Writing the Impossible
When I fell in love with the idea of writing, it was after reading my favorite novel of all time. I thought, “I want to write stories like that,” not realizing how big my dream really was. You see, when I meet new authors, I almost always find that they hope to write great works, […]
Measuring Impact
This morning, I read an article which claimed that “Avengers: End Game” has now become the all-time best-selling movie. In fact, here is a quote from the Fox news article: “Disney also officially surpassed another all-time record with ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ The Marvel film added $1.5 million globally, giving it enough to surpass “Avatar” to become […]
Building Better Relationships
When you create a relationship with an agent, editor, or publisher, very often you’re going into a long-term relationship. Some authors even compare it to a marriage. Your agent and publisher will want you to maintain fidelity with them—and unless the relationship is in trouble, you probably should. Think of it this way. They’re your […]
Bad Agents
I mentioned last time that even an Indie writer might find himself in need of a good agent. A great agent can be a tremendous help to a writer, but unfortunately not all agents are great. Here are some ways that I’ve seen them be bad: The pretender. Some people like to pretend to be […]
Why You Need an Agent, Even if You Go Indie
If you’re an Indie writer, you might be thinking, “Well, I sell all of my books online myself. I don’t need an agent.” Well, you just might be wrong. If you have good success as an Indie, or even moderate success, there are three instances where you may want an agent: When big publishers come […]
Defying Expectations
Imagine this: you pick up a story and begin reading only to discover that the story seems to be about you. The main character has your name. He repeats all of your favorite phrases. His friends are all people that you know, and the story seems to be drawn from your life. In fact, as you read, you realize that you know every single scene that will come up. Would you read on? Probably not for long. You’d grow bored with it. It’s too familiar.
Great Ideas
As a judge for one of the world’s largest writing contests, I’m often asked, “What are you looking for?” The truth is, I’m looking for three things. I want a story based upon an interesting idea, one with a well-formed plot, and one that is beautifully written. Today I want to talk about ideas. So, […]
Escalate Your Story
Every story consists of a character with a problem and deals with his or her attempts to resolve that problem. This happens in several phases. In phase 1, the character recognizes that he has a problem–a big problem, one that will change his life. In phase 2, the character tries to resolve the problem and […]
Considering Crucibles
In everyday life, a crucible is a container used to hold metal or liquid as it boils. For example, to melt gold, one takes a heavy bowl made from steel and sets it in a fire. The steel, which can withstand higher temperatures than gold, doesn’t melt. But the small container quickly becomes super-heated, so […]
Powerful Openings
The world is full of possibilities, but unless you push yourself, struggle to drive your story to its limits, you will never make real discoveries. You won’t glean the insights that your story needs to take it from the mundane to the sublime.