I am making progress on my NaNoWriMo project, “Infinity’s Reach.” Today I am working on chapter 13. On one hand, I am eager to share it with people who have been cheering me on. On the other hand, as I write quickly, I realize there are many things I want to fix and change. So … More Progress
Today is the last day of October, and tomorrow morning marks the beginning of National Novel Writing Month. For those who know NaNoWriMo, you’re know what’s going through my mind right now. Anticipation. Excitement. Wonder if I am making a terrible mistake. It’s a major commitment of time, energy and patience–both of you and those … More Last gasp. NaNoWriMo, here I come!
From a marketing standpoint, success in any endeavor where you’re selling a commodity is primarily a matter of linking the right audience or customer with the right product. There are two ways to do this. One way is to develop a product and then find someone to buy it. The plus of this is that … More Finding Your Audience
Week six in my Drama Writing class, and we are making the transition from stage play writing to screenplay writing. As I have said from the very beginning, we are blessed with two great textbooks, and I am learning a lot not only about scriptwriting, but about novel writing as well. One of the words … More How Spectacular Are You?
“This above all: to thine own self be true.” –William Shakespeare I suffered through the typical teenage years. I was pretty insecure about who I was, and was eager to be accepted into “the inner circle.” And so I was constantly trying to reinvent myself. One week I would go for the cool surfer look … More The Trap of Reinvention
I paused. The night was filled with the sound of crickets and running water from the river. A pale sliver of moon jutted over the distant hills, and the stars littered the night sky. “Go on,” Infinity urged me. “That’s…that’s all I remember,” I muttered, feeling ashamed. “Well, that’s a start,” Infinity said. “More will … More Ch. 7: Howls in the Night
When the cute guy in a suit and shades pulled Infinity out of class, I was immediately curious as to what gives. Course, our fearsome foursome—and maybe Devin—were the only ones who really knew who Infinity’s Daddy was. Devin used to make a big joke about it with us, said she didn’t really have to … More Chapter 6: Get a Horse!
I was surprised recently to read that of all the writing genres, Fantasy required the most structure. But as I thought about it, it makes sense. You are asking the reader to suspend disbelief, but in order to do that, you have to establish rules for your own created universe, and then stick by them. … More World Building
I’d been joking when I mentioned McDonalds, but Finn knew I wasn’t kidding about being hungry. My hypoglycemia was kicking in, and I knew that if I didn’t get something to eat soon, I would either become a very cranky person or collapse on the trail we were following. Finn didn’t want to stop and … More Chapter 5: Burgers with No Fries
Two days of rest made a world of difference for me and Infinity. We barely had had the strength to make it up the hill where Evangelist was camped out, but in two days I felt like I was ready to hike across the United States, which it sounded like was Evangelist’s plan from the … More Ch. 4: No Rest for the Weary
The Great Adventure 