Fake Geek Girls—Misogyny, Not Elitism I'm a fake geek guy. I like most geek things, but I don't like them enough to delve into the obsession that is a bit of a defining characteristic of the subculture. I watch the main movies or read the main books and call it a day. I can't quote Game of Thrones. (“You know nothing about snow, Jon?” Right? The character is dealing with snow for the first time because winter hasn't come yet? That's right, isn't it?) I've only read the first two Dresden books. (This seems kind of misogynistic. You SURE it gets “way better”?)

Fake Geek Girls—Misogyny, Not Elitism

I'm a fake geek guy. I like most geek things, but I don't like them enough to delve into the obsession that is a bit of a defining characteristic of the subculture. I watch the main movies or read the main books and call it a day. I can't quote Game of…

Sometimes You Can’t Kill the Author… No Matter How Badly You Want To If you want to try to cite Death of the Author, it helps if they’re actually dead. And J.K. Rowling is a little bit like the toxic mold on her own wall—she’s alive and spreading like rancid musty evil in search of old cheese... It never fails. A writer does something horrible, and their defenders suddenly become these absolute experts on Roland Barthes’ Death of the Author and the art/artist divide.

Sometimes You Can’t Kill the Author… No Matter How Badly You Want To

If you want to try to cite Death of the Author, it helps if they’re actually dead. And J.K. Rowling is a little bit like the toxic mold on her own wall—she’s alive and spreading like rancid musty evil in search of old cheese...…

The Lights Are ON! I had a lot of side gigs last week. I was pet sitting, helping someone who had stuff in their house going back to 1965 to dig out, pack, and load in a trailer so they could move, AND babysitting. I even did a shift at a bakery that stocks events like Dickens Faire and Ren Faire with scones, shortbread, and rum cakes…

The Lights Are ON!

I had a lot of side gigs last week. I was pet sitting, helping someone who had stuff in their house going back to 1965 to dig out, pack, and load in a trailer so they could move, AND babysitting. I even did a shift at a bakery that stocks events like Dickens Faire and Ren Faire…

Side Gigs and Newsletters Folks, you've probably noticed that I'm absolutely trying to get back to posting more regularly. But maybe you noticed that last week, I didn't get going until Wednesday. That's because I had a side gig passing out fliers that I had to take. You see, where we go from here is sort of up to all of you.

Side Gigs and Newsletters

Folks, you've probably noticed that I'm absolutely trying to get back to posting more regularly. But maybe you noticed that last week, I didn't get going until Wednesday. That's because I had a side gig passing out fliers that I had to take. You see, where we go from here…

A Good Widdle Pet Peeve Food service and linguistic pet peeves may seem like they have nothing in common, but just stand back and let me work…

A Good Widdle Pet Peeve

Food service and linguistic pet peeves may seem like they have nothing in common, but just stand back and let me work…

We Have Been Here Before Hi, my name is Chris, my pronouns are “they” and “them,” and I’m a pagan priest. Now here, that doesn’t mean much, and out in the world, it means even less. But I work with an Irish deity—one who few have heard of outside of pop-culture misconceptions, and even fewer understand. But “pagan” doesn’t tell you much. Though reclaimed in modernity, the definition of “pagan” is an umbrella so large that it encompasses any belief outside of “recognized religions” (and today, at least, I won’t get into who is doing the recognizing).

We Have Been Here Before

Hi, my name is Chris, my pronouns are “they” and “them,” and I’m a pagan priest. Now here, that doesn’t mean much, and out in the world, it means even less. But I work with an Irish deity—one who few have heard of outside of pop-culture misconceptions, and even fewer…

The A to Zen (of a Writer’s Life) Avoid negative people and habits, but don't confuse those who make you feel bad about negative habits for negative people, for those who call shenanigans on your shenanigans are more valuable than gold. Believe in yourself. But don't fall to pretentiousness or hubris. But believe in yourself. But don't fall to pretentiousness or hubris. But believe in yourself… Consider things from every angle. Your characters can't all be you. Don't give up. Don't give in. Don't stop.

The A to Zen (of a Writer’s Life)

Avoid negative people and habits, but don't confuse those who make you feel bad about negative habits for negative people, for those who call shenanigans on your shenanigans are more valuable than gold. Believe in yourself. But don't fall to pretentiousness or…

House/Pet Sitting (Price Guide) The easiest way to get a quote is just to talk to me about your pet(s) and their needs, where you live, and I will just quote a price, but if you want to get an estimate of what the cost will be, add the basic service you want to any additions or discounts that may apply (below).

