Archive

  • Setting Your Own Pace: The Importance of Not Comparing Your Productivity to Others

    It’s so easy to look at the writing community and be amazed at the writers who churn out novels like nobody’s business. A novel per year, two novels, even three! How can anyone hope to compete with that kind of productivity? For those of us just starting out, we may feel a burden being placed… Read more

  • No, It is Not Genius. You’re Not Genius. There is No Genius Here.

    What is a word you feel that too many people use? I have … several … words that I believe have seeped into the social fabric as overused and overrated vocabulary. Words used so often they don’t have any meaning left except as placeholders or hollow props to push a point. But one word I,… Read more

  • Publishing and Budgeting

    As writers, we are doing something that we love. We also know that writing comes with wearisome but necessary tasks, such as budgeting. This is especially true if you’re self-publishing. As annoying as managing your budget can be, it is vital to getting your book onto the market. Here are a few tips I picked… Read more

  • Just Like Ping-Pong: Crafting Conflict Between Hero and Villain

    Let’s assume for a moment that we’re talking about a story featuring classic good versus evil. There’s a hero and a villain. They struggle with each other for victory. What makes the story good? Lots of things, but interest is a biggie. We like interesting stories. Inversely, we avoid boring stories. What makes an interesting… Read more

  • Music While I Work

    What do you listen to while you work? I’m no music afficionado or expert. If you ask me what type of music I like best, I’ll probably only manage something banal like “The music that sounds best to me” or “I like what I like.” I have a pretty broad taste in music, though it… Read more

  • A Writer’s Lament

    My friends and family know I’m a writer. They know that I’ve published one book and am currently working on a second. That arouses interest, and it invites a question. It’s a question I never feel I can adequately answer: “How’s your book coming along?” What do I say? Do I delve into the complexities… Read more