What I Learned the Hard Way My first novel (the soon to be released yet untitled fantasy) took me 6 years to write. One reason was that at times I worked on some other major…
Shortly after I started working on my novel, I drew a sketch of the world that I was creating. It was a bad one. But it was enough to keep me oriented. So I didn’t…
Ever wonder why people are the way they are? I do. Maybe that’s why I enjoy creating backstory for my characters. This week I started writing a short story about James, who plays…
I’m often asked how I come up with my ideas. Good question. Sometimes I sit down and try to conjure up the most awesome idea. Half an hour of concentrated brainstorming usually doesn’t get…
I’m so inspired. And envious. And impatient. Why am I feeling all these things at once? Vera Nazarian, author of the Atlantis Grail series, just posted a pair of YouTube videos. In them, she’s reading…
When I was three, my mother gave me one of the best gifts anyone has ever given me. That gift was the ability to learn to read. This gift opened up the world of…
So it’s January 10. I’m still not in the work groove. Not for lack of intending to. I wish I could say I’ve been trying. That’s true, sort of. This should be me: Instead, this…
Hiring a ghostwriter can be one of the best decisions you ever made. Then again, it can become a horrifying experience, for both of you. Your ghostwriter speaks for you, putting your ideas out there,…
I’ve read all kinds of books and blog posts that tell me how to be a better writer. Show, don’t tell. Cut out adverbs. Don’t give too much backstory. But give enough so the reader…
Nearly every article I read about marketing books starts with the same idea: identify your ideal reader. Which makes sense. If we have a picture in our minds of who our ideal reader is, we…