House/Pet Sitting (Price Guide)

The easiest way to get a quote is just to talk to me about your pet(s) and their needs, where you live, and I will just quote a price, but if you want to get an estimate of what the cost will be, add the basic service you want to any additions or discounts that may…

Throwback Thursday (February’s Best from FB) [Once upon a time I wrote Facebook posts for hours a day and then turned around and wrote a blog. Then one day, someone asked me, "Are you counting the hours you spend on Facebook as writing. Because, that's writing." So now I bundle the best of them up and take Thursdays off.]

Throwback Thursday (February’s Best from FB)

[Once upon a time I wrote Facebook posts for hours a day and then turned around and wrote a blog. Then one day, someone asked me, "Are you counting the hours you spend on Facebook as writing. Because, that's writing." So now I bundle the best of them up…

Writing About Songwriting

She’s always in another castle’s dungeon and therefore… Your overalls would look better In a pile on my floor

He Said He Was Gonna It's really shocking to me how many people on both sides think 47 is not going to do just EXACTLY what he says he's going to do. They just keep thinking THEIR water's edge will be HIS water's edge. And it won't.

He Said He Was Gonna

It's really shocking to me how many people on both sides think 47 is not going to do just EXACTLY what he says he's going to do. They just keep thinking THEIR water's edge will be HIS water's edge. And it won't.

The Moments We Never Understand Until Too Late

When I was pretty young, my grandfather's best friend took eight or nine lowballs of bourbon, my step-brother's bike, and a tree that was minding its own fucking business, and got himself killed—though not before one of those heart-wrenching…

Share My Experience In Real Time—Mission Statement (2 of 3) So I’m over a decade out of a creative writing program* and I carved out my place as a writer, got cancer, had a series of unfortunate events, and am now trying to build the whole thing again. [*I got tired of editing this every year. I graduated in December 2011] And as I do, I’m going to post it right here.

Share My Experience In Real Time—Mission Statement (2 of 3)

So I’m over a decade out of a creative writing program* and I carved out my place as a writer, got cancer, had a series of unfortunate events, and am now trying to build the whole thing again. [*I got tired of editing this every year. I…

The Uncompromising Idealist

I actually LOVE our uncompromising leftist idealists. They keep me honest, and they keep me focused. I want to do everything to give their idealism expression. They are the ones that call for change, force the mirror up to society, and often spill blood to bring about a…

Writing and Falling (Writers in Love) Ah, love.The sweet caress of twilight. The magic in the air. Mental synchronization so amazing that you finish each other’s… sandwiches. And, of course, that complete torpedo of vasopressin, adrenaline, dopamine, and oxytocin straight to your ability to sit down, sit still, and have a coherent thought.

Writing and Falling (Writers in Love)

Ah, love.The sweet caress of twilight. The magic in the air. Mental synchronization so amazing that you finish each other’s… sandwiches. And, of course, that complete torpedo of vasopressin, adrenaline, dopamine, and oxytocin straight to your ability to sit…

The News is a Little EXTRA Tough for Some of Us [CN: Mention of sexual assault. R*pe.] Hi, folks, I think it might be Thursday before you see this officially, but I've been writing it for most of Wednesday while Pam Bondi memes drift up my Facebook feed with a disturbing regularity.

The News is a Little EXTRA Tough for Some of Us

[CN: Mention of sexual assault. R*pe.] Hi, folks, I think it might be Thursday before you see this officially, but I've been writing it for most of Wednesday while Pam Bondi memes drift up my Facebook feed with a disturbing regularity.

Control What People See When They Search Me —Mission Statement (1 of 3) Note: The events spoken of in this article are nearly 20 years past. What has happened within publishing since then has cemented many changes that were predicted. People will do web searches on your name as soon as you are in the public sphere. Make sure they find something worth finding. It was my second-to-last semester when I heard the best advice of my entire writing program…

People will do web searches on your name as soon as you are in the public sphere. Make sure they find something worth finding.

It was my second-to-last semester when I heard the best advice of my entire writing program…

Where The Heck Have I Been? (A “breakup” and a move.) I didn’t give up writing these last two months. And I haven’t been fighting rabid lemurs. I’ve just been going through a lot. I’ll tell you all about it… Well, okay, I’ll tell you about some of it. Some of it is not my story to tell. Some of it is just Rashomon interpretations of the same story. It’s pointless to lay blame and unfair, given the size of this platform, to tell my side of the “my side/her side” things.

