“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”
Tag Archives: Novel
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)”
Awesome Day #3 — Finishing a book
Yesterday was day #3 of my 8 day ‘stay-cation’. Except for going to see X-men (it was great!), I spent the rest of the day working on my novel Fall Street. It’s not done yet, but it’s getting closer. As a writer, there’s a special feeling as you get toward the end of a book,Continue reading “Awesome Day #3 — Finishing a book”
Awesome Day #2 — A Writer’s Paradise
Yesterday was day 2 of my 8 day ‘stay-cation’. I left home briefly for a delectable Depalmas lunch, and took a 7.5 mile cycle ride in the evening. The rest of the day? Writing! (and Watching X-Men First Class in prep for the new movie). I decided to chart out all I wanted/needed to doContinue reading “Awesome Day #2 — A Writer’s Paradise”
How to Start Living the Life of Your Dreams Today
This is about to be a huge cop out because the answer to the question above is to remove the first two words from the title of this piece — there’s your answer. But hopefully my explanation will be more satisfying. There’s a lot of dithering, planning, dreaming, whiteboard and index card use, and fantasizingContinue reading “How to Start Living the Life of Your Dreams Today”
10 Tips for Building Believable Love Stories
Love stories are popular, eternal, and some of readers’ favorite plots. So why are they so rarely good (or as good as they could be)? I think because we often don’t believe in the romance, in the characters, in the story. But the good news is that it’s easy to send your love story from lukewarmContinue reading “10 Tips for Building Believable Love Stories”
How to Make February the New January
“Get your hero up a tree, throw stones at him, then get him down.” — old saying in playwriting So, a month ago, I was real excited. And then what happened? Life. Those who know me know I haven’t been myself lately. I have been quiet and tired. Since January, my sister and I have hadContinue reading “How to Make February the New January”
Are You Selling What I’m Buying?
If you’re an author today (or any sort of entrepreneurial business person) this is truly a wonderful time to be alive. The freedom and power given by the internet is unprecedented. But for authors, all that power comes with great responsibility. How to you make yourself heard, rise above the masses, and sell books withoutContinue reading “Are You Selling What I’m Buying?”
Stay Extraordinary 