Literary agents play an essential role in the world of publishing, providing a bridge between authors and publishing houses. I have all the respect in the world for the talented literary agents who turn writers’ dreams into tangible realities. But, while they have proven to be indispensable for many, some authors choose to forgo an…

My mind tends to wander more than most. At least, that’s why I’ve been told. Sometimes, this is a good thing, as I then discover trains of thought that haven’t left the station yet. Other times, I just derail. Also, what’s up with all these train metaphors? Anyway, where am I going with this? It’s…

Standing out is one of the most difficult things to do. It usually entails having some talent or ability that makes you extraordinary somehow. It seems that I possess rare talents which serve no true conventional purpose.  As much as I try to adapt, my talents are too precise to simply be wasted on the…

There are many times in our lives when we are faced with questions we must answer but can’t possibly decide on the correct solution. When every apparent solution seems either impossible, impractical, or doomed to fail, you search for alternatives that aren’t at all obvious. For a short time, I felt like I was finally…

In our culture, we now value anti-heroes more than super-heroes. Honestly, I think perhaps that our culture might be correct in idolizing imperfect people who perform heroic acts for less than heroic reasons, much like real life. Every time I have sat down to write a story about heroes, it never comes out well. On…

When I first became serious about writing online, both in personal blogging and in freelance web writing, I read a lot about thought leadership. But, what baffled me was, despite everyone talking about becoming a thought leader, no one really talked about how one actually becomes a thought leader in your certain area of expertise.…

I’ve learned the hard way that dwelling on other people’s opinions is like voluntarily wearing a straitjacket made of barbed wire. It doesn’t help anyone, really, least of all you. For much of my life, I was trapped in the mental torture chamber of wondering what this or that ignoramus thinks about me. Spoiler alert:…

As inconvenient as it can be, it makes a great difference to sometimes retreat from the ways of the world to find greater clarity. Only when you turn off the noise and tune in to the rhythms of nature around you can you realize who you are meant to be all along. Prudence is a…

In December of 2021, I penned and posted a piece titled “The Crossroads at Panic Street and Heartbreak Avenue.” I have no idea how I came up with that title. It was later published as a part of my short essay collection, Cloud Pieces. The state of the world has only gotten worse since then.…

My mind is a racetrack with too many open loops. Much of the time it hosts a free-for-all of racing thoughts, zooming past one another at breakneck speeds, leaving behind trails of dust, confusion, and expletives. Every corner is littered with distractions, detours, and unfinished business, waiting to be completed. The gray matter in my…