Every writer, I suppose, suffers writer’s block at some point of his career, but I have been suffering it for at least two years, probably longer. I learned writer’s block can take several forms, involve several symptoms, and become a personal habit. Sometimes writer’s block is realizing, thirty-thousand words into a novel, that it’s not… Continue reading Focus Writing: My New Writing Routine
Author: Keith
The Sun Also Rises by Ernst Hemingway
Jake Barnes likes to watch! Or perhaps he doesn't like it as much he finds it is his role in life. Whether watching world affairs as a newsman, enjoying a good bullfight, or witnessing the drama played out by his friends as they contend for the affections of the wayward Lady Ashley—Jake finds himself on… Continue reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernst Hemingway
A Death in the Family by James Agee
What to do when a writer dies before completing his novel? No doubt this is a question that editors and publishers must face more often than they wish. Since writers tend to write their entire lives, until their deaths, most leave uncompleted manuscripts. Do you publish what’s there? Hire a ghost writer to finish it?… Continue reading A Death in the Family by James Agee
The Betsy by Harold Robbins
Imagine a world where women say only what men want to hear, where they work to fulfill a man’s every whim, and where they reach their, um…sexual satisfaction with the ease of turning on a light switch–this is the world Harold Robbins created in The Betsy. If the female-marketed Harlequin romances have a counterpart in… Continue reading The Betsy by Harold Robbins
The Watch by Rick Bass
An aging recluse hires an unsuccessful bike racer to help him track down his missing father. An amateur hocky player redefines the rules of the game. A man grows a giant bass in his swimming pool with the hopes of winning a million dollars. These are some of the situations and characters you’ll encounter in… Continue reading The Watch by Rick Bass
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
A woman dies. After her death, her family—her husband, four sons, and one daughter—must transport her body forty miles to Jefferson to bury her. In this day of high-speed automobiles and paved highways, this tragic but mundane duty sounds easy and quick. It could be done in an hour. But As I Lay Dying is… Continue reading As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Destiny and Desire by Carlos Fuentes
The fault, I confess, lies with me. I couldn’t get into Carlos Fuentes’ Destiny and Desire. Though I read the book from the first page to the last, it was a struggle. I’m not sure why. I have no doubt that it is a great book, and I know others have enjoyed reading it, but… Continue reading Destiny and Desire by Carlos Fuentes
Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby
I wanted to hate this movie! In fact, I expected to hate it. When I heard they intended to give the Hollywood treatment to The Great Gatsby, I cringed. Chills chased down my back. I went into paranoid denial: No! No! Please say it ain’t so! My doubts increased when I heard that Leonardo DiCaprio… Continue reading Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby
Jay Gatsby and the Green Light
Everyone is reading The Great Gatsby now! Kobo had announced that sales of this novel has increased by 250% worldwide. Amazon has been selling its Kindle edition for $4.99, and at that price, it has been their best seller for over a hundred days. Though Barnes and Noble has not met that price for their… Continue reading Jay Gatsby and the Green Light
Walter Salles’ On the Road
When I learned that Jack Kerouac’s On the Road had finally been adopted into a movie, I felt excited to see it. I had read the novel when I was young man, and I loved the sense of freedom depicted in its pages. A few years later, I tried to write my own movie adaptation,… Continue reading Walter Salles’ On the Road