curated news for friends & family ™ 
FIRST DOCTOR'S VISIT IN YEARS( 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... read more
ANOTHER WAY: BEYOND THE STATUS QUO( culture / writing / books / novels )
Anti-corp shy;orate crusader Dobie Pokorny wants to save the world from corp shy;orate titans like Colonel Charon shy;ne. The latter and his henchmen are deter shy;mined to stop him. On Dobie’s speak shy;ing truth to powe... read more
INSPIRATION FOR MY NOVELS AND NOVELLAS( 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
A COUPLE OF FREEBIES HERE( culture / writing / books / novels )
My latest attempt at monetization on BuyMeACoffee ... until they cancel me for being politically ... read more
ELEMENTS OF A STORY( 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... read more
THE FADED PAGE( culture / writing / books )
Free eBooks forever. FP now includes 6312 eBooks in its collection. Books in the public domain. fadedpage ... read more
INGREDIENTS OF A NOVEL( 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;Nev... read more
RANDOM BOOK REVIEWS( culture / writing / books / reviews )
From Lionel, January 2013: I just finished reading ... read more
OL' LIGHTNIN' QUOTES (FROM THE LAZY PUG CAFE)( culture / writing / books / novels )
It’s not a tree’s purpose in life to stand around being picturesque. Not this tree, at least. Maybe that weeping willow up front, or my old friends ruthlessly cut down in their prime when this place was ... read more
ALEX PANNAS QUOTES (FROM OPERATION DETOUR)( culture / writing / books / novels )
If I seem flippant, that’s just how I cope. You either laugh or you cry. You apparently start referring to yourself in the second person, too. I’m a trusting person. I just took my doctor ... read more
BENNY REED QUOTES (FROM LOTTERY PRESIDENT)( culture / writing / books / novels )
You really think the President is in charge of anything? He’s a figurehead, a spokesman... he’s the country’s Vanna White. Instead of voting for the person they like best, they vote f... read more
COLONEL CHARONNE QUOTES (FROM ANOTHER WAY: BEYOND THE STATUS QUO)( culture / writing / books / novels )
You’re that Commie, Pokorny! I should shoot you where you stand! Pokorny’s still out there selling that tripe and it needs to stop. Now! I want him gone! You know what I’m saying? q... read more
DOBIE POKORNY QUOTES (FROM ANOTHER WAY: BEYOND THE STATUS QUO)( culture / writing / books / novels )
If you’re not a conspiracy theorist these days, you’re just not paying attention. Sure, some scoff at the mere thought of conspiracy, but ask any detective, lawyer or judge mdash; if you can find an h... read more
RIVA PETKOVIC QUOTES (FROM OPERATION DETOUR)( culture / writing / books / novels )
You might be smart with computers, but in real life you are a complete idiot. Programmer, data entry clerk, whatever. How have you not gone insane already!? Put some clothes on! Nobody... read more
SEMMY QUOTES (FROM ANOTHER WAY: BEYOND THE STATUS QUO)( culture / writing / books / novels )
Don’t be scared when you feel you are about to die. You’re not frightened when you wake up in the morning, are you? Pretty much the same thing. ’Life is but a dream!’ We a... read more
FEEDING HORSES IN THE RAIN( culture / writing / poetry )
Feeding horses in the rain is such a painThe horses trot by and splash mud in my eyeI toss all the flakesmissing puddles and small lakesThe wind picks up fast as blankets go on lastI make m... read more
LEE CHILD QUOTE( culture / writing / advice )
Don ’t get it right, get it written! -- Lee Child
... read more
FREEWRITE, THE DEVICE FOR DISTRACTION-FREE WRITING( culture / writing / tech )
Article about it here, and the manufacturer’s website here. ... read more
MORE ADVICE FOR WRITERS( culture / writing / advice )
People read fiction seeking clarity. One of the worst things a writer can do is to create confusion. I’m referring to the payoff at the end of the book. People also read fiction for something better than reality, or at least... read more
POLITICAL COMPASS TEST( 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 ... read more
THOUGHTS ON WRITING( 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 wr... read more
THE LAZY PUG CAFE( 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 amazon /dp/B085XM6Q... read more
REVIEW MY BOOKS( 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 ... read more
GOOD ARTICLE ABOUT STORYTELLING( culture / writing / advice )
Pop culture today is obsessed with the battle between good and evil. Traditional folktales never were. What changed? ... read more
BEST FICTION OF 2019( culture / writing / books / novels )
NO ANNOYING PROMPTS( 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: ... read more
BEST AND WORST SELF-PUBLISHING SITES( culture / writing / advice )
Good site showing who to trust (or not) when it comes to self-publishing: self-publishing-service-reviews... read more
MOST POPULAR SITE ON THE INTERNET( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
This is the 12,157,539th most popular website in the world, according to silktide ! Wow! We have hit the big time. See image here: ... read more
SUPPORT THIS SITE( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
...should you be so inclined:Buy one of my books at Amazon or SmashW... read more
HISTORY OF FRIENDSNEWS.COM( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
FYI for those researching insignificant corners of the web: Wayback Machine Please support this website, should you be so inclined: buy on... read more
ALL OF MY BOOKS( culture / writing / books / novels )
See Novels/NovellasFe... read more
OPERATION DETOUR( 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 g... read more
TEMPORARY INSANITY( 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 anti... read more
RECENTLY-DISCOVERED BOOK REPOSITORY( 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.
