Below is everything (newest at top) with "culture OR writing" in its title or subcategories. For a strict listing (matching all categories and subcats), click hereTHE KOSA INTERNET CENSORSHIP BILL JUST PASSED THE SENATE IT S OUR LAST CHANCE TO STOP ITfrom 2024 in ( culture / writing )
The KOSA Internet Censorship Bill Just Passed The Senate--It's Our Last Chance To Stop It ... read more
A DISCUSSION ON FICTION WRITINGfrom 2024 in ( education / research / writing )
On Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at 10:59:08 PM PDT:I found this video interesting as they discussed fiction. Some of you are writers. bitchute.com/video/zWGBT4fNkrEd/Watch on Bitchute ... read more
WRITING MANTRASfrom 2024 in ( culture / writing / advice )
No, not how to write a mantra. I mean here are a couple of mantras to keep in mind: 1) Most stories are about having something, losing it, and finding it again; 2) Just explain (clearly and concisely) WHAT HAPPENED, and keep it RELATABLE and INTERESTING.... read more
OUR 25TH YEARfrom 2024 in ( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
Can you believe we've been whois.com/whois/friendnews.comonline since 1999 !?!? Even more unbelievable, we STILL have almost no audience! Truly amazing. Shouting into the void for a quarter century. Quite impressive, no? Anyone reading this can honestly say they're special! Please leave a co... read more
DIARY: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2023from 2023 in ( culture / writing / blog / chores )
Today started, as usual, with feeding /images/cleo-looking-out-window.webpCleo, our Boston terrier , and leaving the back door open. It was cool out but not too cold, and I prop the door open, weather permitting, so she can let herself out. With the back door and storm door being mostly glass, installing a pet door would be diffi... read more
BRAKES ARE IMPORTANTfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / blog )
I emailed this to my siblings, and the following conversation ensued... On Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 03:22:31 PM PST: Stumbled across this great old photo of our dog Stein attacking a strange man in the back yard of the Edison house Sent: Tuesday, November 7, 2023 3:33 PM yes, my att... read more
THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF MOVING TO NASHVILLEfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / blog / nashville )
/images/cities-nashville-reese-witherspoon.webp Tomorrow, August 26, will be my 30th anniversary of having moved from Los Angeles to Nashville. Re... read more
DADfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
He came in like a lionAnd went out like a lambA loving gentle good-byeAs I held his soft warm handHis children Greg, Lucy, Steve, Don, Doug, Bill, and IWere his pride and joyLoved by all who knew himEvery man, women, girl, and boyHe would sit and watch his horsesAs they trotted u... read more
THE GREAT POWDER PUFF DERBY RACEfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
The morning was cold and brightEverything was feeling rightI hooked up the horse to the cartOnto the track, we do dart Jeppy Ho is the gelding I will raceHe has such a jazzy fast paceWe all are excited todayTo me this is just like play My family is cheering me onThe horses are all pacing alongI pull to the... read more
DEAR BROTHERfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / poetry / obituaries )
by harmonyhaven.wordpress.com/author/jeanniewomack/Jeannie Number 4 of 7 The middle child was he In his final months of life We rushed to him to see He helped me with my music Keyboard and guitar The thought of him not being here Is really quite bizarre He always wa... read more
A BROTHER DEPARTSfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / poetry / obituaries )
Always a trailblazer, the first of us to go. Now after the fireworks, he's gone. Here is his neptunesociety.com/obituaries/brentwood-tn/donald-holmes-11357695obituary ... read more
STILL MORE ADVICE FOR WRITERSfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / advice )
I came across this video last night and thought, Yes! Thank you! This guy (and Lee Child) share my disagreement with the saying, Show, Don't Tell. As Child puts it, You tell a story. You don't show a story. That saying might apply to visual story-telling such as film and TV, not so much the written word.Anyw... read more
