A Bridge Too Far

Posted on 30 July 2010 by Erik Hare | 7 Comments

It’s been three years since the I-35W bridge fell down. The new bridge has been up for nearly two years, and everyone seems to have forgotten there was a problem. It was fixed, after all, and the new bridge has an amazing array of technological safeguards built into it to prevent the collapse.

All is well, yes? I don’t think so. The fact that we are in the middle of a governor’s election and this is not a major issue – indeed, it seems like ancient history – I take as adequate proof that we are doomed.

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Mythnology

Posted on 28 July 2010 by Erik Hare | 8 Comments

Truth, like fire, takes many forms. There is a harsh truth that burns everything it touches and a softer truth that has the mysterious spark of life at the core of it. And then there is the basic truth of the universe that is as irrefutable as the waves of cosmic radiation that constantly washes over us, unfelt and unseen.

Many kinds of truth are best explored through fiction. That’s what is at the heart of my new project, Mythnology. I’d like to take some time to explain this new novel, the interaction I hope will guide it, and an a way that writers can connect directly to their readers. If you like what you see, please subscribe – and tell your friends!

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Cat Pride

Posted on 26 July 2010 by Erik Hare | 6 Comments

Munchie wasn’t a bad cat, but he had a reputation. His name probably came from his habit of jumping up on counters and tables, eating anything that was left out. Bread, crackers, you name it – all for Munchie. When his second or third family were moving, Munchie was handed off yet again. He found himself in his fourth home in about as many years, suddenly living with cats who didn’t know him at all. They weren’t exactly thrilled. Neither was Munchie, who had a tendency to be crazy all night long, running and yowling.

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Character Development

Posted on 23 July 2010 by Erik Hare | 7 Comments

Stories that stay with us are often built around strong characters. Consider for a moment any story that you have enjoyed, either in book form or on film or from an exchange among friends – what is it that you remember the most? Odds are it will be the Harry Potter or Gatsby or someone’s strange uncle as much as the meanderings of the plot itself. They are the star of the show, the person we either relate to or want to be like or at least would like to know. Set them up, and the situation of the plot often moves forward through the force of their will.

Less obvious is fact that this also guides the non-fiction world. Entertainers carefully craft their public persona, as do politicians and even nooze commentators. Understanding how to do this can make a blog much more compelling.

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Role Playing

Posted on 21 July 2010 by Erik Hare | 10 Comments

Long ago, there was Ward Cleaver. He wasn’t much of a Dad – in fact, he wasn’t even real. But the father in “Leave it to Beaver” was a strong figure all the same because he was, without a doubt, clearly in command of the world around him. The 1950s was an age of men – a time when Rosie put down her riveter and settled in to raise the kids and do the wash and, if necessary, get a prescription for Valium from her doctor.

The black and white images might still flicker on the teevee sets of our minds once in a while, but they stopped being relevant a long time ago.

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