A number of my favorite writers and thinkers do monthly link round-ups of the interesting things they read/saw on the web. I love these, so I’ve decided to start my own.

Please Promote Your Work In The Face Of Uninvited Nightmare – Chuck Wendig: Terribleminds

Chuck Wendig’s writing on writing has been an inspiration to me for some time. I used to have his “Penmonkey’s Paen” taped to the wall next to my workspace.

Here, he discusses the importance of promoting your work, even in times when it feels frivolous to do so. A big inspiration for my recent Focus article.

This Is A Tool – Rhoneisms

Patrick Rhone reminds us that a key part of freeing your life from digital distractions is remembering that your phone is a tool. Like all tools, it has times it’s appropriate for use and times when it is not.

Don’t treat it like Homer with a gun.

Writing in the Dark: Dealing with Authors Who are Jerks, Bastards, or Downright Evil in Real Life

The revelation that Neil Gaiman was a shithead and accused abuser hit me harder than any other recent public figure’s fall from grace. He was an immense inspiration to me, both in terms of style and of wanting to be a writing.

Tim Waggoner’s article reminded me I’m not the only one wrestling with these complex feelings and gave me a rubric for dealing with them.

The Dice — 035

A collection of recommendations for how to manage stress and keep focus during the Trump administration. Probably the biggest single impetus to my Focus manifesto, although this article is more focused on the “How” rather than the “Why”.

My Quest to Find the Owner of a Mysterious WWII Japanese Sword

A writer hears his grandfather’s story of finding an officer’s family katana during WWII and sets out to return it during COVID. No lesson, it’s just awesome.

Cartoon Network and Adult Swim Struggle to Survive Zaslav and Streaming – Bloomberg

Like many of my generation, I looked at Cartoon Network as a bastion of creativity and irreverence. Bloomberg chronicles their history and explains why they’re struggling for survival.

Patrick H Willems is right, post-credit sequences have stopped being fun and started feeling like homework.

Super Eyepatch Wolf – the man who taught me how cool and interesting the storytelling of Pro Wrestling can be. If you let your past run your life, it will ruin it.

Holy shit, Ask a Ninja is BACK?!?!?!