If you know for certain where you’ll finish, what’s the point of the race? january-river.net/2025/09/09/f...
Writer, artist, potato chip aficionado short stories | poetry | photography music | art | creative-type stuff
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If you know for certain where you’ll finish, what’s the point of the race? january-river.net/2025/09/09/f...
Is the song stuck in your head now, too? Also: this month always makes me feel like my world is getting upended. january-river.net/2025/09/02/c...
It’s not that I’ve never done physical labor, it’s that I’ve never done it every single day. january-river.net/2025/08/26/l...
Hey, it’s writing about writing, including a list of three simple tricks! What is this, 2005??? january-river.net/2025/08/19/c...
Beautiful landscapes are hidden where you least expect them. january-river.net/2025/08/12/c...
We talking about #hashbrowns over here too, or…?
I’m still writing stuff every Tuesday, but if I want to have time to work on longer and more complex things, I need to change things up. january-river.net/2025/08/05/c...
There are differing opinions on the ethics of “catch and release” fishing, which may be influenced by personal experiences. january-river.net/2025/07/29/c...
Route 1 on the North Shore of Massachusetts is a legendary stretch of highway. Check it out before it’s gone! january-river.net/2025/07/22/l...
Take your meds. january-river.net/2025/07/15/a...
I did not learn this in kindergarten. january-river.net/2025/07/08/i...
All things deposited must be returned. january-river.net/2025/07/01/w...
Tomorrow…all things deposited must be returned.
I suspect a lot of creators started for the same reason: to balance out all the consumption. january-river.net/2025/06/24/c...
Go back to a time when the edge of the road was a riverbank, and the gutter a swiftly flowing stream. january-river.net/2025/06/17/r...
Numbers don’t lie, but they can approximate. january-river.net/2025/06/10/m...
If an armory were truly infinite, would its destructive potential be infinite as well? january-river.net/2025/06/03/s...
Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. january-river.net/2025/05/27/c...
Everything is made of other things. Complex shapes reduce, becoming simple. The rustic beauty of a wrought-iron lamp is composed of shapes and lines and light. Complexity is removed. Form remains. A lamp is a consensus. It is what we agree it is. january-river.net/2025/05/20/l...
I love to sleep because I love to dream! But if dreams are ripples in the reflections of reality, then the deepest dreams require the deepest experiences. january-river.net/2025/05/13/l...
It stands to reason that if most things are just combinations of other things, then the ability to mash stuff together is the key to success. This may be an oversimplification. january-river.net/2025/05/06/p...
I once believed in an objective reality. I’ve since come to think it’s mostly about your point of view. That said, subjectivity has its limits. The precise location and velocity of an anvil’s electrons becomes moot when they’re falling towards your head. january-river.net/2025/04/29/r...
Poetry of the absurd is subtle: one must tread carefully, carefully on the dotted line between sense and nonsense. It is not meaningless; it is meaning from the unexpected. It is an unassuming hallway with a trap door. It is misdirection. Or maybe just silly. january-river.net/2025/04/22/f...
As far as introductory sentences go, I think this one is pretty solid. Where’s the chupacabra’s head? Why that topiary? All these questions will be answered, and more! january-river.net/2025/04/15/o...
Love this and I know you’re tired of hearing this but I’m very sorry. Well I mean actually technically you haven’t heard it from ME personally. And I voted for the lady. BUT. I am SO sorry.
There’s a great Canadian app called “Buy Beaver” (I know, eh?! 🦫) which has recently been updated to allow users to select countries to support and/or countries to boycott, by scanning bar codes as you shop. It’s free, and easy to use.
This is exhausting. Here’s a funny story to compensate: january-river.net/2025/04/08/a...
I’ve never written romance before, but I’ve half-watched plenty of rom-coms while hiding behind the screen of my gaming laptop. I think I’ve got a basic understanding of the category. january-river.net/2025/04/08/a...
