smclachlan's activity feed Return to smclachlan's profile
- November 16th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Madrid Travel Tips
This week's postings are up on the Madrid section of PlanetEye. I talk about an upcoming film festival, my favorite plaza, and my first experience with Guinean food. If there's anything you'd like to…
- November 14th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Writer's Digest Best Website Award
Writer's Digest recently announced the winner of their 2008 Best Writer's Website Contest. The winner was Claudia Luiz, and I think her site looks very professional. It's artsy without being busy, wel…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Great Movie About Illegal Immigration
I watched an excellent movie about illegal immigration to Spain last week titled 14 Kilómetros. The title is taken from the shortest distance from Morocco to Spain, a route traversed by thousands of…
- November 12th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
New Pyramid Found in Egypt
It seems strange to say, but archaeologists have discovered a previously unknown pyramid in Egypt. Only the base has survived, standing to a height of five meters and completely covered by the desert…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Interesting New Writing Blog
I just stumbled upon a new writing blog by Donna Volkenannt. Yeah, there are tons of writing blogs out there, but this one is by a fellow Missourian and even though it's only a couple of weeks old she…
- November 11th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Writers and Armistice/Remembrance Day
Ninety years ago today, on the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, World War One ended. Here in Madrid there's an exhibition titled "¡1914! The Avant-Garde…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Armistice/Remembrance Day
Ninety years ago today, on the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, World War One ended. Today in London three of the remaining veterans took part in memori…
- November 10th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Travel Advice About Madrid
Hello everyone. Sorry for not posting last week, but Almudena was away and so I was doing the single dad thing, plus I got slammed with work. Something had to give, and it was my blogging. I promise t…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Travel Advice About Madrid
Hello everyone. Sorry for not posting last week, but Almudena was away and so I was doing the single dad thing, plus I got slammed with work. Something had to give, and it was my blogging. I promise t…
- October 30th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
PlanetEye Madrid Guide
Good friend and fellow blogger Abha Malpani is in her last week as the local Madrid expert on PlanetEye, an excellent travel website and blog covering dozens of cities. Starting next week I'll be repl…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Christian Science Monitor Goes Digital
The Christian Science Monitor has just announced that they will be the first national newspaper in the U.S. to go all digital, according to an article in the New York Times. Its regular weekday public…
- October 27th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Happy Birthday Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas would have been 98 today. I've been reading his Selected Letters, but having so much other reading I need to do for my book projects I'm still only on his early life, when he was a 20 yea…
- October 26th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
African Religion Survived Among American Slaves
The Archaeology News feed, which you can see at the righthand column of this blog, had an interesting article recently about a 300 year-old African "spirit bundle" found in Maryland. The bundle of san…
- October 23rd, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Cool Travel Slideshows
The folks at Nachofoto have an interesting blog for travel slideshows with some amazing photos. My personal favorite is one on the 7 Most Amazing Caves in our World, which reminds me that I haven't go…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
The Jewel of Medina: Worth the Controversy?
I recently stumbled across the blog of very cool Muslim commentator Shelina Zahra Janmohamed, who gives her fiercely independent (and often hilariously snarky) opinion on her religion and its place…
- October 21st, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Atheist Ad Campaign
A group of atheists backed by famous atheist writer Richard Dawkins are trying to raise money to put ads on London buses, according to an article in the Guardian. The ads will use the slogan, "There's…
- October 20th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Thoughts on the Horror Genre
I just came across an interview with Del Howison, who with his wife runs Dark Delicacies, the only bookshop in the U.S. solely dedicated to horror. He has some interesting insights about the genre th…
- October 17th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
A Seriously Productive Writer
I recently saw a news piece about Corin Tellado, Spain's Grand Old Lady of Romance writing. She was hugely popular in the Sixties and Seventies, and her books are still read today.The report said that…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
The Muslim Community in Spain
Police in Barcelona arrested nine people this week in connection with the March 11, 2004, terrorist attacks in Madrid. I'm glad they're hunting down these guys, but knowing Spain's wimpy sentencing la…
- October 16th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Electronic Newspaper Unveiled in Germany
A company in Germany, helped by researchers from Cambridge University, has unveiled a new electronic e-reader for newspapers, the BBC has reported. It uses plastic chips instead of silicon, making it…
- October 15th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
The Next Generation of Guidebooks
Yesterday I went to the grand opening of an art gallery in Madrid. It's not a new gallery, but it's moved from the outskirts of town to the center. I'll be putting my review online as part of the quar…
- October 10th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Blogging for PlanetEye about Madrid
I've just been hired to blog about Madrid for the top travel site PlanetEye after the current blogger, friend and fellow writer Abha Malpani, makes the mistake of her life and moves back to Dubai. (Ar…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
War On The Poor, Madrid Style
Our beloved mayor has just announced that he's banning sandwich boards. You know, those old-style boards strapped to people's fronts and backs, making a walking advertisement for a restaurant or night…
- October 9th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Writers Helping Writers
In my last post I mentioned I got a gig doing online updates for Night & Day Madrid by Pulse Guides. I heard about this job through friend and fellow writer Lawrence Schimel. He's also recommended…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Monkey Waiters in Japan
I totally need to go to Japan. BBC reported that a restaurant there has two monkeys bringing the diners hot towels and bottles of booze in exchange for soya bean tips. You can see the film here. Good…
- October 6th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Madrid Guidebook Project
I've just signed up with Pulse Guides to write online updates for their new Madrid guidebook. Pulse Guides has a series called Night & Day for people who only have a few days in a city and want to…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Madrid Guidebook Project
I've just signed up with Pulse Guides to write online updates for their new Madrid guidebook. Pulse Guides has a series called Night & Day for people who only have a few days in a city and want to…
- October 1st, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
New Writer's Handbook Offers Inspiration, Advice
Back in March I did a post on Embracing the Term Midlister, which has been quoted by a couple of sites as sort of a statement of purpose for this blog. Now it has been published in a slightly altered…
- September 29th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
The Middle East: Safe For Travelers?
