I sent my book to a professional editor! In this email: What the subject line is talking about Voices of the Future is neither too hot nor too cold, just right I lied The Quest awaits you! You asked, I answered with comments on a 200-year-old Russian classic Hi fellow travelers, This Friday, at about 7:30pm, I sat in Starbucks with my laptop open. I had come there to meet with three other writers. Together, we occupied the only four-seat table in the cafe, and we were pretty much alone with...
4 months ago • 4 min read
What makes a character interesting? Hi fellow travelers, What do you think when you hear the claim, "It's characters' flaws that make them interesting?" Maybe your mind jumps to characters who are supposed to be a "good example"--in other words, they're a mouthpiece for the author's own moralizing. No character development necessary, evidently. Or maybe your mind jumps to characters who are supposed to be exciting because they're the "bad boy" or the "bad girl," but they're really just...
4 months ago • 5 min read
Treasures, quests, allies, and abandoned relics! Hi fellow travelers, You've probably either heard or noticed this already, but Jandalf the Green can be a rather scattered and clumsy wizard. Especially at this time of year, when I come back from Christmas Break to find my desk covered with scrolls, scrips, and other messages that seem to have arrived by magic! At least, that's my excuse for the fact that I've been dropping the ball left and right when it comes to stuff I meant to share with...
5 months ago • 5 min read
It's the most wonderful email of the year! Hi fellow travelers, If you've been journeying with me for a year or more, you probably know how much I LOVE creating and sharing my annual Top Ten Books List! After all, it's a great excuse to spend time just thinking about books and call that "work." It also comes with convienient byproducts such as giving me a chance to reflect on the art I interacted with this year, share the stories that have impacted me most over the past twelve months, and...
5 months ago • 5 min read
The Henchgirl and the Hero is a complete draft! Hi fellow travelers, What do you think of stories about heroes? If you pay attention to the stories that have most captured our culture's imagination, almost all of them are about everyday people rising up to heroism--Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter, the (2010s) MCU. And yet there's been a rising trend over the last few years of stories that deconstruct heroism. (See: 2020s MCU.) Usually involving something along the lines of: The...
6 months ago • 4 min read
My writing friends are doing amazing things! Hi fellow travelers, I've been reading one of those series recently where the main characters start out as kids, but as the books progress, the kids grow up together. I'm in the next-to-last book currently, so even though there's still a lot left to happen, there's starting to be a sense of things coming to fulfillment. A sense of, "our little heroes are growing up!" Well, that's a bit how I feel as I look around at my writing friends these days....
7 months ago • 4 min read
Blue Weekend means 30% off my book! Hi fellow travelers, I know just what you want to see in your inbox today: another Black Friday ad! Woohoo! Well, unfortunately for you, this isn't exactly a Black Friday ad. Or a Cyber Monday one. But it IS a chance to save some money on Christmas presents. This is...BLUE WEEKEND! It's not "blue" because we're sad but rather because my book has a lovely blue cover: And it's "weekend" because I'm not confining it to Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or...
7 months ago • 1 min read
THREE events for you this week! Hi fellow travelers, Are you looking to add some adventure to your last week before Thanksgiving? Ok, let's be honest, this is the time of year when we often have a little more adventure in our weeks than we can stand. Are you looking for a bit of a break from all the adventures? A place to stop and rest and just talk about books for a minute? Either way, I've got you covered. Event #1: The Beginning Writer's Map of the Publication Path As the name implies,...
7 months ago • 2 min read
I got interviewed for a podcast! And you can listen to it right now! Hi fellow travelers, Over the past couple of years, I've discovered something really weird about myself: I'm an introvert who loves public speaking. So when I landed the incredible opportunity to talk with Chautona Havig for the Because Fiction Podcast, I was thrilled. Excited. Confident. Until the day of the interview. Until I had to actually DO the thing, not just think about it. I was determined not to be late, so I...
7 months ago • 1 min read