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		<title>Thomas McAuley</title>
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog.cfm</link>
		<description>Thomas McAuley is a San Antonio fiction writer who has written two novellas, short stories and flash fiction. He writes a blog for writers that deals with the craft of writing, the writing life and trying to fit in a life away from writing.</description>
		<language>en-us</language>
		<copyright>Copyright 2010 Thomas McAuley, All rights reserved.</copyright>
		<lastBuildDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:10:58 CST</lastBuildDate>

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		<title><![CDATA[ Blocking Out My Head-on-a-Stump Story ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/26151</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ My novel has another new title: The Tree of Rise and Ruin
Nice, eh? I love it. I met with my writing/critique partner, Beckie Ugolini, over the weekend. I had submitted The Tree of Ruination and Rise to her and she suggested Ruination and Rise were not parallel. Drop the &quot;ation.&quot; Better.
In that same meeting, I had voiced concerns about how the whole of the novel should be handled. There are three parts that take place in three different times from the PsOV of three different men. I expressed my worry that I didn't have enough reading experience to choose between one of three directions I saw the story being told.
Beckie laid down some basic rules and shared her own experience blocking out one of her stories. She swears the system works.
The jury is still out as to whether it will work. I've been so busy and tired lately I haven't been able to complete even this seemingly easy blocking step, but it shows a lot of promise. Already, I can see one huge benefit, though. I hav... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ The Actual Writing ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:06:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ 100th Blog Post: The First Writing and Blog State of the Union ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25658</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ This is the 100th Thomas McAuley's Writing Blog Posting!!!
(And, being such, it deserves a special font treatment.)
Since this is the 100th blog posting, I thought it would be a good time to look back at the writing blog as well as the current state of my writing in general, since that has been the central focus of the blog since January of 2008.
Two Years of the Blog
First off, I've enjoyed creating -- for the most part -- thoughtful postings about the craft of writing from my perspective, my take on the writing life and hints and techniques and items of interest in relation to writing. Throughout, I've tried to add in a few items that show the non-writing side of myself as no writer is (or should be, at least) 100% a writer 100% of the time.
If I compare those earliest posts to the more recent ones, I find a certain innocence to them. Most notably, my comfort level has grown. In the beginning, it's obvious I wasn't sure what sorts of things to start talking about since nothing I... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ About Thomas ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:20:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Barkley's English Premier League Football ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25607</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I'm now blogging into my third year and I find it odd I've never once mentioned my crack-whore-esque addiction to English Premier League Footbal -- that's soccer to most of us here in the States, of course.&nbsp;Almost from the first year it could be viewed here, I was on board like a rat.&nbsp;
Some complain that soccer is a slow game. Trust me I've seen slow soccer and it IS a wrist-slashing venture; however, anyone who would say that the sport is slow across the board&nbsp;hasn't a clue at what level the English game is played.
A high school game in America can be slow. College, the same. Men's National Team is a step better. The MLS -- United States' Major League Soccer -- is another. The interest continues to improve with the Women's National Team, believe it or not.
Beyond these, the game -- that's now called Futbol or Football, depending upon where you're talking about -- gets truly interesting with the various second-teir international professional leagues, like Australia, A... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ About Thomas ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:24:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Title Trouble: A Head On a Stump Update ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25580</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ My novel-in-the-works has undergone plot, character and title changes so many times I would be hard pressed to piece together a remotely accurate history. Now, too late, do I understand the use of a writing diary.
I can't say I truly embrace the necessity of it as others have written but see how it could track the odd process of a novel's creation. In one way, it's similar to the behind-the-scenes video so much a necessity in creating a film. What I don't fully get is the way a writing diary &nbsp;is supposed to keep a writer on track or to get difficulties with a work out in the open. I tried it for the better part of a year and, for all the good it did for me now and then, it proved more just another thing to do in my already over-busy schedule.
I stopped keeping up with it when I realized everything I was supposed to be gaining from a writing diary I was getting from this blog. Blogging is public, so I'm confident I'm less candid in my journaling than if I knew no one would ever s... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ The Actual Writing ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 01:14:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Post Contest Wrap-up ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25532</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ The first stage of the NYC Midnight 2010 Short Story Challenge came to an end at 11:59 pm edt on Saturday.&nbsp;I turned in my story well early and am more than half pleased with it. I decided to go humorously blue with it. My wife urged me not to, but I figured what better way to test where the edges are than to push, right?