The BBC has reported that a group of Western tourists and their guides in remote southern Egypt have been released after being kidnapped by gunmen ten days ago. They were being held for ransom until E…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Does Your Novel Have A Bestselling Title?
Print-on-demand publisher lulu.com has come up with an interesting Titlescorer to tell you if your title will get your novel onto the bestseller list. They hired a team of statisticians to analyze the…
- September 26th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Starting A New Novel
Last week I started a new novel. I actually started it on the plane from Missouri to England, figuring that crossing the ocean was an opportune time to start a new venture. So far it's been going slow…
- September 25th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
The Writing Parent
I travel a lot for my work. Much of my writing is travel writing, and my history writing requires me to travel too, since Madrid doesn't have the research facilities I need. This means spending weeks…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Computer Woes
While I was in the U.S. for the past few weeks I considered buying a new laptop since they're so much cheaper over there. I decided against it because my Inspiron 1100, which has been giving good serv…
- September 23rd, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
The Guardian Guide to Writing
This Saturday´s Guardian had an insert on How to Write Fiction, the first of a series of seven booklets on writing. It´s interesting that the editors think enough of their readers are aspiring write…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Back in Madrid
Whew! I´m finally back in Spain after far too many flights. Missouri was fun and I got all the research done for my next book, but rainstorms on the last two weekends I was there kept me from camping…
- September 16th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
OnThe Road Again. . .
Well, I'm finally done with all my research for my next book, so I'm leaving Missouri tomorrow and headed to Madrid, with a two-day stopover for some fun in London. The huge amount of research I've be…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
OnThe Road Again. . .
Well, I'm finally done with all my research for my next book, and so I'm leaving Missouri tomorrow and headed to Madrid, with a two-day stopover for some fun in London. The huge amount of research I'v…
- September 11th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
A Different World Trade Center Memory
As everyone remembers the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, it's good to remember that the World Trade Center was the site of an amazing and inspiring act, not just a horrible one. On August 7,…
- September 10th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Weird Book Titles
One of my favorite literary awards comes from The Bookseller. Every year they give an award to the book with the strangest title. Last year it was the relationship advice book If You Want Closure in Y…
- September 8th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Canadian Arctic Not What It Used To Be
In more depressing news about the state of the Arctic, a 4,500 year-old shelf of ice has broken off from Ellesmere Island. The BBC reported that a nineteen-square-mile section, about three times the s…
- September 4th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Getting Photos And Artwork For Your Book
I'm still in Missouri working hard on Guerrilla Tactics of the American Civil War for Osprey Publishing, and I must say the most challenging aspect of this project is the artwork. Osprey is famous for…
- August 30th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Kayaking to the North Pole
What's wrong with this title? Well, you shouldn't be able to kayak to the North Pole, because there's supposed to be a bunch of ice up there! Unfortunately, the polar cap has been shrinking so quickly…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Querying about Querying
I've applied for two writing jobs recently, one for a guidebook and another for a blogging gig. In both cases I didn't send the required information, such as a CV, clips, etc., because I had questions…
- August 29th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Volunteer Wanted To Retrace Shackleton Expedition
"Men wanted for hazardous duty. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success."A hundred years ago, a tea…
- August 26th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Free Writers Marketing Guide From Penguin
Penguin Publishing has recently made their author's online marketing guide available free on the web. It's pretty good, with lots of useful tips for getting your name out there. Some bits are a littl…
- August 25th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Denmark: World's Happiest Country
A recent study from the University of Leicester ranked the happiness of all the nations in the world, using the responses of 80,000 people worldwide. Denmark ranked number one, while the U.S. came in…
- August 21st, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Grizzled Old Traveler
Were There Black Confederate Soldiers?
There's an interesting discussion going on at the excellent Civil War Memory blog on whether or not there were really any blacks in the Confederate army. This argument has been going back and forth in…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Readers Need The Small Press (And So Do Writers)
I'm in Missouri right now working on a book on Guerrilla and Partisan Ranger Tactics in the American Civil War for Osprey. Most of the time I'm buried in books, original documents, and photographs in…
- August 19th, 2008
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
Book Review: The 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About The Celts
There’s a plethora of how-to ebooks on writing these days, and one of the more interesting series is Writer’s Rescue. Each volume describes the “33 Worst Mistakes” made by writers on particula…
-
smclachlan has posted a new entry on: Midlist Writer
On The Shelves. . .Or Not???
As I mentioned in an earlier post, my book "Missouri: An Illustrated History" is finally coming out. A critique partner from Missouri just bought a copy at Barnes and Noble, but the B&N website sa…
