Hey Folks, If you’re in southern Arizona and you’re serious about being a writer, here’s a chance to start your new year off right. I’m offering a one-day intensive on How to Write the Character-Driven Story. This information will be valid for any length of fiction from a short story to a novel. Subtopics will include Getting the Idea Selecting a Main (POV) Character Selecting a Genre The Seven-Point Plot Outline The Five-Senses Exercise Writing Setting … Read more
A long while back, I posted that if you’re writing and you get bogged down, you should just write the next sentence, then write the next sentence, and so on. Soon you’ll be back in the flow of your story and you can forge ahead. There’s one proviso—that “next sentence” should come directly from your subconscious (creative) mind. In other words, you shouldn’t force it and think about it and make it read just so. You … Read more
First, a public service announcement, especially for avid readers: if you’re going to be in or near Green Valley on December 6, I hope you’ll stop by to see me and a lot of other local and regional authors at the annual Meet the Authors Book Fair. That’s next Saturday, December 6, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Desert Hills Lutheran Church at 2150 South Camino Del Sol in Green Valley. I’ll have my new … Read more
Hey Folks, A few strong resources— If you’re serious about your work as a writer, check these out: http://deanwesleysmith.com—The resource-rich website of Dean Wesley Smith, my own unintentional mentor and one of the most prolific writers in America. While you’re there, check out the Think Like a Publisher and Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing tabs. I also recommend checking out his Online Workshops tab and his Lecture Series tab. Also while you’re there, remember that … Read more
Hi Folks, First, a salute to my brothers and sisters in the United States Marine Corps—Happy 239th birthday—and a respectful toast to our brothers and sisters in the other US armed forces as well as friends in the ROK Marines and the Corps of Royal Marines. May your days be vibrant, your evenings calm, your heart safe and warm at home. Okay, on to business. As I write this, I just finished my first novel. It’s … Read more
Hi Folks, If you live in southeast Arizona and you are an aspiring writer who can’t seem to find time to write has never heard of Heinlein’s Rules HAS heard of Heinlein’s Rules but have amended them because you think they’re too good to be true believe you have to “polish” your work before publication believe you have to rewrite X number of times before publication believe you have to write X number of drafts before … Read more
Hi Folks, Well, here it is. Today is the day we celebrate Columbus Day, although it’s actually one day later than the actual date on which Christopher Columbus was falsely credited with “discovering” America. Of course, in order to give some of us an extra day off per year, we have to conveniently ignore (or at the most honest, set aside) the one big, overriding question: How can anyone “discover” a land in which other people … Read more
Hi Folks, Now that I’ve retired as a copyeditor and resigned my position as General Manager of the Universe, I have more time for my own writing. Fortunately, I can also focus on teaching writing to those who are serious about becoming professional writers. Most of my mechanics and techniques seminars (the ones I’ve taught all these years in Tucson, Bisbee, Green Valley and Willcox) are available online in my Audio Lecture Series. If you want … Read more
Hi Folks, I have this pasted across all three of my computer screens as a picture on the desktop (21″ editing monitor, 14″ business computer monitor, 12″ writing ‘puter monitor). I don’t write every day, but I *want* to write every day, and I do write most days for at least one hour. Usually that becomes two or three hours, and when it wants to, I let it. If you’d like a copy of this (it’s … Read more
Hi Folks, Know how I can tell immediately that I’m in a room full of writers? I listen. It takes all of maybe two minutes, in a room full of writers, to hear several excuses about why they can’t write. Most of these begin with “Oh I’d love to write more often, but I have a job; So and So is expecting me to [help him move, mow the yard, fill in the blank]; I have … Read more