Timothy Miller's Blog

 This is why I so enjoy going down the rabbit hole of research.

In my work in progress, one of my characters, Lawrence, third footman, started out as a Welshman with a lilting voice, in his mid-20s.

A problem arose. I had set my story in Sussex, England in the year 1917.
England was in the middle of WW1. And draft age was between 18--41. So why wasn't Lawrence off in the trenches? (I had to raise and lower the ages of several other male characters.)
I chose asthma. That was one of the few ailments...

 

“I would not put a thief in my mouth to steal my brains.”—Othello

I’ve been feeling my bones lately. No, not as in “I can feel my achy old bones,” but literally, beneath the skin. It’s partly because I’ve lost a great deal of weight this past year, due to the good offices of GLP-1 and long daily walks. (It’s also because, as we age, our skin loses collagen, literally becomes thinner. Yes, old folks really are “thin-skinned.” Don’t mess with us.)

And it feels … strange. I don’t remember my bones b...

 So I should mention that I have a new (self-published) short story available now on Amazon as an ebook.

Ta da!

"Dr. Watson discovers a problem in The Final Problem, and unveils the real murderer of Sherlock Holmes."
It's 99¢, which is highway robbery for a 19-page story, but I'm still test-driving KDP and they wouldn't allow me to price it any cheaper.
Eventually I'll probably be able to price it at a nickel-ninety-five, but for now, if you'd like to fill my coffers and read a fun little story that...

 

If you’re a writer, you’re familiar with this phenomenon: a character takes on a life of their own, dictating to you what they will and won’t say, will and won’t do. What the hell, you say. I brought you into this novel world, and I can take you out of it.Well, yes—but that’s your only choice if a character gets uppity. Kill off the character, or delete them. You cannot discipline them.Why is that? Why can’t you do whatever you want with a character?Because a character is essentially a set of r...

 I want to let you in on a gold-plated investment. And you don't have to pay a dime. It's my own private holiday, scheduled for March 17. That's right, tomorrow. No, not St. Paddy's Day, though I've got nothing against the wearin' of the green.

It's Armistice Day.

It's got nothing to do with the war in Iran, or any war, except my personal wars, your personal wars.

It's the day I forgive anyone any wrong they''ve done me in the past year. I lay down my sword and shield. I shed the weight of all thos...

 “I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you might nudge the world a little or make a poem that children will speak for you when you are dead.”

― Tom Stoppard, The Real Thing
Thanks for reading!

No, this is not about Kafka … except in that some days a lot of Americans are feeling like a giant cockroach when they wake up in the morning. But let’s not get off track right from the start. It’s about another kind of fiction born from despair … or at least desperation. Let’s start again.I’ve been peeved lately at some of my friends on Facebook for posting “news items” which are obviously thunderingly false.No kidding, right? False stories on the internet? Breaking news: water is wet. Let me...

 Good news!

As I've mentioned before I'm a member of the scion society Crew of the Barque Lone Star, and a contributor to their 2024 collection of pastiches, Mr. Holmes's Neighborhood, which has been available at Barnes&Noble ...

... and is now available on the Crew's website, in a selection of digital formats, for the very reasonable price of FREE. Which is a deal not to be missed.

Especially if you'd like to read my latest Holmesian effort, titled The Sherlock Holmes Appreciation Society, the tal...

 

“Learning to decipher words had only added to the pleasures of holding spines and turning pages, measuring the journey to the end with a thumb-riffle, poring over frontispieces. Books! Opening with a crackle of old glue, releasing perfume; closing with a solid thump.”

--John Crowley

Thanks for reading!

 

I’m going to set aside my own giant ego today to shine the light on another writer more than worthy of your attention: Max Eastern.

Max and his wife Nancy Bilyeau are both historical novelists (and friends of mine) in New York. The exciting news is that they’ve started their own publishing company, Admiral Road, and the even more exciting news is that they launch their first novel today, Red Snow in Winter. This means you’re in at the beginning. (The beginning is always the finest place to be, b...