THE LAZY PUG CAFEfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
The Lazy Pug CafeThe Lazy Pug Café was a dilapidated old farmhouse abandoned years ago. A massive, ancient oak tree, Ol' Lightnin', lurked out back while the house itself served as a sad but charming reminder of d... read more
VISITED A FAMILY MEMBER TODAYfrom 2023 in ( culture / writing / blog / health )
I visited a struggling family member today. He still has trouble walking. Has to hold onto things as he goes. Trouble seeing, too. You never know what he can see or not see in front of him. At least he was much less scary/out-of-it today. His ex-wife later told me the doctors had changed his meds, which helped tremendously. For those who don&... read more
FIRST DOCTOR'S VISIT IN YEARSfrom 2022 in ( culture / writing / blog / health )
Yesterday, I had my first doctor's appointment in several years. Hey, I've been healthy. Shocking, I know.There was a sign on the outside door saying masks required, and a sign on the interior door saying the same thing. The receptionist was wearing a mask. I introduced myself. She asked if I needed a mask. I said sure, she gave me on... read more
ANOTHER WAY: BEYOND THE STATUS QUOfrom 2022 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Anti-corporate crusader Dobie Pokorny wants to save the world from corporate titans like Colonel Charonne. The latter and his henchmen are determined to stop him. On Dobie's "speaking truth to power" tour, he meets and falls in love with Kaylie while enduring att... read more
INSPIRATION FOR MY NOVELS AND NOVELLASfrom 2022 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
I just put this together and thought I'd share it on this blog in addition to my writing platform. ... read more
IN THE MONEY?from 2022 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Wonderful On Mon, Feb 21, 2022 at 12:19 PMwrote: I'm waiting for them to buy the movie rights from me? On Monday, February 21, 2022, 11:32:45 AM PST Great! Sent: Monday, February 21, 2022 12:29 PM Wow, somebody is buying ... read more
ELEMENTS OF A STORYfrom 2021 in ( culture / writing / advice )
They say...What are the main ELEMENTS OF A STORY? Setting; Character; Plot; Conflict; Theme; Point-of-view; Tone; Style;... but I would put them in order of importance: Character, Conflict, Plot, Point-of-view, Theme, Style, Tone, SettingRead,... read more
THE FADED PAGEfrom 2021 in ( culture / writing / books )
Books in the public domain. Free eBooks forever. FP now includes 6312 eBooks in its collection. : fadedpage.com/fadedpage.com ... read more
INGREDIENTS OF A NOVELfrom 2021 in ( culture / writing / advice )
VARIOUS WRITERS' RULES Write a draft. Then let it rest. -- Stephen King;Read a lot. -- King;Never use a long word when a short one will do. -- George Orwell;Never use the passive voice when you can use the active voice. -- Orwell;Know and understand your audience... read more
RANDOM BOOK REVIEWSfrom 2021 in ( culture / writing / books / reviews )
From Lionel, January 2013: I just finished reading amazon.com/gp/product/1984817884/refasliqfasiniltl?ieUTF8&taghepyacom-20&creative9325&linkCodeas2&creativeASIN1984817884&linkId4fc8f8cb658bee5dbd1097f488629d75 titleaffiliate linkThe Walking Drum by Louis L'Amour, a histo... read more
LEE CHILD QUOTEfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / advice )
Don't get it right, get it written! -- jackreacher.com/Lee Child /pages/new-rules-for-writers/New Rules for Writers -- /pages/your-novel-blueprint/Your Novel Blueprint -- /pages/advice-for-writing/Advice for Writing --... read more
FREEWRITE, THE DEVICE FOR DISTRACTION-FREE WRITINGfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / tech )
Article wired.com/2016/02/freewrite/about it here , and the manufacturer's getfreewrite.com/website here . /images/freewrite-machine.webp And one of their founders has a... read more
MY MOST RECENT EBOOKSfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Two of my ebooks are available free of charge all month (July) at Smashwords. The links are at the bottom of that page. I've already "sold" five copies since yesterday as opposed to five copies over the past year... read more
MORE ADVICE FOR WRITERSfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / advice )
