Some Links and Stuff

One of the rules of blogging is to use captivating, thought-provoking blog titles. As you can see, I’ve really embraced that rule today. 🙂

For those who don’t recognize the little dude in green on the right, that’s Link from the Legend of Zelda game, “Wind Waker,” which I am currently spending a few hours each Sunday afternoon working through. I say “I” when in reality I’m entertaining my SecondBorn as she tries to guide me through the game. I say “entertaining,” though often it’s frustrating (for her). “Left Dad. No Link’s left. Stop. Look around. NO! Look all around. Up too. What do you see? Yes there’s the sun, the clouds, the cliffs, grass… WHAT ELSE? YES! You can throw your grappling hook on that thing! Well done!” She thinks I should make videos of me playing and post them on YouTube. I’m that bad. 🙂

[For the gamers in the audience, I’ve just completed the Forbidden Woods dungeon, and managed to defeat the boss (Kalle Demos) using up only two fairies! OK, I know that’s pretty lame, but I managed to survive. And SecondBorn only had to yell “WHY AREN’T YOU TARGETING HIM??!” a few times…]

Anyway, enough about Zelda. On to the links…

This past Sunday, Irish radio and TV presenter/interviewer Terry Wogan died. I daresay most people outside the UK have never heard of Mr. Wogan, but he was a part of the entertainment furniture back home. His was a ubiquitous presence, but not like snow in Minnesota. More like the fragrance of home. The closest U.S. comparison I can make is to Dick Clark. Terry’s passing is a jarring reminder that nothing lasts forever. We’re losing a generation of entertainers who were so much a part of my growing up, people I never thought of as getting old and sick. And while death is as inevitable as the passing of time, you never get used to it. And we never should.

On a happier note for my writer friends, especially those in the query trenches, PW Daily (which stands for Publishers Weekly Daily–hmm…) recently announced a new agency in town:

David Batterson, previously associate editor at ‘Palm Springs Life’ magazine, is launching DB Literary Agency, a startup in San Diego.

As far as I can tell, DB Literary Agency doesn’t have a website yet, but if you’re looking for an agent, you might want to keep an eye on this. New agencies are anxious to build their client lists, so they are more likely to request.

One of my fellow commenter friends over on Janet Reid’s site, Diane Major, is having some flash fiction fun on her blog, and she’s inviting others to join in. Her article went up yesterday evening, but she has given no end date. Take it as a challenge to help get the creative enzymes sloshing. You have 30 prompts to choose from, so check it out! No, come back. Check it out after you’ve finished reading here. Thanks. 🙂

Lastly, the 2016 April A-to-Z Blogging Challenge is only a few months away. As of this writing, there are 589 participants on the sign-up list, and I am one of them. In fact, I’ve written almost half of my A-to-Z posts already. I thought it would be fun to write them early enough so by the time April comes around, I’ll have forgotten what I wrote, so they’ll be as much a surprise for me as for my readers. Well, maybe not quite as much, but you get my drift. What will I be doing for the challenge? Ahhh! Wait and see. March 21st is “Theme Reveal Day.” No spoilers until then.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Questions? Comments?