See ... read more
HOW TO MOVE A BOOK STORE( 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! ... read more
BEST THRILLERS OF ALL-TIME( culture / writing / books / novels )
According to the Telegraph, anyway. An interesting list. Several if not most of these... read more
NOVELS/NOVELLAS( 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... read more
CATS DISRESPECTING PUGS( 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. I’m referring to an actual dog, actually between my calves.
Anyway, the cat (Sunny) comes up, thinks about jumping across... read more
NOVELLAS AND NOVELS( culture / writing / books / novels )
Free novellaTemporary Insanity Long before winning the lottery and running for president, Benny was living in ... read more
WRITERS NEED FOLLOWERS?( 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. Especia... read more
LAST TRAIN OUT( 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.... read more
RECENT TWEETS( 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 f... read more
MY NOVELS( culture / writing / books / novels )
Go to Another peek at my books Over the past... read more
REQUIEM FOR A PIGEON( 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... read more
ADVICE FOR WRITING( 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 "c... read more
TWEETS PAGE( 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: ... read more
HOW DOES WRITING AFFECT YOUR BRAIN?( 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 a... read more
STARTED A NEW STORY TODAY( 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 an... read more
CRACKING UP OVER LOTTERY PRESIDENT( 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 PRESIDENT( culture / writing / books / novels )
GUEST POSTING( culture / writing / blog / friendsnews )
I’ve been following and listening to Jeff Goins’s TribeWriters program, and he says an important aspect to successful blogging (at least as far as getting noticed) is to... read more
I AM NOW A PUBLISHED AUTHOR( culture / writing / books / novels )
It's SELF-published, but still ... It's called Lottery President. Hopefully, it's at least slightly entertaining.... read more
BLOG CONTENT( 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 subscr... read more
YOUR NOVEL BLUEPRINT( 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 the ... read more
MY WRITER'S PLATFORM( culture / writing / books )
WilliamArthurHolmes.com is my "writer's platform," with a page showing where you can buy, preview and-or review... read more
FOOLING THEMSELVES( 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 themsel... read more
A COUPLE OF BOOKS/NOVELLAS ON KINDLE( culture / writing / books / novels )
I've published a couple of books-novellas on Kindle recently: "Lottery President" is a political thriller; and ... read more
WRITING PAGE( culture / writing )
Writers on the subject of writing My author’s page ... read more
NEW RULES FOR WRITERS( culture / writing / advice )
Anis Shivani: New Rules For Writers: Ignore Publicity, Shun Crowds, Refuse Recognition And More."These "rules" totally go against... read more
SCREENPLAY SUBMITTED( culture / writing / screenplays )
I submitted a screenplay to Scriptapalooza today. See scriptapalooza . The first deadline is Friday the 5th. The real deadline is April 15. I think first prize is $10,000... read more
MY FAMILY MEMBERS' BOOKS( culture / writing / books )
THAWING OUT( 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 the snow. It m... read more
POETRY BY FRIENDSNEWS MEMBERS PAGE( culture / writing / poetry )
A Prince in Disguise A Saga of Seven Hats ... read more
HATS, A POEM( culture / writing / poetry )
by Jeannie Womack Joseph wore many hats in his life,the first one was of son,next an officer, a Dutch Marine,... read more
PEOPLE YOU'LL BE MISSING AND WHY( culture / writing / poetry )
by Jeannie WomackThe time has come for you to move on,but I’m sure you’ll be missing us while you are go... read more
A PRINCE IN DISGUISE( culture / writing / poetry )
by Jeannie Womack We met on the race track in ’72I couldn’t resist his eyes, so blueWe soon fell i... read more
THE RUN( culture / writing / poetry )
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 come... read more
A SAGA OF SEVEN( 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 ... read more
BOOKS PAGE( culture / writing / books )
Vernon Coleman books... read more
THE LEGEND OF CONAN( culture / writing / poems )
(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 hea... read more
A GIRL NAMED LUCY( culture / writing / poetry )
from 1990 This is a story 'bout a girl named LucyOtherwise known as "The Rappin' Watusi"She lays down a beat that gets your toes tappin'If your toes get tired, let your fingers do the snappin'She ... read more
A DAY AT THE RACES( culture / writing / stories / horseracing )
from 1994The first Saturday in May. What does this date mean to you? Probably nothing, except that Spring has finally arrived, unless you live in California where it’s been Spring already for two months or more - real... read more