• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

F. P. Dorchak

Speculative Fiction (New Weird) Author

  • Home
  • Books
    • What Readers Are Saying
  • Short Stories
  • About
  • Blog
    • Runnin Off at the Mouth
    • Reality Check
  • Events
  • Contact

Writing

Nuthin Like Cracking Open A Tall Cool One…

February 28, 2011 by fpdorchak

First thing in the morning.

You know what I’m talking about, right?

A tall, frosty glass…

Full of your favorite, full-bodied brew…

First thing in the morning, you know, to get you going…

Iced tea.

What were you thinkin?

I am a fan of the iced tea. A fan of Lipton’s black tea.  (but, full disclosure:  I get absolutely nothing from Lipton in promoting their beautiful brew, nor am I paid spokespeep for their wonderful product in any way, nor do I get any kickbacks whatsoever from Lipton–I just love it!)

Sure, there are other brews I love out there, especially the Starbuck’s and your basic Earl Greys and all (BTW, making the Starbuck’s at home is not like what you get in the store; don’t know what they do to it, but it is different…), but on a daily basis, during my morning writing hours (note I do this first thing in the morning, by the way), I usually down a couple tall glasses of the stuff. Just love it, I do. Sure, it sends me to the rest room a couple extra times throughout the day, but it’s worth it.

But it doesn’t stop there…I drink at work, too. Yeah, I do, I’m not ashamed to admit it. It’s the cheap stuff from a screw-top glass container, not at all like the fresh-brewed bev I get at home, but it gets me through the day, you know?

Now, my point here is that after having read Michelle Black’s post on the history of absinthe, such discussion on anyone’s “devotion” to any alcoholic beverage always interests me cause I don’t drink (….wine–love that line!), so I try to substitute something similar in my life so I can better understand it. And I don’t drink alcohol for any religious, moral, nor any other reason other than it just doesn’t interest me. I’ve had a few over the years, but first and foremost the taste of alcohol (if you can call it that) is a turn off.  Really, all you millions of people out there love that? The second issue is the aftereffects of a night of drinking. Don’t need any of that, neither, thank you. Perhaps I’m just too practical in that way. But, in any event, I don’t partake, so in an effort to try to understand the feverish devotion so many ads and commercials portray, I try to insert something that I am particularly taken with:

After a long day on the job site, what better way to end it then to crack open a tall cool one. Lipton black iced tea!

Yes, after exploring the world over, jumping out of an ice fishing hole with fish in my teeth, and making love to over 500,000 women, I like nothing better than to relax with Triple XXX Earl Grey over ice!

It’s Super Bowl night, so invite over your best buds, buy an acre of meat pizza, and pop open some Liptons!

Ah, now, I totally get it!

Well, not really, but in my continued effort to try to better understand all you devotees out there, I’m gonna go sit out on my deck and pop open a tall cool one, and contemplate this little conundrum a bit more….

Filed Under: Writing

The Best Writing Advice Ever!

February 19, 2011 by fpdorchak

Well, I’ll be damned!  I thought I was the only one who thought this way! There’s at least one other person out there who thinks the same.

In the February 2011 Writer’s Digest, on page 23, is the article “25 Ways To Improve Your Writing in 30 Minutes a Day.” There’s some great stuff by a couple people, notably one from David Morrell, whom I met and sat by at a dinner at the PPWC a few years ago, about “Flow” (the first of 25), but also one by Art Spikol (whom I’ve never met…), #9, “Word Choice.” Mr. Spikol said that he doesn’t “like” rules for writers, except for one:

Don’t bore anybody.

Filed Under: Writing

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 56
  • Page 57
  • Page 58

Footer

Upcoming Events

Events

Heading To

COSine 2026 – January 23 -25, 2026

Mountain of Authors – Unable to attend in 2026

MileHiCon58 – October 23 – 25, 2026

 

Follow Me

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2026 · Author Pro on Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress.com. · Log in