Over the weekend, I got the chance to be in the same room as Eoin Colfer, Jonathan Stroud, Rick Riordan, and Ridley Pearson—four critically acclaimed young adult authors. I’ve had the fortune of reading at least one book by each of these authors, and after the panel, I hope to expand that to many more. … More Mega-Awesome Author Adventures
I didn’t know it until recently, but I have a thing for…I don’t know the name for it, but the music that plays during Irish Step Dancing. I’m sure if you heard it, you’d know exactly what I’m talking about. The kind of exciting, peppy, energetic stuff that feels almost like it’s competing against the … More Heartbeat of Home
Yeeaaah, I had a little too much fun. :-) Having never gone to an anime convention before, I didn’t really know what to expect. From what I read online, I figured there would be plenty of people in costumes, fun panels, lots of laughs, and cool things available for sale. What I didn’t expect was … More So I Went to Anime Boston…
Back when I thought I knew everything (see Arrogance blog), getting criticism from others was a dreadful experience. Heat would rise up in my chest, I would get defensive, I would use my best fast-talking techniques to get myself out of it. Normally, it would work, possibly because I could make a good case but … More On Criticism
I have a long-ass commute. Two hours, one way. Every day. Yeah. Honestly, it’s not as bad as it sounds. For one thing, I take the train, which may not save me much time but lets me far more productive than if I was driving. I can read and write on the train—in fact, the … More Scheduling my life
The title of this blog sounds like a simple, almost silly question. And yet, I pose it today with some measure of serious thought, because if my experiences on Thursday morning are any indication, the simple act of holding open a door can be a lot more complicated than it seems. Plus, I created diagrams … More How do you hold open a door?
I’m an introverted person. That means, on an extremely simple level, that I need some alone time. At the end of a long day of work, I find myself wanting nothing more than to hide in my basement, turn on the PlayStation 3, and lose myself in the worlds of video games. I use this … More Alone time
Let me tell you a story. It begins with a young boy who, upon moving to a new school, wanted to reinvent who he was in order to better fit in with the “cool kids.” This boy changed schools when he was in eighth grade, and while the idea of having to make all new … More Learning how not to care what others think
I think we all remember the first time we realized the true power of words. It’s when you find a passage that just smacks you right in the heartstrings. You realize that you are not reading mere symbols on a page, but something truly magical. Suddenly, you are all-too-aware of the power these symbols have … More Understanding the power of words
Derek Pietras 