As I’m writing this, my handyman is cleaning and organizing my garage. Or I should say he was because he just came to say he’s finished. And the garage looks great. He sorted everything by purpose and frequency of use. I would have had a very hard time getting this job completed so quickly. Not […]
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This Writer's Wish for You
May all your Monsters live within the pages of your Books. May Opportunity knock loudly and often. May Creativity apply for a permanent visa and reside forever in your mind. May everything you write fill you with Joy. May children and adults be touched by your Words. May you find Peace in your chosen Work. […]
Where in the World Are Your Characters? Setting the Scene
I’ve read and edited at least a dozen stories lately in which the author fails to reveal where the story takes place. Each of the stories could have been happening anywhere, given the lack of specific detail. It sounds unimportant. However, knowing where a story takes place creates a deeper understanding of the character’s actions, […]
Day Fourteen – Branded: Your Face in the World
One thing is sure. We’re responsible for our own success. Therefore, we will brand ourselves, and do it gladly and brilliantly. Today, publishers don’t allocate time or money to promote every single book that leaves their house. The sheer volume of books published each day means the publisher reserves its support for their biggest clients. The […]
Book Review: Speculation by Edmund Jorgensen. Plus, Gift Card or Autographed Copy up for Grabs!
As anyone would, upon hearing that the Law Offices of X, Y and Z were calling, philosophy professor Andy Wrangles suspects he’s the recipient of a prank call. He soon learns that not only is the law firm real, but that he is a beneficiary in the will of a long-time friend. Still determined that there is some […]
Claim It, Shout It: I Am A Writer!
Is yours the only house on the block with a window still lit at 2:00 a.m.? If that light were not casting a golden glow across your backyard when he comes home from swing shift, would the deputy sheriff living next-door break down the door to see if you are lying in a pool of […]
Helping Shape a New Concept for Books: Final Hours of the Steampunk Holmes Kickstarter Campaign
How do you best absorb information? Are you a hands-on person, needing to disassemble an engine on the workbench in order to understand how it works? Do you reach greater understanding when you hear the mechanic describe the flow of fuel through the injector to the engine? Or, do you want to see the directions […]
Gone Visiting
I’m guest posting on Novel Publicity & Company today. Let’s go visit them! Thanks, Emlyn, for the invitation.
Keeping the Covenant: It Takes Work
There’s one reality we cannot repudiate. Without a steady diet of well-spun stories, without examples of both fine word craft and cringe-worthy phrases, we can’t understand what makes a story work. Glance over your bookshelves… you do have multiple shelves, don’t you? Which books do you hoard to savor multiple times? I’m betting they’re the […]