I enjoy teaching writing, although as I freely admit to students, one does not actually “teach” another to write. You can guide them, make suggestions, demonstrate technique, but the bottom line is that one learns to be a writer, by, as someone put it, “applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the … More Dress Rehearsal
As you probably know, I’ve committed to running an indie publishing empire since the beginning of 2012. So far, no one is getting rich, but as they say, it’s all a matter of time. And that’s the rub. I need time to write all those gorgeous books. I need even more time to edit and … More Your Most Valuable Asset
If you caught my blog yesterday, you will know that I have been debating for a while what my next writing project will be. I finished five books in 2013, chief among them the Champion Trilogy I came out with during the summer. Since that time, I have been considering myriad possibilities, some more realistic … More Learning from the Past
There was a day when I could study for classes, read a book, listen to music, carry on a conversation and watch TV…all at the same time. But as I steadily become longer in the tooth, I find it harder to concentrate on things creative when other stuff is going on in my life. I … More Back In the Saddle…I Think
I’m one of those guys who has more ideas than he has time to exploit those ideas. Retirement is coming one of these days, and my hope is that I will finally take the time to turn these kernels of stories into fully fledged novels. In the meantime, I came across the idea of writing … More One Mind, Many Options
Writing is a mind game. As I have mentioned before, writing is about 80 percent psychological. After 40 years of writing, I have a semblance of mastery over grammar, vocabulary and use of words. What challenges me the most is seeing the story, and putting it in a logical structure. That’s not quite so bad … More Better Than Sex
Yesterday I wrote about getting started on your next book, how intimidating it can be and how important it is to just start, regardless of quality. And then I followed my own advice, and started my new book. Now I have the prologue, but don’t know where to go from there. Well, two things have … More I’ve Started. Now What?
I was just cleaning out my email inbox, and I came across a video that my wife Shelly sent me for safekeeping. It was of our grandson, Gavin, when he was probably less than a year old. He’s in one of those seats that has the wheels so that he can push himself across the … More Watch That First Step
I was listening to National Public Radio on the way to work this morning, and caught the tail end of a feature on the Gettysburg Address. Apparently, today is the 150th anniversary of its reading. There’s a lot of mythology that has built up around it, one of them being that Abraham Lincoln wrote it … More Less Is More. Small Is Big.
It’s been a hectic couple of weeks, and my dreams for National Novel Writing Month have pretty much been a shipwreck, but I was able to accomplish one pretty good thing during that time. Last night, I successfully launched my 16th book title. The Last Supper is a collection of short stories that I will … More Announcing…(drum roll) Book Number 16
The Great Adventure 