David Given Schwarm

Married, Father, United

What Have I Done To Deserve This?

I watched this movie last night after my softball game. I think I slept through some of the middle sections, but the parts that I did see were excellent. I love the disconnected plot madness and the way in which the characters just bounce around. I love the horrors of mindless daily existence exploding under…
Plan

1. Plan2. Ask for what you want3. Do the honest act4. Pay attention5. Understand responsibility
Go Wild

Weird fact: Before Jerry Springer launched his brawling freak show on daytime TV, he was a serious progressive politician and highly respected mayor of Cincinnati. In his heyday, many Ohioans even saw him as a likely candidate for the U.S. presidency. As you begin worrying that you might be pushing the bounds of believability for…
Burrow Mercilessly

One of the best ways to learn to do something is to emulate those whose work you admire. The treat (and task) for today is to drop by the bookstore and pick up a novel by an author whose voice you’ve always loved. Read the first few pages of you purchase before you start writing,…
Javatini’s–House Blend

I picked this up with Ed when I went on Friday. It is a light roast with a simple flavor. The coffee has a strong aroma that is very fruity and immature at some level. The beans would be rewareded with a longer roast. Also, I believe that there are two many types of beans…
St. Joseph of Volokalamsk

When the blessed Eulogius saw an angel distributing gifts to the monks who toiled at all-night vigils, to one he gave a gold piece with the image of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to another a silver piece with a cross, to another a copper piece, to another a bronze piece, and to another nothing. The…
Let Your Fingers Do the Naming

Demographers have been noting the decreasing size of families in industrialized nations for decades. They pin it on everything from rising education rates among women to the decrease in family famring. But I know the real culprit: With skyrocketing number of baby names to pick from, would-e parents avoid having children because they can’t decide…
Aim Low

One of my favorite books is called Rules of Thumb 2. The volume offers thousands of guidelines for any number of essential day-to-day activities, such as properly estimating a submerged crocodile’s length and surviving a pistol duel. The dueling hint was submitted by historian Jim Barber, who writes: “When dueling with firearms, always aim lower…
Create your clay

Writing a novel is like working with clay. You first create a rough shape, then massage that shape into something beautiful, such as an ashtray or a fearsome army of worms. Unlike potters, though, who can simply buy clay at the art supply store, novelists have to pull off the supernatural feat of creating their…
Green lights, from here to the horizon

The first day. A blank page. And a slight panic about starting the book off on the right foot. But you know what? There are no wrong feet. Take a tip from freewheeling graphic design guru Bruce Mau on teh subject of beginnings: “Not knowing where to begin is a common for of paralysis. Begin…