Watching the raindrops propagate sine waves up and down the slick black street. Watching the policies chatter jagged saw teeth up and down Wall Street.
There’s a game where you put marbles down on a grid, and you move sliding levers to open holes beneath the spaces on the board. But there’s no perfectly safe combination. There will always be pitfalls. Closing one means opening others. That’s authenticity. january-river.net/2025/04/01/c...
Yeah I always worry before I get blood drawn that they’ll be like “well your kidneys are good but the lipid panel says you’re 7% Dorito and you’re also legally drunk right now so”
I describe myself as a “high-functioning introvert”. I’m fully capable of being “on”, but when I’m done, I’m done. There’s a certain place that caters to exactly these types of brief, commitment-free social interactions… january-river.net/2025/03/25/r...
My local writers’ collective is doing an April Accelerator! Anybody else gonna write a novel next month??
We’re worried about a lot of things today (hunger; the collapse of society; being eaten by bears). Why not add future concerns to the list (hunger due to the collapse of society; being eaten by a rogue geneticist’s “hyper-bear”)? january-river.net/2025/03/18/n...
This experiment in flash fiction is a little dark—in a fairy tale way. Revenge fantasies can be fun! january-river.net/2025/03/11/s...
Tomorrow…
You can buy books online from your favorite authors WITHOUT Amazon! Here’s my local bookstore! What’s yours? bookshop.org/shop/whitela...
How often do you create new content? When I started writing again a few years ago, I set out to publish once a week. That’s 52 original poems or serial story parts or photo galleries or whatever per year. Feels like a lot. Is it enough?
Wise words, snow buddy. Wise words.
Interesting that we build banks out of rocks and wood to protect our rocks and wood. But those elements are capable of so much more! january-river.net/2025/03/04/t...
Today I started evaluating whether certain financial institutions and credit cards needed to have my money flowing through their bloodstreams. It’s not a boycott or anything so temporary. It’s simply making better investing decisions. Such a shame when words and actions have consequences.
Ok. The Earth hasn’t fallen into the sun yet. So we’ve got that going for us. It’s a start! We can work with that! Today I’m gonna write some stuff, and I’m gonna eat a sandwich.
Anybody else feeling extra-challenged by the present environment? Feels hard to write stories about cats when real stuff is going down.
@chriiscolfer.bsky.social Buddy’s friend just mentioned you! His daughter just finished your first book and said she “didn’t want to put the book down”. He is super proud! Great job!!
I worked through a number of iterations of this haiku—some with spicier language—but I came back to this one. Maybe I’ll put it on a T-shirt. Just because you want to tear down everything good doesn’t mean it’s torn down. You’re still gonna have to do the work. january-river.net/2025/02/25/r...
Not sure who needs to hear this but if you’re Canadian I automatically assume you’re a good person and I’m really sorry that my country is being stupid (again).
I was initially reluctant to post haiku as my weekly update. It felt like cheating…like it wasn’t enough words; not enough bang for the buck. I can confidently say that conveying meaning in 17 syllables is as hard as writing an epic. Maybe harder. january-river.net/2025/02/18/s...
The emoji for “man it’s been a week but I’m still standing and keeping on and hope you’re doing the same and hanging in there” is this: 🐡
In this post, I talk about soup: january-river.net/2025/02/12/c...
A haiku for today: #haiku #poetry #booksky #reading january-river.net/2025/02/11/b...
Sometimes I feel like this: january-river.net/2023/09/18/i...
I’ve been using Substack to promote my stuff…here’s a post that contains links to some of my favorite recent work: open.substack.com/pub/januaryr...
I wrote this, intending to submit it to a sci-fi poetry site, but the site shut down before I completed the work. It’s kind of a fun narrative/epic poem, so I thought I’d put it up on the blog and see what people think. Enjoy! #reading #poetry #booksky january-river.net/2025/02/04/d...