The story dealt with a lead character who went by a shortened version of his last name Cochran and who boasted a &quot;inordinately large&quot; male presence. The action ensues when he is out at a bar and the first of the English impressment gangs enter to forcibly recruit (press) drunks and the homeless into service in the Royal Navy. Press gangs were a real and unwelcome entity from 1665 to the day Napoleon was defeated in the early 19th century. The gangs most commonly consisted of sailors themselves, so that's the route I went in telling the story.
Cochran has built up a reputation for bedding nearly all the women in town. In so doing, he has become a skille... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Writing Competition ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Jan 2010 15:14:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ In the Midst of a Contest ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25334</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I thought it might be a good idea to blog in the middle of a contest, especially given the first stage is a full week. That is unusual. Most of the time contests are single story events and most of the time in that type of event writers are given either weeks to develop their story or 24 hours. Having no more and no less than a week is a strange luxury for me. I'm not sure how to proceed without a ticking bomb in my ear.
This is another NYC Midnight event (the 2010&nbsp;Short Story Challenge)&nbsp;so the way it works is similar to other contests of theirs I've entered. Entrants are divided into smaller, more manageable groups. Each group is given a genre and a &quot;thing&quot; to revolve the plot around. My group was given Comedy as the genre and A Gang as its thing.&nbsp;There are about 660 of us starting out in 30 groups so there's no lack of competition.
With each contest, my confidence grows and my nervousness diminishes. After last year's 4-stage contest, a two-stager with a so... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Writing Competition ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:45:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Wednesday = Submission Night ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25195</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Toward the end of 2009, I resolved to make Wednesdays my submission days. I had done little submission throughout the year and that needed to change if I wanted to move forward. Wednesday, January 6th was my first opportunity of the new year to put my plan in motion.
As a first step I decided to reevaluate my submission process to-date and straighten out what was not working. Here were the previous shortcomings.&nbsp;
The problem:&nbsp;Discipline
Submission is no fun. It is akin to preparing resumes, a job in itself. Each employer (publication or agent) asks for different formatting (guidelines). They have specific contact people (submission emails). And each is looking for the just the right employee to fit their needs (story). Its a lot of thankless work. One may not find out the result of his work for months. In some cases he may never find out. Wouldn't one rather write?
The solution: Just do it.
Simply put, submission is a necessary evil. It's an unavoidable task if one wants... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Keep Writing! ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:31:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Ringing in the New Writing Year ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/25057</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I've already covered my Wednesday commitment to submit. Doing so feels good. Doing so also leaves me wondering what else I can do to make 2010 a better writing year. The first question is what improvements need to be made in my writing career.

    Write faster. 
    Run through the first draft. Make changes to subsequent drafts more efficiently.
    Improve my writing-related organization. 
    Set aside a time for writing. Presently, I write a good bit but the time is scattered throughout the day.
    Submit more. 
    I basically don't submit so the bar is low. My goal is to improve on the amount of submission I was supposed to be doing. I suppose, in large part, that goes back to #2: organization.
    Read more quality fiction that will improve my own work. 
    To be clear, I'm not talking about reading something and ripping it off substantively or stylistically. I'm talking about allowing the influence of well-crafted words to change my writing for the better.
    Read ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Keep Writing! ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 16:34:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Write for Yourself ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/24984</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I have had a particularly difficult time writing since starting my detailed outline of my current novel in the works. This current difficulty is surprising in that the story itself is pretty much laid out for me. All that is left is the writing. I've pondered this for days, wondering what is the slow-down.
I&nbsp;considered if I've run out of passion for writing. While not wanting to write can sound like &quot;not wanting to write,&quot; I knew in my soul writing is here to stay, that it is something deep within my genes. There's no getting rid of it.

I considered my ADD or my crippling lack of organizational skill was too severe to overcome, that I would be doomed never to complete a long or in any way complicated work. I looked at my detailed outline and knew that couldn't be the case. It was/is not perfect, but it's perfect enough to allow me to write without a significant risk of cornering myself with a plot hole.
I considered I may lack the maturity to sit my butt down and do... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Keep Writing! ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2009 01:49:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/24984</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Local Coffee, the Finest in San Antonio ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/24862</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ A stand-out occurrence of 2009 was discovering Local Coffee, a terrific coffee shop in the Stone Oak area of San Antonio. It is a simply-designed, quiet space that, in the first 6 weeks of its opening, became THE go-to spot for writing, conducting business and just relaxing.&nbsp;
The secret is unrivaled coffee. The quality of the beans and the impeccable knowledge and care with which they are prepared results in a cup of coffee like none I've tasted before. I've spoken to the owner, Robbie Grubbs, on a number of occasions about various aspects of the coffee's preparation and there seems to be no end to the amount of small details that go into the path from plantation to enjoyment.