People read fiction seeking clarity -- in the payoff at the end of the book -- so, one of the worst things a writer can do is to create confusion. People also read fiction for a taste of something better than their own reality. So, keep it clear and concise and, most importantly, interesting... without getting too implausible. It doesn't ... read more
POLITICAL COMPASS TESTfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / politics )
Welcome! It's timely to stress that The Political Compass has been on the internet since 2001. The uniqueness of our take on politics is reflected in the gratifyingly enthusiastic reviews we've enjoyed in the national media of many countries from our earliest years -- as well as from many teachers and academics who continue ... read more
THOUGHTS ON WRITINGfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / advice )
Louis L'Amour once said he could write while sitting in the middle of the freeway. That didn't impress me at the time, but now it does.Not one, but two dogs threw up behind me as I wrote. Was that a commentary on my writing? Wouldn't be the first time.As I told these guys in the job interview, If you're wondering where ... read more
THE LAZY PUG CAFE, A NOVELfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
My latest short story, based on our real life pugs Daisy, Chandler and Joey, the latter of whom is the only one still alive and barking. See www.amazon.com/dp/B085XM6QW8The Lazy Pug Cafe was a dilapidated old two-story farmhou... read more
REVIEW MY BOOKSfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / books / reviews )
If you've read any of my novels, please give them a review on Amazon (click the book's image, below or on the right, then click the Write a Customer Review button on its Amazon page, to the left), on books.apple.com/us/author/william-arthur-holmes/id1030403584Apple Books , ... read more
GOOD ARTICLE ABOUT STORYTELLINGfrom 2020 in ( culture / writing / advice )
Pop culture today is obsessed with the battle between good and evil. Traditional folktales never were. What changed?: getpocket.com/explore/item/the-good-guy-bad-guy-myththe-good-guy-bad-gu... read more
BEST FICTION OF 2019from 2020 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
"The Testaments by Margaret Atwood... win... read more
NO ANNOYING PROMPTSfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
Aren't you glad we don't have any of those annoying pop-up ads asking you to join our newsletter? Ironic, isn't it, given that we are an online newsletter?Please support this website, should you be so inclined: buy one of williamarthurholmes.com/my novels/novellas ; buy ... read more
BEST AND WORST SELF-PUBLISHING SITESfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / advice )
Good site showing who to trust (or not) when it comes to self-publishing: selfpublishingadvice.org/self-publishing-service-reviews/Self-Publishing Services Rated by the Alliance of Independent Authors /pages/new-rules-for-writers/New Rules for Writers -- /pages/your-novel-bluep... read more
MOST POPULAR SITE ON THE INTERNETfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
This is the 12,157,539th most popular website in the world, according to nibbler.silktide.com/silktide.com ! Wow! We have hit the big time. See image here: /images/friendsnews-nibbler-report.webp... read more
SUPPORT THIS SITEfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
...should you be so inclined:Buy one of amazon.com/William-holmes/e/B00AOR8Y7U/my books at Amazon or smashwords.com/profile/view/holmes3804... read more
HOW TO SUPPORT THIS WEBSITEfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
Please support this website, should you be so inclined: buy one of williamarthurholmes.com/my novels/novellas ; buy me a (virtual) cup of coffee ko-fi.com/holmeswahere or buymeacoffee.com/holmeswahere ; ... read more
HISTORY OF FRIENDSNEWS.COMfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
FYI for those researching insignificant corners of the web: web.archive.org/web/20060902062742/friendsnews.com/Wayback Machine Please support this website, should you be so inclined: buy one of williamarthurholmes.com/my novels/novellas ; b... read more
ALL OF MY BOOKSfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Read, listen or watch the rest here: Novels/NovellasFeatured book deals on Smashwords... read more
