Career Management
I hate to say this, but even before you begin writing your first book, maybe you should be thinking about career management. As you begin your writing career, one of the very first questions you need to ask yourself is, “Is there a large enough audience for my first book so that it could help […]
Writing Under Duress
When a writer sits down to compose, the less stress he feels, the better. Every writer knows this. When you’re writing, you sit down and try to go into a trancelike state where you see, hear, smell, feel, think, and do what your protagonist does. It requires a great deal of focus. But the more […]
Make Readers Happy
Today is the 21st day that I’ve been in a self-imposed quarantine. I spent yesterday coughing and hacking. It had nothing to do with the Covid-19 virus, everything to do with spring. I’ve had several emails from people this week asking if this was a good time to write about a pandemic. The answer is, […]
Aim for Profundity
For some authors, it is enough to try to make big bucks, but most of us would like to deliver a powerful message at times, too—something that carries extra meaning in our lives, something profound. Doctors studying the neuro-science of storytelling go so far as to suggest that a story doesn’t really work unless it […]
Balancing Productivity and Art
If you are producing anything—toy dolls, bread, vacuum cleaners, or novels—there are some variables that you have to work with. Ideally, a publisher would like you to bring them in 1) quickly, 2) beautifully written, 3) and at a low price. But buyers will almost always be willing to make trade-offs. Your goal is to […]
Poetics
Once I was rewriting a scene, listening closely to the sound and rhythm of the words in a passage, looking for ways to strengthen it, and it made me wonder: how many new writers take the proper care with their words? How many truly listen? There are a number of ways to show that you’re […]
Be Resilient and Responsible
I woke up this morning feeling great. A week ago, I decided to self-quarantine out of an abundance of caution, and pretty much everyone else is doing it, too. But I got thinking last night of how resilient people are. Part of me would like to say that it is an American thing, but I’ve […]
3 Simple Ways to Decide Which Story Idea You Should Write About
Here are 3 Simple Ways answer “Which Story Idea I Should I write?”
Write the one that will make you the most money.
Emotional Distancing
This week, the United States is going into a two-week quarantine in an effort to fight the Covid-19 virus. If you examine the data carefully, you’ll understand that this is good science and that we need to do it in order to put the breaks on this pandemic. It is just the beginning of a […]
Quality or Speed?
There is an old saying among people who produce goods: consumers want things done cheap, done now, and done well—but as a creator, you can normally only supply two out of the three. When you try to put out high-quality goods quickly at a low price, you almost always fail. As writers, we don’t get […]