Preaching = Bad Storytelling. Always.
One should never preach in fiction. It is the weakest form of story telling. It stops the momentum and dramatic tension of the plot and characters. It turns active readers/viewers into passive listeners of whatever ideology is being taught. Watch Read more…
Goodbye 2020, you won’t be missed :)
Happy New Year! 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. For me, it was a time of identification. I believe this past year made us more of who we are. Those who were passionate became more passionate. Read more…
I’m blaming COVID for my Cold Storage being late… because I can. :)
My first draft of my next thriller, COLD STORAGE, is due tomorrow. I’m going to be late. But it’s for the right reasons. Well, some of them are valid. COVID has played a part. Getting laid off and then starting Read more…
Midway through Cold Storage
Reached the midpoint on the first draft of my next stand-alone thriller, Cold Storage. Woohoo. Every author has their own writing style and speed. Their own process. I don’t really like my process and I wish I wrote faster, but Read more…
Cold Storage – Main Character Map
This weekend I took the notes my daughter and I compiled for Cold Storage and mapped out a detailed plot path for the main character. Next, I have to map out character arcs for each of the main characters.
The birth of a new novel – Cold Storage
Today was a good day. My daughter and I have been talking stories and creating stories since she was a teenager. Today, I discussed with her my idea for Cold Storage, which is an award-winning screenplay I had written years Read more…
The Unhealthy Writer: 7 Tips on Writing with a Chronic Illness
You can be a writer, even with a chronic illness. As a matter of fact, the combination of the two may be more powerful than you might have imagined. I’ve had Crohn’s disease since I graduated college 30 years ago Read more…
Wet Notes
My wife is awesome. While doing laundry, she found notes about the next trilogy I had written on the back of a paper menu and saved it before putting my shirt into the dryer. 🙂
Logan’s Run/The Island – A story doesn’t have to be new to be entertaining.
Logan’s Run came out in 1976. I remember watching it on television a few years later and found the ideas intriguing. Even some of the imagery of people sacrificing themselves in “the carousel” has stayed with me all these years. Read more…
Emotional connection through writing
One of the beautiful things about writing is being able to emotionally revisit those who have passed. My mother died a few years ago and she was a fabulous lady. Loving. Smart. Insanely funny. I’m finishing up writing a Damien Read more…
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