BooksofJobe.com

Coastal Transmissions From an Oregon Transplant

Writing

  • My New Work in Progress

    I guess that title is a little misleading. I mean, like a lot of writers, I have a lot of balls in the air. Seeing one project all the way through to the end before starting another seems almost quaint. For anyone keeping score at home, I currently have: One novel I’m continuing to sub—I’ve… Read more

  • Hi, I’m a self-indulgent hypocrite

    There might be a little bit of hyperbole in that title, but not much. I’ve been busier so far this year with creative/artsy stuff than I have been in my whole life up until now, and I have to say it’s been pretty cool. So get comfortable while I talk about myself and clumsily humblebrag… Read more

  • What is this? Is this a cusp?

    I’m not a huge sports guy, but when I think about my 2015, the most fitting term I can think of to describe it is a sports metaphor: It was a rebuilding year. I know vague Facebook and blog posts are annoying, but I’m also somewhat guarded about my private life—I’ll go into a little… Read more

  • Demon House

    A change in my schedule has landed me temporarily on the night shift and allowed me a relatively large amount of free time during the hours when most people are dead to the world. I’m trying to use that time to get back on the proverbial horse in regard to my writing (of which I’ve… Read more

  • Wonderbook: Worth its Weight in Gold

    We all had the “cool” teacher in school—do you remember yours? Mine was Coach Mahr (I think that’s how he spelled it). He taught anatomy and physiology, and was also the track/cross country coach at our high school. He was younger than a lot of the other teachers (probably mid-thirties), and could often be seen… Read more

  • Get to the point already!

    Taking a break from rewrites today for two reasons: 1) the synapses just aren’t all firing—chalk it up to exhaustion following a busy work week (I’m writing this on my Saturday, which is Sunday for you M-F’ers, even though you’ll be reading it on your Monday, which is my Sunday, got it?), and 2) I… Read more

  • “It’s about 250 pages.”

    As I look ahead to having an actual completed novel—which isn’t a case of counting my chickens before they’re hatched, I don’t think, but rather anticipating what’s to come—there are a few things I have to do that are deceptively difficult. For the most part, they all revolve around one basic question: “What’s your book… Read more

  • The State of the Jobe Address

    Way back in the day, when I was a young, spry booksofjobe.com and my wife and I first started sending out Christmas cards, I used to try and write little personal messages in them. Nothing major, just a couple of paragraphs on how my wife and I were, and some questions about the recipients—how they… Read more

  • Sleep, who needs it?

    Subway is a nefarious band of lowly olive hoarders. This really doesn’t have anything to do with anything, but I have to get it off my chest. With all the meats and cheeses they have that you would think cost them so much more, how has the simple black olive come to be the most… Read more

  • Don’t call it a comeback! No, seriously—don’t.

    Ah, December. The temperature plummets, people stop complaining about Christmas decorations being out too early and start complaining about Christmas music being played too often. It’s a special time, and it feels like the time is right to return to my friends here in the blogosphere (Blogtopia? Blogopolis?). Yeah baby, I’m back! So, what can… Read more