What is the Harley-Davidson Elder Care Village?
What is Triptophobia?
Try, try again! But when somebody else’s determination is dragging you along for the ride, how many tries is too many? And is there an escape clause hidden in the fine print? Find out in A Lack of Resolution, a new short story! #reading #writers #booksky #fiction january-river.net/2025/01/07/a...
What is Gil’s Gym?
What is a quesadilla?
It’s fine to chat on here, but I don’t WANT to chat on here: I want you to visit MY website that I own and read my stuff. How do you take social media conversations and convert them into people visiting your site and reading your work? #writing #writers #booksky
I wrote some stuff about writing some stuff. january-river.net/2025/01/31/c...
Update: Rupert is home, in rough shape, but still with us. If you’re a UPS driver bringing a delivery of pet medicine from NJ, please (safely) hurry.
Very sick cat = not writing. Priorities. FIP is no joke…fingers crossed for Rupert.
Just followed you over there…or subscribed or whatever it is…too many platforms!!
From my new “Poetry for Business” series: january-river.net/2025/01/28/v...
New poem tomorrow!
I updated this: january-river.net/2025/01/12/c...
Some thoughts on…all this. january-river.net/2025/01/22/c...
They do kind of win any “weird band name” competition, don’t they?
New chapter is out! Come explore The Archives! #writerthreads #amwriting #booksky #readers #writers #fiction #serials #cats january-river.net/2025/01/21/t...
Really great night! I’m looking forward to many more of these open mic events here…incredibly talented artists in this community! And my poems were received extremely well!
Doing an open mic tonight at the WCLC, premiering a new poem from my “Poems for Business” series! Wish me luck! #WriterThreads #writers #poetry
Write night tonight at WCLC! I have a big chunk of chapter 9 written and hopefully will polish that off. Also, my “Poetry for Business” project is going very well! I see that being a great niche to bring poetry to people who don’t tend to read that sort of thing. #writers #writerthreads
The cats are back!! #reading #fiction #shortstories #writerthreads #serials #cats january-river.net/2025/01/14/t...
Tomorrow, the cats are back!!
Weekly reminder: don’t let Monday steal your Sunday! #writers #writerthreads
Working on following and following-back everybody…apologies if I missed you! #writingcommunity #booksky #writers #writerthreads
Thank you very much! I’ll name a character after you…a good one. Maybe even a cat!
I put up some commentary if you’re interested in learning more about what happens behind the scenes: january-river.net/2025/01/10/c...
@kerrielegend.bsky.social it’s me, perennial EGOT hopeful and freelance poet, @januaryriver.bsky.social !
Hey to everybody from threads! I’m here and I’m writing! #writerthreads #writing #poetry #shortstories #writers #writingcommunity #potatochips #squirrels
#readers
I think you’ll really enjoy this very short story…what happens when a resolution just won’t stick? january-river.net/2025/01/07/a...
january-river.net/2024/12/10/c...
january-river.net/2024/12/03/s...
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Why not relax on the couch and read the first 6 chapters of the newly renamed serial short story, “The Quantum Cats of Arbor Day”? january-river.net/2024/08/06/w...
january-river.net/2024/11/26/w...
january-river.net/2024/11/19/w...
Don’t let money steal your Sunday!
Oh cool! I’m checking out the blog now! Writing at our local community writing center tonight so the words are wording!!
@hammonddiehl.bsky.social I just read your short story from LIGHTSPEED on Gizmodo…wow! Such great imagery! I hope someday I can create something as compelling! gizmodo.com/a-saint-unle...
Thursday night is Write Night at the Writers’ Collaborative Learning Center! #writing
Thank you so much!! The burnt Tony’s pizza was real 😂🔥🍕
Hi! I’m new to Bluesky and looking for other writers as well as readers! I post poetry, fiction, photography, music, and other art on my blog every Tuesday. Looking forward to meeting new people! Here’s my blog: january-river.net