Author: Dick

I have to tell you right up front. I’m a story teller. After graduation from the Coast Guard Academy in 1957, my twenty-eight years of active duty have given me a lot of fodder. I finally heeded my daughter’s pleas, “Dad, you have got to write those stories down,” and published my memoirs in 1975. Caught up in the writing experience, I moved on to publish a novel in 2019 and I'm continuing to write. It's my new number 1 hobby.

Book Presentation to Ladies Group

Enjoyed speaking engagement yesterday discussing my novel, It’s My Turn with the Women’s Current Events Club of Bradford.

It felt good to get out and about again. First speaking engagement in some time to say nothing of just getting out of the house. Even took Carol with me–that was good for both of us. Great ladies, inciteful questions, including some on my approach to novel writing. Wonderful feedback on the book. Even sold a few–Yeah!

I’ve slacked off on my writing lately. Still reading a good bit, but getting out and talking about writing has given me a push. Back to the drawing board.

War of the Seasons makes Story of the Day

My short story, War of the Seasons was just selected as Story of the Day on the website Storystar.com. That’s four of my short stories that have been so honored. Three as story of the week: Dolly, Karen, and It’s a Miracle. I’m happy so many readers from around the world have been reading my submissions and many with very nice comments. My six stories have been read by over 2600 readers from the UK to Australia and New Zealand.

Dolly still leads the pack with 974 readers checked in. It’s a Miracle is next with 781.

With the new status as story of the day (I’m not sure how long it will be posted that way) but if you go to the storystar.com in the next day or so, that’s the opening page. From there you can find my “other stories by this author.”

I hope you have found storystar a good site to find short stories, including many of the classics. There are also novels you can call up to read. Easy to filter through genres and topics to find the kind of story your looking for.

It’s a Miracle named story of the week

I’ve had good news and sad news this week. First, my short memoir scheduled to appear in the November/December issue of The Good Old Days magazine, has been bumped. “Unfortunately for space and time considerations” was the official reason. They will hold it for possible publishing later. Since “The Christmas of ‘44” is an obvious seasonal piece, I guess that means next Christmas at the earliest…Sigh.

Meanwhile my five short stories posted on Storystar continue to gather readers and comments, and new this week, “It’s a Miracle” was named story of the week. With 290 readers. It had previously been “story of the day.”

My five short stories on StoryStar have accumulated a total of 2022 readers., with “Dolly” topping the list with 932. That is reason enough for me to celebrate.

New Friend and New Craft idea

We have all been told, many times, that good novels need “Tension, with a capital T.”  I never thought of it as two kinds—Character tension, and Reader tension—until I opened Jane Friedman’s weekly blog on Sunday. I have posted a short article about it on Page six of my “Writing” Menu. I think you’ll find it worth your time. Check it out.

Had a great visit on Saturday from Craig MacCaullaugh, a former US Coast Guard Officer of about my vintage. He had purchased my book, View from the Rigging: Memoirs of a Coast Guard Career, and since he lived only two hours away he wanted to visit so I could sign his copy.  We got together last Saturday and had a great day of swapping sea-stories and much more.

I like that my book has brought me a new friend from the “old Guard.”

It’s Coast Guard Day

Ra helicopter flying in the air: Coast Guard helicopter

U.S. Coast Guard Day honors the United States Coast Guard, the military branch that protects the waters and shorelines of the United States. It is celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of the Revenue Marine, the forerunner of the Coast Guard.

On Aug. 4, 1790, the United States Congress created the Revenue Marine and authorized the construction of 10 revenue cutters to be used to enforce U.S. tariff laws — to stop illegal smuggling and collect revenue on incoming goods.

U.S. Coast Guard Day has been marked in some form since at least 1928. The Coast Guard defines itself as “the principal Federal agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental stewardship in U.S. ports and inland waterways, along more than 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline.