Detail is an important part of writing, and it’s something that a lot of bad writers manage to screw up. It seems like most beginners either use far too much, or far too little. For example:

Bad Writer 1: He beat his wife to death.
Bad Writer 2: Phineas slowly smashed his wife’s head in 14 times with a 17-inch wrench with dirt in the grooves, rust on the handles, and half a price tag still hanging from the handles.

Better Writer: Last week, George killed his wife with a set of Callaway golf clubs. She had given them to him for Christmas the year before, but they never felt quite right out on the course.

See what I mean? Look for it the next time you’re watching an independent film or reading a new novel. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

When I was little, I can remember looking forward to the best birthday parties for weeks. People would send out birthday invitations, buy party favors, and rent out the local skating rink for a proper party. Today, it seems like birthday parties are no different from any other night out, except for the fact that the guest of honor doesn’t pay for anything.

It seems like a lot of “adult” things are that way, and it’s really unfortunate. It seems like just one more symptom of a much greater problem that contributes to the watering down of our culture and lives. What do you think?

When I was a kid back in junior high, my parents always assured me that there would come a time that I wouldn’t get picked on so much. The acne would clear up, I’d grow into my nose, and the things I liked wouldn’t seem so unusual. Although I’ll admit that I don’t get picked on as much, the rest of their prophecies are still woefully untrue.

Which is why I found myself at the store once again, picking up all the usual items - shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, and yes, pimple cream. That’s $10 a month that I could be spending on something a lot more enjoyable. Can you tell I’m a little bit bitter?

As a somewhat reclusive writer-type, I enjoy the fact that my Wii Fit lets me exercise quietly, in the privacy of my own home. Instead of dealing with sweat-coated strength equipment and the cat calls of creatine-filled muscle men, I can exercise at my own pace with no one around but my pets.

My only complaint is that the difficulty on some of the activities isn’t what I had hoped for. I may have to invest in the Wii Dance Dance Revolution to get a faster, more intense workout. Have you tried it?

I’m hoping to spend next January in Buenos Aires, which should be a lot of fun. January in Argentina is their summer, so it will be a nice break from the cold U.S. weather. I located an apartment, made sure my passport is up to date, and starting buying new swimming attire, but I still need to find some travel companions. No one I know is able to get that kind of time away, so I may just make the trip on my own.

My only real concern would be the safety issue, but I’ll probably spend a little more to make sure I’m in the safesty neighborhood possible. Either that, or I’ll go out of my way to find someone to go with me. What would you do?

After spending the weekend away, I’m getting really excited for all the Halloween trips I’ve planned this year. I always go all out for Halloween, and I have a massive costume closet to pull from. Last year, I was a slutty penguin. The year before, I was a slutty gorilla. I also have a parrot costume, but I can’t really see myself being a slutty parrot. You have to draw the line somewhere.

This year, I’m not sure what I’ll be doing. I definitely want to stand out in the sea of nurse costumes and slutty cops, though. Any suggestions?

It’s always exhausting to come back from a weekend away. I had hoped to spend some time in the hot tub and catch up on a little reading, but it was such a busy weekend that I didn’t get the chance. I ended up meeting some old friends and talking about what everyone’s doing these days. It turns out, my old roommate is a social worker, and she showed up with some guys who are Chicago personal injury lawyers. My first-year roommate was there, too, and she’s a management consultant now.

In all, it was a great weekend, but I can tell my friends and I are so different these days. They’ve all gone pretty corporate.

I’ll be out of town traveling next week. My old college roommate is about to have her first child, and I have to find her a gift and head out west to put in my best wishes for the happy occasion. I’ve been checking out their registry, but it seems like everything on the list is crazy expensive - a Stokke Tripp Trapp, strollers, fancy Lilly Pulitzer baby outfits - I may just have to get a gift card instead. I’d buy diapers, but she’s going all cloth and organic, so I’m afraid anything I’d buy wouldn’t be good enough.

Have you ever had a friend like that? It drives me nuts…

Plenty of writers have died in cool ways - interesting suicides, gory accidents, and tragic illnesses abound. After happening upon a book of endings, I started thinking about dumb ways for successful authors to die. Among my thoughts:

-Phentermine overdose
-Drowned in bathtub with rubber ducky
-Inhalation of flea powder (necessitated by owning too many cats)
-Choked on pudding

Any others that you can think of? I’m sure a list could go on forever…

I do love a good sale. Even better, I make my own super sales by matching up coupons with sale prices to get the best prices possible. It’s just one way I make the most of my income, despite the fact that the government likes to take an enormous chunk because I’m self-employed. That part sucks.

Anyone else out there self-employed? What do you do to combat the tax burden? Any savings tips are much appreciated, along with any tax benefits you’re taking advantage of.