I’ve been waiting to announce this, but a science fiction short story I wrote a while back entitled Rust has been published in the online literary magazine Literary Juice. I’m so excited to be published by this excellent magazine, and now you can finally read this story that was the stuff of my nightmares. Find the storyContinue reading “My New Short Story “Rust” Is Published in Literary Juice”
Tag Archives: arts
The Key To Writing Strong Female Characters
I have written a few blog posts about the problem of women being used as objects in fiction, much less film, and as the father of three daughters I find this method of writing about women or the portrayal of women in film disgusting. What I’m writing about here is not “empowerment” or the advocationContinue reading “The Key To Writing Strong Female Characters”
It’s A Writer’s Job To Be Rejected
If you write much and submit often, you probably have a drawer full or a room full of rejection notices. Today’s post is to encourage you a little by pulling together a few famous rejection notices… not that the rejection notices are famous, but that people who were rejected. Here they are: Ernest Hemingway –Continue reading “It’s A Writer’s Job To Be Rejected”
Removing Delusions: Positive Character Role Models
As a writer with children I am always thinking about the characters I create in my novels and how they might be seen by young children or teens. My books are written with adults in mind, but it seems that more and more teens are reading my them, especially the books that are adventure storiesContinue reading “Removing Delusions: Positive Character Role Models”
Writing An Ending First
My latest work in progress, Come Apart, has been a year long experiment to see if I could write the final chapter of a book first and then build the rest of the novel around that final chapter. I can tell you that the progress has been a challenge. This all started when I read Pines by BlakeContinue reading “Writing An Ending First”
Workaday Writer: The Marathon Writing Weekend
I have an awesome wife. I absolutely have to put this out there. Without her I wouldn’t be able to write the books I write. You see, I also have four children. I am extremely involved in their lives and love every minute of raising them (even the pre-teen drama). Yet, I am a writerContinue reading “Workaday Writer: The Marathon Writing Weekend”
Writing With Juxtaposed Tones
The past few nights, while working on my current WIP, I discovered that I was nearly subconsciously doing something with my prose that was at the same time fascinating as it was a personal best. I wrote using two juxtaposed tones. I will not post the chapter in question on this blog as I amContinue reading “Writing With Juxtaposed Tones”
When Do You Hit Your Stride?
Writing a novel like writing anything is hard work. It takes determination, skill and careful planning to get a novel off the ground. It is definitely not like writing a short story or a poem because of the sheer amount of words necessary, the characterization, the subplots and all of the other bells and whistlesContinue reading “When Do You Hit Your Stride?”
The Core: What Drives a Novel?
I’m currently smack dab in the middle of my current WIP, and it usually takes this long to figure out exactly what the theme of the book might be. I know. I should have a theme when I begin, but as I have found out, the purpose behind every novel shifts and changes as itContinue reading “The Core: What Drives a Novel?”
Crossing Out the Wrong Words
Mark Twain once wrote: “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” Sure. Sounds easy, right? I suppose one could write an entire novel and then just go back erasing word after word until it is something that might be more presentable. Of course, he didn’t mean this to beContinue reading “Crossing Out the Wrong Words”
Writing Is Hard Work 