I didn’t give up writing these last two months. And I haven’t been fighting rabid lemurs. I’ve just been going through a lot. I’ll tell you all about it…

Well, okay, I’ll tell you about some of it.

A Word About Unverified Personal Gnosis (UPG) I’m about to start writing about The Morrigan again as we tick up our content here at The Cookie Crumbles. And I need to add a very special word about Unverified Personal Gnosis.

A Word About Unverified Personal Gnosis (UPG)

I’m about to start writing about The Morrigan again as we tick up our content here at The Cookie Crumbles. And I need to add a very special word about Unverified Personal Gnosis.

The Last Day Folks, I'm sorry it's come to this, but I have no choice. Like most, I can no longer ignore the effects of inflation. I held off as long as I could, knowing that the economic future was—at best—rocky and mercurial. But I have succumbed as well to the rising cost of everything. I have to retire my $3 Patreon tier. …

Folks, I'm sorry it's come to this, but I have no choice. Like most, I can no longer ignore the effects of inflation…

Five Ways Writing Is More Like Driving Than You Think Driving cars and writing. Totally different things right? Stephen King might be able to compare the process of character based writing to driving in the fog, but there's no way driving could be a ridiculously awesome extended metaphor for writing is there? Well, buckle up. Because yes there is.

Five Ways Writing Is More Like Driving Than You Think

Driving cars and writing. Totally different things right? Stephen King might be able to compare the process of character based writing to driving in the fog, but there's no way driving could be a ridiculously awesome extended metaphor for…

Democrats are NOT Just As Bad” “Dems are just as bad,” they say. You’re going to hear this a lot more in the next two years.

Democrats are NOT Just As Bad”

“Dems are just as bad,” they say. You’re going to hear this a lot more in the next two years.

Would You Ever Date Someone Monogamous? (F.A.Q.) OR Would Someone Polyamorous Ever Date Someone Who Wasn't Question: If someone non-monogamous wanted to date a monogamous person, would they consider it? Would YOU consider it?  Short Answer: Not really. Unless you’re asking me out. But then, actually, probably not. Unless…  👀 Longer Answer: Okay, so it turns out that this is a place where there’s like a 99% answer, and then a brilliant rainbow of nuance in that 1%, so I’m going to drill down a little…(read on)

On a bit of a polyamory kick lately.

Question: If someone non-monogamous wanted to date a monogamous person, would they consider it? Would YOU consider it? 

Short Answer: Not really. Unless you’re asking me out. But then, actually, probably

Coming Soon (The Spirit of Blogust) Blogust is an idea… a concept. It's not just an actual time. You can have Blogust in September. You can have winter Blogust. What's important is that you hold Blogust close to your heart. —Chris Cookie, probably

Coming Soon (The Spirit of Blogust)

Blogust is an idea… a concept. It's not just an actual time. You can have Blogust in September. You can have winter Blogust. What's important is that you hold Blogust close to your heart. —Chris Cookie, probably

My Uncle Died—in Memoriam My uncle died on the night of September 8th.

My uncle died on the night of September 8th.

Every Day is a Winding Road… And I’m Going Too Fast (Personal Update)

For everything my stepfather was terrible about—and occasionally even abusive he was actually pretty decent at these little Pez-dispenser bits of wisdom.

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One of the refrains I see when fascism rises is that “at least the art will be great.” Like everything else is going to suck for millions, and people are literally going to die, but at least we'll get some good albums and novels…

chriscookie.com/2025/09/05/but-the-art-w...

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It’s been a few years, but it’s time to renew a time-honored tradition of perhaps the worst play on words imaginable. (Except for maybe the joke about going to the dentist at 2:30 [tooth-hurty].) What once was a major annual undertaking…

chriscookie.com/2025/09/03/blogust-in-se...

Blogust in September It’s been a few years, but it’s time to renew a time-honored tradition of perhaps the worst play on words imaginable. (Except for maybe the joke about going to the dentist at 2:30 [tooth-hurty].) W…

chriscookie.com/2025/09/03/b...

Post Image

It’s been a few years, but it’s time to renew a time-honored tradition of perhaps the worst play on words imaginable. (Except for maybe the joke about going to the dentist at 2:30 [tooth-hurty].) What once was a major annual undertaking…

chriscookie.com/2025/09/03/blogust-in-se...