Category - Uncategorized

The Cave, The Quill, and The Whale

Life Without Solitude You picked a hell of a time to abandon yourself You want to accomplish more, eat less, exercise more, be better at relationships or earning money. But you have trouble following through. You search for answers. You read more books, listen to more podcasts, attend more seminars. You can search for any problem on the web and...

Leaving Mendocino Part One

    Before I can explain what it was to leave Mendocino, I suppose I’ll need to describe what it was to live in Mendocino, as ephemeral as such an experience can be. I entered the weird world of Mendocino with an open heart, and it enchanted me for four years. Until it didn’t. You see, Mendocino is more than a just geographical place. I...

big beach 2/the local

big beach 2 Big Beach II/ the local    “Let’s GO!!!” Anais shouted, standing in the hallway. She wanted to go “rafting” on the river with Ares. Adam remained motionless, supine on the couch looking at his I-pad, Dexter snoring next to him. Clearly it was my turn to take them. We were spending a week in Little River. Adam had bought these...

The Flop-house Murders

by Chance Penway When a hillside shed in their San Francisco neighborhood mysteriously burns, Fran and Alford, can’t resist taking a look. What they discover while poking around in the cinders reveals the unexplained death of an unforgettable woman. Their obsession with her fate puts them in the crosshairs of a killer. The Flophouse Murders...

A Solstice Reprieve

Helpful Advice From the Other Middle Ages The solstice is upon you! You have not yet been sucked away into the darkness that fell with the installation of the loathsome troll and his minions. Who could have predicted this reprieve? Only a month since, you were poised to see your republic voted into oblivion–and look at you!–back from the brink...

How to Create a Post

Tarweed is an online platform with the goal of helping writers find a following while they are working on a book, as well as through publication and beyond. We are inviting a small group of writers to participate in Works In Progress, our first round of author introductions. As an experienced author, you are invited to create a Tarweed account...

Character Basics

Memorable characters struggle, they change, they succeed or fail in their own ways. The audience cheers for them, or condemns them, or relates to them. Vivid characters may reflect the reader’s own flaws and experiences, and  might even carry a weak plot to success. However, creating characters can be hard, and fleshing them out is even more...

All the Balls In the World

Once upon a time, Bo and his baby brother Arthur lived with their parents in a cabin high on the snowy snowy mountain. One winter day, Bo and Arthur were playing in their snowsuits on the porch. When they got hungry, Bo went inside to get them some food.   Arthur was alone on the porch for the first time. He felt the sun shining on him through the...