To illustrate, a number of employees did not make the cut the first couple weeks. I asked Robbie how this was possible: it's just coffee, right? The ones who did not make it did not understand Robbie's vision and standard of excellence. Eventually, he brought in a couple of folks with a huge amount of expe... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ About Thomas ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:51:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ New Year's Writing Resolutions: 2010 ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/24842</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ With the new year only days away, it is time for us to consider resolutions.&nbsp;Though my sense of humor is well intact, I'm not one of those who finds breaking one's resolutions humorous.
For around a decade, I've given myself a limit of three resolutions as a way of better insuring I can keep my word.&nbsp;I begin one thing, end one and&nbsp;improve&nbsp;one. This system has not let me down. It is efficient and manageable.
This year I thought I'd go one step further, considering I have not been a perfect writer in 2009. This year, in addition to the &quot;real&quot; resolutions, I'll also include some sub-resolutions that are specific to writing.
What to begin
One day -- Wednesdays, I think -- will be submission days. I probably submitted 12 times in 2009. No excuses, that was not enough. The winner of this year's San Antonio Writers Guild Judy&nbsp;Award, Sanford Allen, had over 60 rejections in 2009. Rejections. Not total submissions. Only rejections. And, needless to say, he... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ About Thomas ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:35:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Learning This In-Depth Outlining Thing ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/24807</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ As I have mentioned before, I am writing my long-time-bubbling-in-the-background novel by using an in-depth plot outline before beginning the real writing. The process has been surprising in a few ways. Below, I describe a what a detailed outline is for me and how it can benefit one's writing as well as ways in which it is not a perfect tool.&nbsp;
So what is a detailed outline? 
When I began outlining, I wasn't sure to what degree of detail I needed to go but after working on it a while I hit on a decent analogy. Write in the same way you would describe the story to someone if you were sitting on a couch with them. Don't leave out any important details but instead of telling the story, you're interested in telling them&nbsp;about&nbsp;the story with an aim to keep their interest. This way, you've got a good gauge of how long to linger at different points in the story and when you need to step up the pace. &nbsp;
Detailed outlining&nbsp;is -- or maybe can be -- a slow process. 
Whe... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Keep Writing! ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:54:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ She's Alive!!! ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/24527</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ My mentee -- and let me say once again how much I truly hate the word -- finally got on her page and spoke to the world, so I'd like everyone to stop by and give her a quick read or her efforts will have been in vain and, well, you'll all be to blame, won't you now.
Click here to visit Rebecca's sparse page &raquo;
What do you get when you squeeze a pod?
Peas out.... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ About Thomas ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:19:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ A Rant on My Loathing Submission ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/24395</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ The San Antonio Writers Guild, as I've mentioned before, has &quot;The Judy Award&quot; for the member who has received the most rejections in a calendar year, the logic being, &quot;If you don't submit, you can't get published.&quot; Simple logic. I believe it, too. But when it comes to making a choice between submitting/researching markets, or writing, I have so far been able to work up the discipline to submit.
The act of submitting my work can't be as bad as I've made it out to be.&nbsp;And I've made it out to be a horrible, grueling task.

    Only once I've worked up the courage -- the conceited nerve -- to think I have a piece that is ready for submission -- not an easy point to reach since I am a compulsive editor -- can I even begin the process of submission.
    Then I have to decide what genre it falls into. This step is stressful since. I've already sacrificed a writing session, so misstepping during the submission process compounds that feeling of waste. I used to be i... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ Promoting Writing ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:52:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<comments>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_display.cfm/blog_id/24395</comments>
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		<title><![CDATA[ First Parts of My Novei-in-the-Works Critiqued ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/24249</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ Over the last couple weeks, my small critique group has taken a look at the first chapters of my novel-in-the-works that has gone by various titles: The Letter from William Waiklin, Felled, William Waiklin, The Beating Heart Tree. What stands out about their reviews is that a] I suffered from having taken time away from solid, careful writing every day and b] that the parts that I needed to work did, in fact, work.
The first chapter is told from the perspective of a biind, aging Ojibwe man who has all but completely been Westernized since living his early years in &quot;the old ways.&quot; He and William Waiklin have a tense conversation under false pretenses. Eventually the important truth about why William is there is revealed. This sets up the frame into which other stories, which constitute the bulk of the story, are told.
I mistakenly called this chapter a prologue, but as I should have known, a prologue is never 20 pages long. There is a place for a prologue, but I'll need to r... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ The Actual Writing ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:51:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ The Fallout From a Long Writing Semi-Hiatus ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23934</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ After an interminable number of days unable to dedicate substantial time to writing each day due to free web work for my beloved cousin, Daphne, and free graphical work designing my son's cycling team's full kit, I found the transition back to my regular writing pace a mixed bag.
