My theory of writing

I’ve had a theory for a while that there are strong characters, strong plot, and strong writing, and you can get by on having any two out of those three. Having all three is ideal, of course, but I’ve enjoyed books that only had two.

An alternate timeline

I’m glad the human-wolf partnership worked out so well.
Can you imagine how much different life would be today if humans had taken a liking to the snake that slithered up closer to the campfire?

Your cheerful thought of the day

We entered Standard Time at the earliest possible date (November 1) and leave it at the latest possible date (next March 14).

Making this the longest possible Standard Time span possible.

There’s nothing more precious than time

Remember this, if you can. There is nothing more precious than time. You probably feel you have a measureless supply of it, but you have not. Wasted hours destroy your life just as surely at the beginning as at the end, only in the end it becomes more obvious.

— Herman Wouk, The Cain Mutiny

Laying claim to the future

A promise is a way of laying claim to an uncertain future. It is a way of projecting oneself into the coming months, protecting a commitment that may be impossible to keep. It is also a means of guarding or binding one’s identity—the I in I promise.

— John Kaag and Skye C. Cleary, Advice on New Year’s Resolutions from Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, theparisreview.org

Advice on New Year’s Resolutions from Kierkegaard and Nietzsche