Thoughts on Writing/Publishing
2. ‘My Story’
I wish I had been paying more attention when I had the chance to plumb the depths of my own parents’ memories to learn more of their histories, and mine.
2022-01-29
Travels with Myself
A Journal of Discovery and Transition
Doug Jordan, Author
Thoughts on Writing/Publishing
17. Writing for Excellence
Or how ‘bout this one, don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good. Absolutely. How many of us get mired in design detail seeking perfection (or even excellence) and never make deadlines, or even produce anything at all? But you know, the devil is in the details. And there’s that damn word ‘good’ again. What is good? Is it good enough. Good enough is hardly excellence.
2021-02-14
Thoughts on Writing/Publishing
16. Writing for Flow
My purpose in life is not necessarily to be happy so much as to be worry-free. Regardless, you can put yourself into that state by becoming absorbed whole heartedly in something. Some people can do this through ‘mindful’ meditation. I can’t. I have to do something. So I write.
2021-01-31
Travels with Myself, Part II
14. 2020 Year End Review
I wonder what 2020 would have been like if the world hadn’t panicked in response to a pseudo-calamity, covid. As I wrote my annual plan in my virtual Harvard Planner last January while I was in The Philippines, who would have guessed the events that turned my plan upside down.
2020-12-31
Books by Doug Jordan
9. Research
I’m not sure how other authors do it [research for their books]. Highly successful authors with large revenues, or publisher advances, can hire students and staff to do it for them. But if you’re an independent author (the modern vernacular is ‘Indie’, hmmmm) you do your own. Or if you are mildly schizophrenic, or merely eccentric, you could delegate, to yourself.
2020-10-15
1. My Story Isn’t Over Yet, June 15
Many of my readers, when they had read the last instalments of my blogs that they were in fact the last, were mildly alarmed at the news: I had said I would convert the two blogs to books: The Pilipiñas Packet ended because I had returned to Canada from Philippines, Travels with Myself ended because my journey from the abyss to recovery had largely been complete. But then my caring readers were relieved when I said I would continue the blog, I still have a life to live and stories yet to tell.
2020-06-15
70. The Author’s Life
One goal is output – not the ambitious thousand words a day, more like five hundred. In any event, a thousand words a day is pointless if it’s mostly crap. I think of Hemingway at his typewriter, tearing pages out of his carriage and filling his wastepaper basket, so much more visceral than modern hard drives. I’ve learned to be content with merely a decent paragraph, and just walk away.
2020-04-28
2. The Author's Journey
64. Amitié, A Novel
My author friends said I would never be able to please all the readers all the time, especially family and closer friends. I needed to put their ego issues aside and consider who my ultimate audience was. But that was still not clear to me. What was the real reason for writing this book?
2020-03-21
54. Returning to the Sun
I still have problems to solve and still need to find the courage to solve them. Chief among these are dealing with aging, living a more considered life (James Hollis), practicing virtue and dying (with dignity). Bundled with this is leaving a legacy to my children and grandchildren, memories they can be proud of.
2020-01-30
48. The Writing Bug Returns
As I anticipated my trip to Manila to meet the Filipina Cupid, I fretted about being drawn away from my [renewed interest in writing and completing my ‘novel’]. Such is the mind of the writer when the writing bug is upon him, he doesn’t want to do anything else.
2019-12-21
6. Between Hubris and Humility
Writing the Dynamics of Management, Mastering the Intangibles of Influencing Others, took ten years, or more – five to get started, two to actually produce
2019-06-19
5. Getting Serious, Taking Risks
Writing, in the beginning, was merely an occupational necessity. I was an H.R. Professional. I wrote letters, memoranda, policy papers, employee handbooks. I suppose some
2019-06-01
4. Developing my own Narrative Style 2
What makes for effective writing style? There may be a number of objective criteria for what satisfies the characteristic ‘effective’, but the answer must also
2019-05-27
3. Developing my own Narrative Style
If you have the idea that I was/am an academic pedant, you would be wrong. At least I hope you are wrong. I am a
2019-05-16
2. Master Class
I never took a writing course. There was a basic styles handbook in university, and I’m sure I had marginal feedback from various TAs who
2019-05-10
1. The Journey Begins
How many of you have thought, ‘maybe I should write a book’? If you’re reading this blog, I suspect, most of you. Everyone has a
2019-05-10
Introduction
Travels with Myself (with apologies to John Steinbeck, or should it be Graham Greene?) is the story of my journey of discovery, to find myself
2019-05-08
