The Word Worker

Tag: Challenges

  • To Whom Do We Answer?

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    A pagan king with a bloated ego set an ultimatum. Pay homage with deep obeisance to his self-monument or burn alive. Three teenage boys stood their ground in a sea of groveling sycophants. They told a rage-maddened king that they didn’t answer to him, knowing full well the mortal consequences of doing so. The petty…

  • Not Helping

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    “Aren’t you on medication? I thought it was helping. Why do you feel so bad?” If you have a chronic illness, you’ve probably heard some variation of this ad nauseum. We live in a culture that expects some version of Star Trek medicine, where every problem can be fixed, every ailment can be cured, with…

  • Seasons

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    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    As many of you many have noticed, the blog has been a little neglected of late. Life comes in seasons, and my family has been experiencing a mildly difficult season. We needed time to work out some instabilities, and that has made writing difficult to accomplish. It also proved to be a time of refocusing…

  • Opportunity and Prejudice

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
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    Recently I posted a series of questions on social media. I wanted, and received, feedback revealing how we as a society understand certain concepts that are central to a civilization. Need, work, and identity are necessary in order for a culture to thrive, but perception of what constitutes those things varies widely. When those varying…

  • Hard

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    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    We like to think that hard only happens in stories, that hard is a thing of the past. But it isn’t. We like to think that the ultimate achievement would be to eradicate hard from our memory. But it wouldn’t. A young woman breathes deeply through the pain of her muscles contracting. Her skin stretches…

  • Book Review: Superhero Baby

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    wordworkerrussell
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    Baby has a busy day ahead, fixing problems from cats in trees to burst pipes. A superhero’s work is never done. Not even dirty diapers and naps can keep her down for long. But what will Baby do when her nemesis turns up in her very own nursery? This book is perfect for any young…

  • Different Holes

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    wordworkerrussell
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    Most babies and toddlers are given toys involving various shapes that fit in specific holes. The purpose, of course, is to develop the reasoning skills to match like items. Usually young children are fascinated by this physical, concrete challenge and will try and try again until they master the toy. Unfortunately, we do not often…

  • Trash Day

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    wordworkerrussell
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    There’s a running joke that the day after Christmas all the moms blow their stacks. Let’s face it, we all know the feeling of waking up to the piles of empty boxes, wrapping paper, and new toys that don’t fit anywhere. That’s why this year I can’t wait for Trash Day. I don’t mean the…

  • December 1st

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
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    It’s the countdown to Christmas. Time to decorate the house, finish all the gifts, watch all the movies, listen to all the music, and cook all the food. At least, that’s the plan. The Christmas tub was stored on the porch through all weathers this year instead of making it back to storage where it…

  • A Sneak Peek and a Sale

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    by

    wordworkerrussell
    in ,

    _United_, Book 2 of Magicborn, is officially in progress. Because you are my most loyal supporters, I am giving you a rare sneak peek into the first draft of my process. Very few people get to see anything this early, partly because it is mostly bare bones of story waiting to be fleshed out and…