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My Journalig Habit
Journaling satisfies my compulsion to write and keeps me sane. The first of 24 volumes dates back to 1979. It’s not exhaustive — I’ve sometimes gone weeks and even months without adding a word. Since Andy died, I’ve been writing at least two or three times a week. I’m not trying to document my life…
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Cover Reveal: The Case of the Missing Drag Queen
I’m thrilled to present the cover for The Case of the Missing Drag Queen, now available for preorder from DSP Publications. Broke, saddled with a mountain of debt, and dependent on his Aunt Callie’s support, aspiring writer Luke Tanner has returned to Kentucky to put his life back together after a failed five-year relationship. On…
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Update: The Case of the Missing Drag Queen
Good news! I signed a contract for The Case of the Missing Drag Queen. The Case of the Missing Drag Queen is my first new release with DSP Publications (DSPP). This is not, however, my first book with them. DSPP released second editions of No Good Deed (originally After Christmas Eve) and Happy Independence Day in 2016, followed…
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Re-Energized
December 17th marks the fifth anniversary of the release of my first novel. Signing the contract made me a pro. Becoming a published author remains the coolest thing I’ve ever done. The fame and fortune I imagined would follow still hasn’t panned out. My expectations were out of whack. In my neck of the writing world,…
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Write What You Know
Every aspiring writer has heard “write what you know.” This age-old adage expresses a general truth that has stood the test of time. My understanding of those four words, however, has evolved with each book I’ve written. I took “write what you know” literally for my first novel. Until Thanksgiving is loosely based on a major event…
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Three Tweaks Shave Eight Months off Time to Write Novel
Three tweaks to my writing process enabled me to finish The Case of the Missing Drag Queen in a record-breaking four months rather than the usual twelve or more needed to write my first four books. To be honest, the changes brought my process more in line with what experts recommend. #SlowLearner Tweak #1: Write…
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Progress!
Each of my first four books took about a year to write. This past weekend, I hit 30,000 words — roughly the midpoint of the novel I started writing six weeks ago. At this rate, I’ll reach the end sometime in September. Finishing in three months rather than the usual twelve is amazing. That’s like…
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A Glimpse of the Future
I haven’t taken more than a few days off from the day job for years. Nobody fills in when I’m out. An overwhelming quantity of emails, phone messages, and snail mail waiting when I return offset the benefits of getting away. I use vacation days a few at a time for long weekends throughout the…
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Saved by a Character Profile Template
Planning my next novel with the three-act structure has been a piece of cake. Identifying the central conflict and major plot points for a Luke Tanner mystery and writing short descriptions for every scene took a couple of hours. But before I could start writing, however, the characters needed to be fleshed out. A template…
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Uninformed Pantsing
Writing fiction was missing from my formal education. Discussions about the novels and short stories we read in school revolved around major themes, symbolism, and meaning — not how to craft a story. Or maybe I just forgot. Either way, I consider myself a self-taught author. I make my stories up as I go along.…