or jumping out of a perfectly good airplane) I decided to play along.  My 1,000 word story, for which no suitable title has presented itself, follows

September 13-17 is official “Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week,” and I thought I’d thank a few of the teacher substitutes in my life.  (Yeah, this is how my brain works.  Welcome to the Crazy.) This post is dedicated, with heartfelt thanks, to: – My younger brother, who taught me the value of minions (and the consequences of revolution). – My father, for demonstrating (over and over again) why it’s never good to let logic creep up behind you in an argument.  (Because nothing is worse than that moment when you realize you’re not only wrong, but you can’t even make wrong

As readers know, I spent last weekend at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Association’s annual Colorado Gold Writing Conference.  This evening I joined the association, and I definitely plan to attend the conference again next year. That said, permit me to share a few lessons learned from this year’s RMFW conference: 1.  One door to the host hotel’s business center reads “PULL” and the other reads “PUSH.”  Failure to read carefully will result in your being in temporarily trapped in the business center. 2.  It is embarrassing to be caught in the (glass walled) business center with a “Writer’s Conference”

Over at Historical Boys, C.W. Gortner has a guest post from Elizabeth Chadwick, author of For the King’s Favor – a new novel about Ida de Rosney, mistress to England’s Henry II.  Readers in the U.S. and Canada can also enter to win one of two free copies of the novel by following Gortner’s blog and posting a comment at the end of the guest post.  (Winners selected September 30, 2010). Readers of Historical Fiction should check it out! Also:  I’ll be collecting links to book reviews on various new titles I find interesting and posting them roundup-style on Friday