21
03, 2014
Dissecting the difficulties of writing a sequel
A writer’s mind can be a dangerous thing. Perhaps the most notorious forms of self-sabotage are writer’s block and a related syndrome: the sophomore slump.
12
02, 2014
A sad ending to our self-publishing tale
An unfortunate truth about experiments: they often end in failure.
21
11, 2013
Self-publishing: a seldom-told story
Here’s the good news: self-publishing puts authors in control of nearly every aspect of the publishing process. That’s also the bad news.
22
08, 2013
Building a better book title
Titles represent anywhere from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of words. They have to be worthy of all that hard work you put into your short story, novella or novel. And they must be marketable.
5
06, 2013
What’s in a (brand) name?
When one first decides to become a novelist, many important questions come to mind: What kind of stories should I write? Should I use my real name or invent something better? Can I pull off the pipe and beard look?
4
03, 2013
The ‘cons’ of writing collaborations
Whenever I imagine my future novels sitting on a bookshelf, I see my full name on the spine. Mine and mine alone.
5
12, 2012
Storytelling can take many forms
Some of the characters I’ve enjoyed writing about the most are an inch and a half tall.
25
09, 2012
Don’t let minor characters usurp your MS
At a recent Allied Authors of Wisconsin meeting, I was thrilled to receive unanimously positive feedback on a particular character in the chapter I read. The only problem is all that praise went to a pretty minor character who appears in just one scene in the entire novel and doesn’t even have a name.
6
09, 2012
Want to write? Get a life!
Close your eyes and imagine a writer. What do you see? A free-spirited young woman writing in a leather-bound journal beneath a tree?
29
05, 2012
When it comes to writing, how much planning is too much?
If the first draft allows the writer to indulge in a carefree orgy of imagination, a Wild West of whimsy, and a devil-may-care series of experiments, then the editing process demands the writer to abstain, rein it in, and exorcise a host of demons.