“Why did you pick that genre? Why fantasy?” It is almost a strange question to me, like ‘Why do you breathe air?’ Though of course, sometimes I don’t breathe air — sometimes I hold my breath and swim deep into the seas of historical fiction or Gothic romance. But I always resurface soon enough, alwaysContinue reading “Why I Write Fantasy: A Post About Possibilities, Magic, and He-Man”
Category Archives: Writing
What’s Your ’10’ Career?
Just a couple of days ago I sat down to make a business plan while waiting in a Chinese restaurant for my takeout order to cook (tip: if you can’t figure out a surefire plan for your business in ten minutes, then why bother? 😉 The only thing I had time to do was make aContinue reading “What’s Your ’10’ Career?”
The Inelegant Balance Between Being Right and Becoming Better
Now, we all want to be right — to be smart, admired, to think for ourselves and not let anything sway our convictions. But at a certain point does certainty inhibit progress? I’ve been asking myself this question a lot this year. Firstly, as I move forward toward becoming a professional writer, I have startedContinue reading “The Inelegant Balance Between Being Right and Becoming Better”
How to Tune Out the Noise
I recently led a class about ‘How to Reevaluate Your Life’. Some readers will remember that I’ve talked about this topic a couple of times before and so I felt pretty confident. I printed handouts, talked for over an hour, and thought I’d covered my bases pretty well. Then — during the Q & AContinue reading “How to Tune Out the Noise”
2015: 10 Things That Are Inspiring My Writing
Even though the year isn’t over yet, I’m so excited about the things that are exhilarating me and moving my writing forward that I just had to share them (note: no real spoilers here, just a few lines of non-revealing dialogue) — #1 — Hannibal Hopefully season three isn’t the end, but if it wasContinue reading “2015: 10 Things That Are Inspiring My Writing”
The SELF-PRINTED 3.0 Splash
As anyone who is interested in writing and has ever been trapped with me in a elevator, car, or coffee shop meeting room knows, I’m a HUGE fan of Catherine Ryan Howard. When I was getting started in self publishing, I realized I was still stuck in the ‘vanity press’ mindset of old and didn’tContinue reading “The SELF-PRINTED 3.0 Splash”
What Inspires You Most?
When I saw author Rob White‘s list of books that have influenced his writing most (in no particular order), I knew I had to make my own list. And I encourage you to do the same. Whether you’re a painter, writer, musician, etc, the way you create today probably owes a lot to something youContinue reading “What Inspires You Most?”
A History of a Writer
I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember and, as I’m turning 35 in a few months, it looks like the odds are good I’ll be telling them for the rest of my life (not just gonna yell ‘That’s it! I’m done!’ as I blow out my birthday candles). But howContinue reading “A History of a Writer”
How To Write a Book (Part 2 of 2)
Here’s the second half of my guide to book writing — How to Write — a Practical Timeline Here’s the nitty-gritty of how I get to ‘The End’: Get an idea. You might be reading a news article, or a another novel, watching a film, or daydreaming a ‘what if’ and it gets you —Continue reading “How To Write a Book (Part 2 of 2)”
How To Write a Book (Part 1 of 2)
Somewhere in your heart you know it. Maybe this is a recent dream, but quite likely it’s been kicking around in your subconscious for some time and every once in a while, when reading a new book, or hearing an author interview, or thinking about your lifetime goals it comes to the surface — youContinue reading “How To Write a Book (Part 1 of 2)”
Stay Extraordinary 