First lines have become a fetish. Recently, one of my book clubs decided to discuss first lines. Articles, Videos, proliferating lists, and whole books are written about first lines. Somebody needs to call Emperor’s Clothes on this obsession. I’ll do … Continue reading →
If I write anything longer than a page, I need an outline, otherwise, the ideas and words slide around like quicksilver. I write what I don’t mean and I don’t mean what I write. I leave out what’s important and … Continue reading →
When you publish a book, you’re supposed to go on a book tour to promote it. Everybody knows that. You schedule appearances on the major late-night talk shows and publish reviews in the Times and the Post. You can also … Continue reading →
I have a new nonfiction book coming out in October: Publish Your Novel Online for Under $500: A Step-by-step guide for Writers. It’s available now as a Kindle ebook preorder. Is it about consciousness? Only in the sense that publishing … Continue reading →
Writer Dorothy Parker once said, “I hate writing. I love having written.” Writing is a love-it and hate-it process. I love the creativity of it, of bringing characters and their worlds to life. That’s the magic that keeps any fiction … Continue reading →
As the third and final installment of the Newcomers series marches toward publication (Intelligent Things, due on May 1, 2019), I am working on a completely different approach to psychological sci-fi, or psi-fi. I am succumbing to the cliché of … Continue reading →
As the New Year’s release date approaches for the second novel in the Newcomer Series (Alien Talk), I’ve been furiously re-reading it, which, as any author will tell you, means re-writing. It is not possible to read one’s own work … Continue reading →
I attended a talk presented by the University of Arizona School of Architecture on “Sections.” Most people know what a cross-section looks like. It’s a cutaway view of something. Section is the more general term, because a drawing can show … Continue reading →
I haven’t written a word of fiction in over a month. I’ve been absorbed by launching my first psi-fi novel, Reluctant Android. He’s slowly finding his legs, in print and online. Reluctant Android in print: www.bit.ly/RA-paperback (Amazon) Reluctant Android on … Continue reading →
Reluctant Android, my first psi-fi novel, was professionally copy-edited. That cost nearly $2,000 and was worth every dime. The quality of the manuscript was hugely improved, and I learned a lot about writing good, clear sentences. I thought I already … Continue reading →