On the positive side, the energy to write released like a flood. I'm typically neither a speedy nor particularly focused writer. But driven by so many unrealized ideas that had gathered at the door, the words came fast and furious, like releasing puppies from a basket.&nbsp;
On the negative side, who wants to read the disorder a basket of puppies can produce. The result was similar to that well-known Cheech and Chong moment when they have to follow around the dog who ate their stash. There was a great volume of words and little in the way of quality to sift out.
I guess that is arguably a good thing. Still, I noticed a general dulling of my writing, a lack of stamina and ability to focus singly on the desir... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ The Actual Writing ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:08:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ It's Official: I'm e-Published ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23805</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I am proud to announce, thanks to a kind heads-up from my friend and fellow author Sanford Allen, that my first published work is up at Tales from the Moonlit Path. Tales is a terrific online magazine specializing in odd, frightening tales, so I'm doubly honored to have my work included in their November/Halloween issue.
Tales introduces my story wonderfully:
Thomas McAuley's, &quot;Spirit into Speck&quot; is a delightful Halloween-ish tale about a senile witch who ultimately gets her comeuppance.
This publishing game is one of patience to be sure. Four months ago, I received confirmation that Tales From the Moonlit Path wanted to publish my short story. That's a painful long time to wait, but I hear from my fellow writers that is not at all out of the ordinary.
Please take a moment out of your day and enjoy my little witchy tale &raquo;
And an early Happy Hallloween to everyone!!!
&nbsp;... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ The Actual Writing ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:44:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23790</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ I'm not normally a sci-fi buff but a copy of Phillip K. Dick's Blade Runner (Do Andriods Dream of Electric Sheep) had been calling out to me for years, so I finally opened it up. To be honest, I can't recall why I had the book in the first place. I loved the movie; it's one of my favorites of all time, but it wasn't the sci-fi or steam punk that hooked me. It was the desolation and quiet that I loved.
Being a bit of a mystic, I respected and listened to the fact that this book just fell in front of me recently.
It was an amazing read, possibly because it fits a particular tone I need for my current work. There is a sadness and drone-like quality to the lead character, a bounty hunter. He must also face the possibility of there being nothing greater than himself in the Universe, an abysmal prospect for most. All of this was handled well though surprisingly not with perfection which, in an odd way, comforted me, possibly because it heartens me I can achieve the stillness and emptiness ... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ About Thomas ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:53:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ William Waiklin Is Back ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23757</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ However long ago, nearly two years I'd guess without looking, I put aside my story titled &quot;Felled&quot; at one point and &quot;The Letter From William Waklin&quot; later on. At the time I had reservations about a few things related to the story. As I worked through my original story arc, I continued to read about and learn what made for successful and unsuccessful stories: pacing, characterization, consistency in POV, etc. Very early on, I found I was not ready for this story. I had much more to learn, more stories to write, more hours in front of the keyboard.
In the last two(ish) years, I wrote a number of short stories, a very nearly complete adult novella and a complete youth novella. Also in that time, I entered at least ten flash fiction contests. From the time I abandoned what I often call my &quot;head-on-a-stump&quot; story to now, I have evolved into a much more proficient writer (if, admittedly, not more prolific).
So I have taken the time since Chris Roberson's prese... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ The Actual Writing ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:54:00 EST</pubDate>
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		<title><![CDATA[ Happy Birthday to the Bestest Wifiest Wife the World Has Ever Known ]]></title> 
		<link>http://www.thomasmcauley.com/blog_direct_link.cfm/blog_id/23630</link>
		<description><![CDATA[ My wife, Nadine is turning...well, turning tomorrow. It's her birthday! And she's pretty awesome. We've been married for more than 20 years now and I'd say she's half responsible for that rare feat in these decadent modern times.
As with any couple, we've had our rough and smooth times, but she's always been there. She's largely made me who I am today, a moral, somewhat centered person whereas, before, I was strongly not so. She continues to be a source of centering and pragmatic support when I tend to drift into my world of dreams. She's always non-judgmental when I am anything but toward her. And, as shallow as it probably is, she's never stopped caring about her appearance, has never embarrassed me in public or been anything but impressive to me and everyone she meets. A trophy wife of the perfect sort for my personal needs. Thank you and woo-hoo!
So, Happy Birthday Nadine. You smell like a bean! You are my sunshine.... ]]></description>
		<category><![CDATA[ About Thomas ]]></category>
		<author>thomas@thomasmcauley.com (Thomas McAuley)</author>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST</pubDate>
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