OPERATION DETOURfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Riva, a beautiful young "black ops" agent on her first assignment, tries to turn Alex into her own "asset" just to prove she can. When he loses both his job and his girlfriend, she thinks he's putty in her hands. When he decides to go out with a bang, she's afraid she's overplayed her... read more
TEMPORARY INSANITYfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Long before winning the lottery and running for president, Benny was living in L.A. working as a temporary word processor (typist). For his latest assignment, he thought he was taking just another temp job. He didn't anticipate Venelia and the Dynamos. The what?... read more
RECENTLY-DISCOVERED BOOK REPOSITORYfrom 2019 in ( culture / writing / books )
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world. hathitrust.org/Hathi Trust Digital ... read more
HOW TO MOVE A BOOK STOREfrom 2018 in ( culture / writing / books )
A rent increase forced the owners of October Books to move locations in Southampton. They used a crowd funding campaign and loans to buy a former bank location about 500 feet down the street for $400,000.Cool! upi.com/Odd-News/2018/10/30/Human-chain-helps-British-book-store-move-down-the-street/37815409350... read more
BEST THRILLERS OF ALL-TIMEfrom 2018 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
According to the Telegraph, anyway. An interesting list. Several if not most of these were that author's first published novel. I've actuall... read more
NOVELS/NOVELLASfrom 2018 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Did I mention I've written a few novels/novellas?Another Way: Beyond the Status Quo"A politically-incorrect manifesto. Anti-corporate crusader Dobie Pokorny wants to save the world. His old boss, Colonel Charonne, wants to stop him. ... read more
CATS DISRESPECTING PUGSfrom 2017 in ( culture / writing / pets )
So, I'm lying on the bed with the pug Joey between my legs. No, that's not a figure of speech. /images/sunny-large.webp I'm referring to an actual dog between my calves. Anyway, the cat (Sunny) comes up, thinks about jumping across my legs to the other sid... read more
NOVELLAS AND NOVELSfrom 2017 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Free novellaTemporary Insanity"Long before winning the lottery and running for president, Benny was living in L.A. working as a temporary word processor (glorified typi... read more
WRITERS NEED FOLLOWERS?from 2016 in ( culture / writing / advice )
Publishers and writing gurus preach that writers need followers. The problem is that emotionally-stable people don't want followers. They want friends, compatriots, people who listen, not followers. Especially zombie followers. They're the worst! :)But seriously, I don't trust anyone who actively seeks follower... read more
LAST TRAIN OUTfrom 2016 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Clay and his adopted daughter, Jenna, look forward to their upcoming "homeland tour" to Russia. His intentions are pure. Hers, not so much. When she goes missing, his worst fears are realized. She is not the innocent little girl he thought she was. Not even close. ... read more
RECENT TWEETSfrom 2015 in ( culture / writing / tweets )
Note: I am no longer on Twitter or Facebook. I remember when I didn't know what a tweet was, other than the sound a bird makes. It wasn't so long ago, either. Below is just a random list of tweets. Pathetic, I know, but I felt the need to put something new on the site. Anyway.Saturday, July 20, 2013: ... read more
MY NOVELSfrom 2015 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Read, listen or watch the rest here: WilliamArthurHolmes.comGo to Another peek at my books... read more
REQUIEM FOR A PIGEONfrom 2014 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
by BillWe witnessed a pigeon's demiseRight here on the dock o' the BayThere was nothing we could doNothing we could sayIt just wasn't the pigeon's dayWe tried mouth-to-beakAnd the Heimlich techniqueBut the pigeon had croakedDid you know pigeons float?Well, this one sure did today!... read more
ADVICE FOR WRITINGfrom 2014 in ( culture / writing / advice )
A writer's narrative perspective (their voice, or, how they come across to their reader) must be: This is me talking to you. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not: This is me 100 years ago speaking in a classical voice. It's not: Speaking as if from professor to student or from adult to child. It's n... read more
