I often tell the story of when I wrote my first book. I finished it, printed off the manuscript, put it in a nice envelope, addressed it, put the proper postage on it, then promptly let it lie on my desk for the next two weeks. The editors had already expressed interest in it, but … More When It’s Time to Write the Last Chapter
Well, yesterday was a godsend. I got an incredible amount of writing done, and at the end of the day I found myself just three chapters away from having my first draft of Tesla’s Ghost completed. Of course, the way I write, I’ve saved the hardest chapters for last, but that’s probably to be expected. … More Almost There
I’ve been rambling on about my current project, Tesla’s Ghost for quite a while, and I’m pleased to say that I’m coming close to having the first draft completed. It’s not like any story I’ve ever written, and I hope readers get as excited about it when I release it sometime later this year. But … More Tesla’s Ghost: Meet the Family
I’m the kind of writer that likes to have a pretty good idea of where my story is going before I sit down to write. My first book wasn’t that way, and I spent two years wandering in the wilderness before “Star Bounty” (I still cringe as I write this) was finished. It was a … More Listen to Your Characters
Some days you eat the bear. Some days the bear eats you. -Unknown For those who have been following this blog for any reasonable amount of time, my latest literary battle goes by the name of Tesla’s Ghost. I’m one of those guys who is quick to take up a challenge, and this has been … More Writing Backwards
The writing project I am currently working on, for a variety of reasons, has been a task of fits and starts. But we will get there. Yesterday I came home early to an empty house. My first inclination was to kick back and watch TV or get back into my game of Skyrim on my … More By the Numbers
Every good idea I ever had, I stole from someone else. It’s a truism I made up and recited time and time again over the years to student writers. The idea is that every idea is not original, but is a synthesis of what you see and hear and experience every day of your life. … More The Price of Being Honest
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. Anchor Books. 237 pages. As a writer, and as a writing teacher, I am always looking for books that teach writing. And there are lots of them out there. Like life, it seems like everyone has advice to give (including myself; my book … More Review: “Bird by Bird” By Anne Lamott
There was a time when I used to study for classes in front of the TV, music playing in the background, often while speaking on the phone. I could even do it with other people in the room doing their own thing, often loudly. Not any longer. I was young then, and for some reason, … More Distracted
I am currently writing what I consider the worst book I have ever written. But on the other hand, I am writing it. After all, according to Anne Lamott, writers have to give themselves permission to write a “shitty first draft” (her words, not mine). Because if you don’t give yourself that permission, in many … More Dealing with Ugly Stepchildren and Other Realities of Writing Life
