My goal for today is simple: finish the last two chapters of Infinity’s Reach. I got a lot done on Friday. I added some material in the early chapters that I felt was missing, I finished up chapter 27 and I wrote chapter 28. Now the end is in sight. This is the exciting–and scary–part. … More The Last Mile
The grades are handed in. The magazine articles are with the designer. I have locked my office door and told people that I am not available (actually, I lied and said I would be gone. But there’s “gone” and there’s GONE). And so I gratefully take off my professorial and editorial hat and don my … More At Last…
Just a quick note to draw your attention to a great blog by another indie publisher, Catherine Ryan Howard. There’s some really good info here is you are trying to learn how to self publish. Here is a link to her blog. Enjoy.
Here’s another good reason to consider independent publishing: I just received my royalty check for a book I have with a traditional publisher. It has been out there a while, isn’t being promoted, and is close to the end of its run. The check was for $43 for 296 books sold. I figured out that … More Simple Arithmetic
Yesterday I had a hankering for some good old science fiction action, so I pulled the movie “The Chronicles of Riddick” out of my collection and watched it yesterday and this morning. I have seen the movie several times, but apparently I hadn’t watched this particular DVD. It was a Director’s Cut. I usually cringe … More Less Is (Usually) More
I’m in good spirits this morning. I’ve been struggling with completing articles for the Spring issue of Spirit magazine, the alumni magazine that I edit. This morning, since my wife had to get up early and go to work, I got up with her. I always think more clearly in the morning, especially when I … More Wrestling with the Titans
I haven’t been able to do any work on my book projects lately because of my other duties. I am frantically trying to complete the last few articles for my university’s alumni magazine. The articles are due Friday, and from the beginning, when I went into the Planning Committee meeting with one idea and came … More The Ugly Stepchild
I was listening to NPR this morning while I was in pursuit of a rumor of free firewood (a story for another time). They were talking about research on happiness. The question came up: does having children REALLY make you happier? Research showed that the acts involved in taking care of children actually ranked pretty … More Happiness Is a Warm Keyboard
I spent two years in research and then development of a national magazine that only lived a year. It was a traumatic ending of two of the hardest, best years of my life. The magazine was, I still believe, one of the best to ever come out of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But like a … More When Bad Things Happen to Good Stories
In the movie “Rocky III,” the fighter Rocky Balboa loses his title of Heavyweight Champion of the World to Clubber Lang, played by Mr. T. To get it back, Rocky Balboa agrees to be trained by Apollo Creed, his former rival. Creed takes Balboa to Los Angeles, back to the streets where he grew up. … More The One Essential Ingredient to Your Success as a Writer
The Great Adventure 