One of the things I have noticed in the past couple of years is how many buildings, memorials, parks, etc. that Our Fearless Leader in Washington has put his name on. Even John F. Kennedy can’t hold onto an art center without a modern president wanting to share its glory. But what I see happening … More Writing and Immortality
Distractions. The big D. The bane of most writers. I deal with it a lot for two reasons. One, I never got in the habit of writing every morning, like I should do. If I did, I would probably have a ritual that eliminated a lot of those distractions. Or maybe not. Secondly, I practice … More How to Deal with Distractions…Squirrel!
The Triumph of the Sun by Wilbur Smith. 659 pages. Zaffre Books. I have read other books by Wilbur Smith before, but this book really surprised me in a couple of ways. Smith is well known as one of the premier historical novelists, especially when it comes to 19th Century Britain in the African continent. … More Review: “The Triumph of the Sun” by Wilbur Smith
Book reviews are tricky. Every author looks for them, wants them, needs them, because they give them credibility. I have had many people tell me how much they like my books, but when I ask them to write a review, it’s like pulling teeth to get anything out of them. I don’t know if they … More How to Write a Decent Review
I’m currently reading a great book by Wilbur Smith about the siege of Khartoum and the battle of Omdurman in 1884 entitled The Triumph of the Sun. When I finish it, I will be sure to include a review here. But the reason I mention it today is because of the topic of location. Where … More Have You Ever Been to….?
One of the dangers of writing a series where the heroes of your stories go after Biblical artifacts is that you have to make sure the artifacts are known to the reader. In the Foundation series that we are working on, we started off with Salome’s Charger. It told a story of the charger–platter–that held … More So…What’s a Urim? What’s a Thummim?
There are several phases I go through when I am writing–actually writing–my rough draft of a book. The first is the honeymoon phase. That’s when you have this “brilliant” idea that is burning a hole in your mind and you can’t wait to share it with the world. It usually last for about the length … More Getting Rid of an Ugly Stepchild
One of the best things about writing a book is that you are your own boss. You sit in a room–or a coffee shop, or outside on a patio, or wherever–and come up with the words and sentences that help others reconstruct the ideas that are festering in your mind. It’s a challenge, but it’s … More The Joys and Travails of Collaboration
I’ve mentioned here before that early on as a writer I was stymied by those “pros” who insisted that unless you write every day–every single day of your life–you couldn’t consider yourself a serious writer. It depressed me for a long time until I came to the conclusion that the only the real thing that … More The Pros and Cons of Immersive Writing
A few days ago, I went to the dentist. I was sitting in the lobby, waiting my turn, with two other men and a woman probably in her 40s. She started talking about her brother being in prison. He was in year seven of a ten-year sentence for shooting a girlfriend in the eye with … More Out of My League