TWEETS PAGEfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / tweets )
Note: I am no longer on Twitter or Facebook, but here's what I've managed to salvage from back then.My Twitter feed: classtwitter-timeline hreftwitter.com/TheBillHolmes data-widget-id286155560313823233 by @TheBillHolmes Some of my better tweets, according to me ...Never work ... read more
HOW DOES WRITING AFFECT YOUR BRAIN?from 2013 in ( culture / writing / health )
Interesting ... to me, anyway. Most of us write a little something everyday. It might be a grocery list, a poem, or a write-up on the infographic of the day. As we go through this daily ritual, however, we are probably not aware of the effects writing has on our brains.Read, listen or watch the re... read more
STARTED A NEW STORY TODAYfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
I started writing a new story today. Can't say much about it except that it's pretty much sci-fi, though it might wander into religion and politics. So, yeah, it should offend just about everyone. Then I took a break and started cleaning. Did a load of dishes. Vacuumed and cleaned the ... read more
CRACKING UP OVER LOTTERY PRESIDENTfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
Here's one of my brothers reading my book, Lottery President. He seems to be enjoying it. I swear I didn't pay him to do this. ... read more
LOTTERY PRESIDENTfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
For most people, winning $300 million in the lottery would ... read more
GUEST POSTINGfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
I've been following and listening to Jeff Goins's goinswriter.comTribeWriters program, and he says an important aspect to successful blogging (at least as far as getting noticed) is to guest post on other people's blogs. Jeff is a great resource, by the way. So, if you want to post somethin... read more
I AM NOW A PUBLISHED AUTHORfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
It's SELF-published, but still ... It's called "Lottery President."Hopefully, it's at least slightly entertaining. Tell a friend!... read more
BLOG CONTENTfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / blog / internet )
I'm as guilty as anyone about trying to add content to my blog just for the sake of content (because search engines look for and rate highly based on how fresh your blog's content is). But someone whose blog/newsletter I subscribe to has stooped to simply stating the obvious, maybe phrasing it differently, just to have an interesting... read more
YOUR NOVEL BLUEPRINTfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / advice / novels )
Good article for writers. "Writing a novel and building a house are pretty similar when you think about it. For instance, most builders or homeowners spend a lot of time dreaming...Read, listen or... read more
MY WRITER'S PLATFORMfrom 2013 in ( culture / writing / books )
williamarthurholmes.comWilliamArthurHolmes.com is my writer's platform, with a page showing williamarthurholmes.comwhere you can buy, preview and/or review all of my books. Or, just look below... ... read more
FOOLING THEMSELVESfrom 2012 in ( culture / writing / blog / politics )
The elites are adept at fooling themselves and too many others into thinking that they know best. The superiority they bestow upon themselves is a convenient justification for keeping us commoners in the dark, and themselves in power.... read more
A COUPLE OF BOOKS/NOVELLAS ON KINDLEfrom 2012 in ( culture / writing / books / novels )
I've published a couple of books/novellas on Kindle recently: "Lottery President" is a political thriller; and "Ope... read more
WRITING PAGEfrom 2012 in ( culture / writing )
goodreads.com/quotes/tag/writingWriters on the subject of writing williamarthurholmes.comMy author's page titleBooks href/writing/books/Books titleJokes href/pages/culture/humor/jokes/Jokes titlePoetry href/writing/po... read more
NEW RULES FOR WRITERSfrom 2011 in ( culture / writing / advice )
huffpost.com/entry/new-rules-for-writersb808558Anis Shivani: New Rules For Writers: Ignore Publicity, Shun Crowds, Refuse Recognition And More These rules totally go against every prescription for writing success you'll hear as a young new writer from all quarters: ... read more
