Tag: writing

I Got a Name

On By Christopher TuthillIn Songwriters3 Comments

I’ve always loved Jim Croce’s music, and I’ve been thinking of this one a lot. It’s a poignant father/son song, and though Jim didn’t write the words, you can feel the emotion. His father had a dream of being a singer, one that Jim lived out. To me this is a proud declaration of a guy who is doing his best, working hard, keeping his head down.

At one point he sings, as smooth as honey:

“I’ve got a song/And I carry it with me, and I sing it loud/If it gets me nowhere, I go there proud.”

Now that’s some mantra to live by.

“Like the fool I am and I’ll always be, I’ve got a dream.”

Yes, don’t we all. The message comes down to us, clear through the decades. Croce had so much well deserved success, in a life tragically cut short. In a sad twist of fate, this song was released just after he died. I feel like this one is a hymn for all the dreamers out there, doing things because you have stories to tell and songs to sing and things to create, whether they are met with great accolades or total indifference. God bless all of you. Keep on working: you got a name.

Writing

On By Christopher TuthillIn Fantasy, Libraries, writingLeave a comment

I’ve been busy preparing a manuscript for release next year; don’t want to give away too much about it, but it will appeal to those who like comedy and spooky stories. It’ll be a great seasonal read for Halloween, and I hope to have the release coincide with that, perhaps late summer.

Think The ‘Burbs meets The Haunting of Hill House. It’s a tale as old as time: Good, Evil, and Home Improvement.

I’ve also been working on a new book, about which I will say even less, since I’m still on draft #1. But it’s humor and fantasy, mixed with some more serious elements.

My hope is that these novels will build on the audience for my first book, The Osprey Man, and appeal to an even wider audience. I learned a lot through the release of my first book, and I hope the rollouts for these forthcoming books will be even better.

By the way, if you’re reading this, but haven’t read The Osprey Man, check out the pinned post on this blog for some reviews. Readers have loved this tale of two youths creating a comic book together, and memorializing their friend. It’s just $15 through my website–contact me for a signed copy. You can also purchase through the publisher for the same price, or get the ebook for just $5.99. It’s great for general readers, or for a young person in your life who loves to read. You can also ask your local library to purchase it; that is a great way to support writers.

Happy Reading!

World Read Aloud Day

On By Christopher TuthillIn ReadingLeave a comment

Today, February 1, is “World Read Aloud Day,” a program in which people are encouraged to read stories to an audience. I was happy to participate, and read to an audience of eager and enthusiastic sixth graders. It was a really neat event. I read a chapter of my book, and then answered some great questions from the students. They wanted to know how long it takes to write a book, how hard I thought it was, what other things I had written, what stuff I like to read, and lots of other things. It was a hoot!

For any reading or writing teachers out there, I am more than happy to do this for your class via zoom. Just send me a message. There’s nothing better than helping kids get excited to explore new worlds through reading.