MY OWN V OF POV by John M. Floyd It seems so simple, this viewpoint thing. First person, third person — how hard can it be? Well, the truth is, it can be a stumbling block for writers who are unaware of the rules. According to Pat Kubis and Bob Howland in their book The […]

A HUNDRED EASY PIECES by John M. Floyd Well, maybe not easy. But the work involved was the fun kind. What am I talking about? Well, today is an anniversary of sorts, for me. Not in terms of time — it’s been not quite two years — but in terms of the number of weekly […]

HOME ALONE by John M. Floyd Recently my wife spent a week visiting her parents in Oklahoma City, and I was left to my own devices for a while. As always, this prompted a quick trip to Kroger and Blockbuster, where I acquired those items essential to my survival during her absence: a dozen or […]

SMILE WHEN YOU SAY THAT by John M. Floyd NOTE: Not that it matters, but what follows is true. One Saturday years ago, I walked outside to check the mail and saw my then-neighbor, a retired college president named Harbour, raking leaves in his front yard. Normally he looked like the distinguished and educated man […]

FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH by John M. Floyd “Chapter Four . . . ” Plenty has been said at this blog, by me and by others as well, on the subject of writing and writings, and also on the subject of reading. But not much has been said about readings. I’ve been to a lot […]

CONFERENCE CALL by John M. Floyd Here’s the deal: four cold, rainy days in Indianapolis, and you foot the bill for registration, food, travel, hotel, and parking. Sound appealing? It is if you’re a mystery fan. I’m referring to Bouchercon 2009, held last week in Indy, and I enjoyed every minute. I wasn’t able to […]

PATIENTS, PATIENTS by John M. Floyd A few weeks ago I did something I hate to do. And no, it didn’t involve cleaning rain gutters or going to the opera or trying to make sense of contemporary poetry. It involved a trip to the doctor. Nothing serious, just a routine checkup. Since my late father […]