Photo Credit: John Stoke, 2014, Green Bank Observatory Flickr Setting in any story is, or should be, just as important as any character. It may not have motivations and goals like a character (or maybe it can?), but it can help convey themes, act as an obstacle, or represent something Read more
As I switch gears back into prep for book two, I recently revisited my writing reference crutch, Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. There are plenty of books about writing, story structure, and methodologies for turning your idea into a story. Besides Save the Cat!, Stephen King’s On Writing, and Read more
I’m not having it right now. Not yet at least. Right now, I’m being lazy and procrastinating or finding some other task to do instead of writing. Maybe I’m doing that because I actually don’t know what to write? Shit, do I have writer’s block? No. You can’t have writer’s Read more
One of the key elements of creating compelling characters is finding their motivation. Whether it be internal, external and/or both (ideally), character motivations are what drive them to make decisions about the obstacles thrown at them. This creates conflict which creates drama which creates an interested reader. Even if they Read more
I’m very behind on my goal of a book a week but made up some ground in July, August not so much. Another mixed month of sci-fi and detectives. My favorite combo. Anyways, September is around the corner, I’ll see if I can get back on track. In the meantime Read more
So you wrote and launched a book, great! But does anyone know about it? I launched HOST on 08.01.23, it’s crazy to think it’s been out for almost a month already, and I feel like the work is just getting started. Marketing, sales, promotions are key to getting the word Read more
I love music. I know, that’s equivalent to someone saying I love movies, or I love breathing. It’s also a terrible thing to write on a dating app, but people still write it (tip: be specific). When it comes to music, I’ll give everything a shot (unless it’s pop country, Read more
It’s been a week since I released HOST and so far response has been good. Mostly pushing to friends and family with plans for wider reach over the next few weeks. Hoping to leverage everyone for reviews and ratings. This portion of the project, the sales, marketing and promoting, is Read more
It’s alive! It’s a little surreal but I’m excited as friends and family have started to reach out. Many of which helped make this thing happen. Above is the proof for the Amazon hardcover version (hence the “not for resale” tag), but it’s also available in paperback (Amazon for now Read more
It’s finally here! I just received hardcover and paperback proofs and I’m excited about how they came out. I’ve been walking around my apartment with the hardcover placing it on different surfaces, coffee table, bookshelf, bedside table, on a chair, in the kitchen, in the refrigerator. No one ever mentioned Read more