Books & Writers
Why Critique Groups?
Writing is a solitary occupation. Sure, people talk about writing, discuss what they are writing or hope to write, but at the end of the day the writer faces a blank page. Alone. One wag said writing was easy—just start writing and then sweat blood. After all the...
Reaching Your Reader
The “know your reader” advice pops up frequently in books, articles, and talks for writers. While that makes perfect sense, you want that reader (aka hopefully your follower) to be legion. How do I make my book appeal to as many as possible while I’m writing for a...
The Last Bastian
My Blog on May 7, 2015 Every morning of my adult life arrived with a newspaper. Then I noticed that occasionally a so-called journalist, oh so subtly, with a little word choice here and there, slipped in what appeared to be a biased point of view. As these little...
Plotting
Although writing styles and reading interests change, authors still must have an engaging yarn to spin. Otherwise, no one will read beyond the first chapter, or even the first paragraph. To quote Jerry Jenkins, author of 200 books and counting, “grab the reader by the...
Characters
I can have the best plot in the world, but without believable, interesting, three dimensional characters, I’m going nowhere. I must populate my saga with people who move, respond to events, struggle, fail, and hopefully succeed, to keep your nose in my book. While I...
Birth of a Novel
My first novel was easy. I slid a fresh piece of paper into my Smith Corona and began with Chapter One. I kept writing until I reached the end of the story. Easy as pie. I think that manuscript lies deep in some closet in the house, where it belongs. R.I.P. Now, after...