“When the student is ready, the teacher will come.” The cliche is old, but true. Anna Jackson was ready for a teacher, but not for the oysterman. But then teachers aren’t always what they appear to be.
“Be kind to strangers for unawares, you may be entertaining an angel.”
John Oysterman was a man of the sea, a wise man, a nut job and 100% enigma. He was part Yoda, part Donald Shimoda, and part Mr. Miyagi. If you know the genre well, then you recognize it merely brings the hero’s …

I’ve been working out at the gym for almost four months now. I’m curling 15 pound dumbbells for 15 repetitions, 3 sets, three times a week. I can maintain a fat-burning heart rate of 145 on the elliptical for one hour. I can peddle 12 miles on a stationary bike in 60 minutes. I can push 120 pounds on the leg sled.
When I started however I couldn’t last 5 minutes at any pace on any piece of cardio machinery. I could only push an empty sled and only …

This is what? Day three or four of the Emerson Self-Reliance project. I committed to do something creative for 30 days - blog, write - SOMETHING! And I’m doing it. I’ve been working out and eating better/right since January 2011. I got serious about it sometime in February or March and it’s now June. I committed with my wallet - paying a trainer, working overtime and doing whatever I need to do to get into the gym to work out and eat right. I planted a garden. I started walking …

When I first began writing for pay I submitted 17 articles before I received my first rejection letter. I counted them because the Writer’s Market how-to book I considered my bible, spent a great deal of time talking about rejection letters.
I assumed I had to get at least 100 before I sold an article. So when everything I sent out sold, I was confused. After all, the Writer’s Market spent SOOOO much time reassuring writers and talking about the inevitable, soul-crushing rejection letters that I was getting nervous, wondering what …