Latest conversation about writing might call my sanity into question

I have the cover of my newest Work-in-Progress posted on my cubicle wall at work. It's there to motivate me, to remind me to go home and finish it, not relax and eat Pringles on the couch.

Some days it works, some days it doesn't.

It's a fun, colorful cover for a book of non-fiction essays called "Mom Tales," and it was designed by Chuck Todd, a very talented artist friend of mine. You can see more of Chuck's work by clicking here.

Chuck's cover is eye-catching, and it caught the eye of a co-worker, who stopped to ask me about it, and about writing in general.

It had been a frustrating morning at work - nothing horrible, just a lot of petty annoyances. My co-worker and I were both in need of distraction.

So we ended up talking a lot about writing. And not just about "Mom Tales" - about lots of things. He talked about screenplays.

I talked about murder mysteries: about plotting them, creating them, thinking of ways to kill off characters.

It only dawned on me later that I didn't know that particular colleague very well, and it was quite possible that I sounded like a homicidal maniac.

But hopefully, a creative one.