DISMAL BIRD COUNT

This is the weekend for bird counting. I’ve been keeping track of the birds on about eight acres. Where have all the birds gone? I found 3 pairs of eastern bluebirds, a few robins, Carolina wrens and a pair of falcons. It’s heart breaking. Usually there are so many birds that I have a problem counting.

ON WRITING SHORT STORIES

Short stories are built around emotions.  It's a singular dilemma, one that will be solved through the interior of the story. Start close to the end. Limit your cast of characters. Above all, read!
Here's a list of some of my favorite short story writers:
Reynolds Price
Ernest Hemingway
Doris Lessing
William Faulkner
Eudora Welty
Chekhov

QUOTES ON WRITING

I always take everything I read on the internet with a grain of salt, however this quote sounds like something that's true.

Annie Dillard, "At best, the sensation of writing is that of an unmerited grace. It is handed to you, but only if you look for it. You search, you break your back, your heart, your brain and then--and only then--is it handed to you."