Shaking off the Cobwebs

After a year of not writing, I am back in front of the keyboard, working on book #26. I use the term working loosely for two reasons. First, because like most writers, I am finding every excuse in the book to procrastinate and do everything else but write. I tolerate that to a certain degree … More Shaking off the Cobwebs

The Root of All Evil

People say that the Root of All Evil is the love of money. But I’ll wager that it’s just money, period. The fact that we need it, and most of us don’t have it. Right now, it’s pretty much running my life. And I’m sick of it. I’m not writing right now. Okay, I’ve admitted … More The Root of All Evil

Getting Things Done

My wife says that I’m a very productive person. But I know the truth. I’m just as much a procrastinator as everyone else. Take, for example, my latest project. It’s been on the drawing board for at least two years, if not more. We live in Texas, which means the ground moves, and our foundation … More Getting Things Done

Sacred Hours

I love it when I am obsessed with a story I’m writing. My wife? Not so much. I call it being in the zone. Obsession leads to loads and loads of productivity. My wife calls it being zombified. That’s the time when she can’t keep an adult conversation going with me because my mind is … More Sacred Hours

Beyond the Big Picture

One of the websites I’ve gotten quite fond of is quora.com. It’s simply a forum where people can ask questions or go and answer other people’s questions. I get asked a lot of questions about writing there, and get to ask professionals questions that help me in the writing of my books. Yesterday someone asked … More Beyond the Big Picture

From Vermont to Egypt: The Co-Authoring Adventure Continues

I just got to my office after spending the early morning (1) hacking out the first few words in my part of our new novel; and (2) struggling to understand how to make Scrivener work for two authors long distance. As I have mentioned here before, my next book is a co-authored project with Celeste … More From Vermont to Egypt: The Co-Authoring Adventure Continues

Bring It On!

Many people, including my students, don’t know that I was heavy into music for a large part of my life. In high school I was in the elite singing group for my school and did my first solo at the last program of my senior year. In college I began writing music and performing with … More Bring It On!

Recluse

Yesterday was a good day to write. And then there’s today. I was late in getting to the office, with my mind on taking up on writing where I left off. But right away I was contacted with a couple of emergencies dealing with the University’s website. In the middle of this, I remembered that … More Recluse