A week or so ago, I “finished” the first draft of a book I have been wanting to write for several years. It was a massive undertaking, and as with several other books that I have written before, part of the reason why I hadn’t written it before is because I was somewhat intimidated by … More When Your Best Isn’t Good Enough
I am at the last scene of my major book project, Never Say Die, that I have been writing for six months and planning for several years. I am thirty-two chapters and 350 pages in, and now the responsibility comes to wrap up the story in a big bright bow and come up with a … More This is the end…wait…THIS is the end.
You’ve had them to yourself for a long time. Perhaps years. You’ve done your best by them. You’ve tried to raise them up right. But face it. You don’t know everything. It’s time to call in the professionals. I’m talking, of course, about when it comes time to send your manuscript off to an editor. … More Sending the Kids Off to School
The Shadow of the Gryphon by Lara Lee. 345 pages. Bite-Sized Exegesis. As part of the speculative Christian fiction thread on Goodreads I belong to, I was asked to review Lara Lee’s Christian fantasy book, The Shadow of the Gryphon. Here’s the Amazon summary: Join three travelers on a witty adventure set in an exotic … More Review: “The Shadow of the Gryphon” by Lara Lee
Yesterday I had the joy of giving final approval on the cover for The Key of Solomon, something I will be unveiling a week from today. And it got me thinking about something that happened more than 20 years ago. Back in the 90s, I was a book editor in Idaho–among other things–and a magazine … More Selling the Whole Package
I’ve never been a detail person. I consider myself a generalist, and have a reputation of getting a great deal of work done fast. The problem is that I find the details sometimes lacking when you focus on getting volumes of work done. It seems odd for me, a person with several decades’ experience as … More The Devil Is In the Details
Don’t get me wrong. Criticism hurts. It probably hurts me more than most people. I have always had a need to seek approval from other people, to feel that people like me. But I also know that I will never improve as a writer unless I know where I make mistakes. After 40 years in … More In Search of Criticism
I can’t find the reference right now, but someone, somewhere wrote–and I quoted it quite recently: “You don’t learn how to write a book. You just learn how to write the book you are writing.” I wish I could remember who said it, and if I am getting the words exactly right, but you get … More It Doesn’t Get Any Easier
Tesla’s Ghost is almost ready for my Beta readers. Actually, it would have been ready if real life hadn’t gotten in the way. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. The reality is, I have an ending problem. I’ve written a book with actually three endings. Sounds weird, but it’s true. One storyline happens … More This is the end….No, THIS is the end!
Tesla’s Ghost is currently in the editing phase. I’ve finished the first draft–rough draft, or crap draft if you will–and now I’m trying to make my new darling as presentable as possible. When you’re just beginning writing, you’re enamored simply by the fact that you were able to complete something. Hey, look at me; I … More On the Cutting Room Floor
