About me

-Speechwriter and speech coach, so I can geek out about ethos, pathos and logos. Member of the Professional Speechwriters Association.

-Journalism degree from Western Washington University, where I was editor-in-chief of the paper of news and graduated No. 1 in my class.

-Won awards as a reporter and editor for chasing all flavors of mayhem: floods, fires, political scandals and a bumbling serial killer who managed to get away with it all. Got shot at by a sniper in a tiny town. Interviewed governors, US senators and writers like Ann Rule and Barry Eisler. If you cut me, I still bleed newsprint.

-Contributing writer for The New York Times’ about.com, where I wrote 200-some posts as their expert on public relations, publicity and scandals. Contributing editor to Criminal Element and The Big Thrill. Apparently, I like to contribute and edit, or contribute while editing.

-My sister is a genius screenwriter who won a Nicholl Fellowship from the Academy. She introduced me to SAVE THE CAT and other glorious screenwriting books, shockingly useful for writing things that have nothing to do with screenplays. Thanks, sis.

Artistic nonsense about photography
In the beginning, I shot my own photos for papers of news, using horrible manual cameras and such that used this stuff we called “film.” It came in rolls.

I now shoot with a Sony A6000 because it is itty bitty. Used to shoot with a ginormous Nikon of Infinite Beauty (a D3100). This thing will do your taxes. Had my first photo show, Pieces of the World — shots from Sweden, Iceland, France, Belgium, Alaska, Hawaii, India and Dubai, all printed on canvas and framed. If you’ve never printed your photos on canvas, turn off the Series of Tubes and print your favorite photo on canvas RIGHT NOW. The internets will still be around when you come back.

Also, if you know photography tricks, drop me a line on the Twitter  or the comment sections, so we can talk smack about cameras and pretend to know what ISO settings really are.

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31 thoughts on “About me”

  1. I found your blog while looking for ways to survive in any apocalyptic scenario. Thanks to that, a lot of my original ideas were scrapped, I.E. a bunker in my house, a vehicle that runs on biodiesel, all that stuff. My friends still say we should stay and defend our small town, but being on the move sounds a lot smarter now

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  2. So WordPress recommended your blog to me because you are followed by blogs I have “liked.” Yours was the 10th on the list of recommendations and the first one that I not only enjoyed reading but also did not use the F-bomb within the first three sentences. Actually, no F-bombs at all plus a request that no one else drop bombs or other inappropriateness within the comments. For that, I thank you. For your wit and writing, I will follow you. I do love your blog name and at one time as a teacher called myself Sara Redpen — though I switched to using purple ink when grading student papers because it was less harmful to student psyches (or so said a parent). Personally, I like red; it reminds me of Christmas and Valentine’s Day and cardinals and geraniums and patriotism. Of course, you’re going for doom, so maybe those comments don’t make you so happy. I’ll be back — which is not intended as a threat.

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  3. Pingback: Defense against the Dark Arts: Propaganda vs. journalism and rhetoric | The Red Pen of Doom

  4. i am not that witty but, yes, i know about all that “stuff” in my storage i pay monthly on and am not using. and yes, i know what you mean by move from here to there several times and you still have it stored away and not using it. “HELP!” you know anyone who helps people like me?”

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  5. The Twitter, she no sell the books – thank you. Will you tell publishing industry? And yeah, agree entirely about inverted triangle. Now, must write book….

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  6. Witty? I don’t know about a witty comment. You are quite smart…and damn cute.I SO thoroughly enjoyed Save the Cat. Finishing any one of my three screenplays is high on my Bucket List. Heart, Julie

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      1. I scribble, but am just getting traction. I was a speaker for a long time and stepped away from it and that freed up the bandwidth. I edit too, poorly.

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  9. Guy – are you the “Red Pen of Doom” (a name I like immensely) that has deleted substantial content from “The Maury Island Incident” page on Wikipedia (more than once)? If so, would love to discuss at your convenience. I’m a writer on the film and web series project on that topic. Thanks!

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  11. Thanks for following my posts. Flattered that someone of your standing appreciates my work. Thanks.
    Loved your b&w photo..Will return for more viewings.

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  12. In your post about critiquing groups, I thought this sentence about editing was amusing (notice the “it”): “Also, editing it best done on a keyboard, or with a red pen.”

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    1. Ugh. Thanks for spotting that. Fixed.

      This silly blog could also be called The Land of Insanely Fast Rough Drafts, because I do it for fun, and for free, and there is zero copy editing.

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  15. Pingback: Rebecca T Dickson « On nickel and diming, giving anxiety the finger and WRITING
  16. Pingback: Save the Cat | Painting With Light

      1. I kid you not. It’s supposed to be a productivity book abut doing the once thin you hate the most on our to-do list. If I took it literally, I would never get out of bed! 😉

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