SCREENPLAY SUBMITTEDfrom 2010 in ( culture / writing / screenplays )
I submitted a screenplay to Scriptapalooza today. See scriptapalooza.comscriptapalooza.com . The first deadline is Friday the 5th. The real deadline is April 15. I think first prize is $10,000, but the main thing is that real Hollywood industry people read all the scripts, so even if I don't win the cont... read more
THAWING OUTfrom 2010 in ( culture / writing / blog / weather )
Hopefully. It snowed a good 5-6 inches Friday in and around Nashville. It wasn't good snowman/snowball snow, though. Not in our neighborhood, anyway. It was too crusty because of the freezing rain that came after. It made for great sledding, though, which Elizabeth and I spent several hours doing over the past few days. The pugs hate the ... read more
POETRY BY FRIENDSNEWS MEMBERS PAGEfrom 2008 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
titleA Prince in Disguise href/pages/a-prince-in-disguise/A Prince in Disguise titleA Saga of Seven href/pages/a-saga-of-seven/A Saga of Seven titleHats href/pages/hats/Hats titlePeople you'll be missing and why href/pages/people-youll-be-missing-and-whyPeople you'll be missing an... read more
HATSfrom 2008 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
by harmonyhaven.wordpress.com/author/jeanniewomack/Jeannie Joseph wore many hats in his life,the first one was of son,next an officer, a Dutch Marine,that to him was fun;In Maastricht, in '49,he married his childhood love,now he was Tina's devoted spouse,and together the... read more
PEOPLE YOU'LL BE MISSING AND WHYfrom 2008 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
by harmonyhaven.wordpress.com/author/jeanniewomack/Jeannie The time has come for you to move on,but I'm sure you'll be missing us while you are gone;No more conversation with boss Catherine to really make you think,You'll miss your adventures with supervisor Stella who is always ... read more
A PRINCE IN DISGUISEfrom 2008 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
by harmonyhaven.wordpress.com/author/jeanniewomack/Jeannie We met on the race track in '72I couldn't resist his eyes, so blueWe soon fell in love and started a lifeIn '76 he made me his wifeA teacher, leader, rebel and yesA son, brother, father, the bestBoss ma... read more
THE RUNfrom 2008 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
by harmonyhaven.wordpress.com/author/jeanniewomack/Jeannie Running in the rain isn't the pain a non-runner might think it would be I put on my jacket that has a hood, lace up my shoes, and stretching is good I open the door, expecting more as the rain comes sprinkling dow... read more
A SAGA OF SEVENfrom 2008 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
This is a story in the style called rapthat'll surely encourage an afternoon napof a family of seven, their kids and their wivesand something regarding their travels and lives. Now first there was Greg, a Brooklyn-born lad;and then it was Lucy that Mom and Dad had.She was born at Sing Sing (no, not in the jai... read more
BOOKS PAGEfrom 2008 in ( culture / writing / books )
amazon.com/dp/B085XM6QW8/... read more
THE LEGEND OF CONANfrom 2005 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
(Irish Traditional)Once there was a kittenConan was his nameHe grew to nearly 20 poundsBut a kitten he remainedHe grew to be ferociousFeared throughout the landHush, my child and you shall hearThe legend of ConanA harder working kittenThe world has never seenHe'd guard the yard from front to backA... read more
A GIRL NAMED LUCYfrom 1998 in ( culture / writing / poetry )
from 1990This is a story 'bout a girl named LucyOtherwise known as The Rappin' WatusiShe lays down a beat that gets your toes tappin'If your toes get tired, let your fingers do the snappin'She says Hey buddy, don't you be no squareIf you can't find a partner, use a wooden chairOkay, s... read more
A DAY AT THE RACESfrom 1998 in ( culture / writing / stories / horseracing )
from 1994 The first Saturday in May. What does this date mean to you? Probably nothing, except that Spring has arrived, unless you live in California where it's been Spring for two months at least -- real Spring, not calendar Spring. Ask any horse racing buff, though, and they'll tell you the first Satu... read more