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WRITING AWARDS GIVEN FOR WORDS WRITTEN: VOTE BIDEN

November 1, 2020 by

The third grade writing awards from the fire department set me on my way. The framed paper hangs on my Wall of Fame as a reminder to do better. Do better in third grade? That’s when I learned the power of words. I copied a lymerick from a Johnny Hartford fire prevention magazine and printed […]

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TWO HANDS: WISH IN ONE, TRUMP IN THE OTHER

August 14, 2020 by

The old saying about hope starts with two hands, one for wishes. While this is an opinion blog, my opinions, and not a political blog, I share the unusual and exceptional. Like now:

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TOP POST, A DAILY REMINDER OF PRIORITIES

July 27, 2020 by

A top post on any blog during this turbulent month, and the one before, and probably the one after, ought to be about this. Or this. BoomerPDX top post, top priority, is here to see. Look to the sidebar.

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BASIC WRITER QUESTION: WHY BOTHER

July 13, 2020 by

The best writer question is the one they ask themselves before starting their daily word haul. It’s a question writers never want readers to ask, so they ask themselves: Why bother? Here’s why:

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CONFLICT WRITING: WHEN DOES IT HIT HOME

May 30, 2020 by

Conflict writing happens in every story, every movie, every book. Without conflict, there is no tension, and no reason to turn the page. Weak writing is a list, an inventory of boxes to check, instead of personal involvement. What’s the difference?

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WRESTLING WITH THE DEVIL, A SUN DEVIL, AND WINNING

January 19, 2020 by

Great wrestling stories are journeys, internally and externally. From The Odyssey, to Tom Sawyer, to Saving Private Ryan, a journey works to transport readers into the lives and times of those written about. Tonya Russo Hamilton joins the ranks of those who capture time and place and deliver a story flowing with streams of emotion.

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DECADE ENDS IN SOFT TALK, HARD TRUTHS

December 26, 2019 by

    Me: This decade ends the best of times and worst of times. Them: Did you just make that up, or are you finally going to admit to stealing from Charles Dickens? Me: Writers don’t steal, they borrow. Them: Like the time you borrowed a notebook from Payless in Pony Village?

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WRITE A BOOK, IT’LL BE FUN, UNTIL IT’S NOT

November 5, 2019 by

Fans, followers, and one-timers on boomerpdx have seen my book writing posts. It’s not exactly how-to-write stuff, but it helps show process. One nice piece of advice I’ve heard: You’d better love your book topic, because you’ll eventually hate it. Since my book is a guided tour of what to expect after a cancer diagnosis, […]

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CALIFORNIA JAM FROM 18 TO 62

August 25, 2019 by

    What was the hot ticket in 1974? California Jam. Just ask anyone who says they were there.   It was the West Coast Woodstock without the brown acid, Altamont without the murder. Just a nice gathering after all the dust settled and music took a turn.   My wife found her ticket to […]

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WHY WRITING? WHY WRITE A CANCER BOOK?

March 17, 2019 by

This is gonna be short because I’m writing a cancer book. See what I did there? Didn’t say writing ‘my cancer’ book. Cancer book is more than enough. The whole ‘my cancer’ talk is a bad track. Who really wants to claim it like that. Instead, I’m giving it a good thrashing, plowing the cancer […]

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