A Record of People Who Lived

This Year in Reading: 2023

In 2022, I posted a "This Year in Reading" blog post and it stimulated some fun conversation about books, so I thought it would be a good...

Short Story: Everything is Awful

Congratulations. You have nineteen people at your party and all of them are having a good time. It’s not every day or for that matter...

Book Review: Charlotte Dune's Acid Christmas

Charlotte Dune’s Acid Christmas is the terrifying story of a major tragedy set in the modern world. The book begins as strangers on...

Fiction Diagnostic Checklist

Remember: Talent leads, intellect polishes. If your first draft is ready to go, review the lists below and consider how their points may...

My Books So Far

My published books are listed below from newest to oldest: I.P.A. (2021): Genre: Literary Fiction/Gonzo Fiction/Southern Gothic Plot:...

On Cause and Effect

Plot may be the bones of the story, but cause and effect are the muscles and sinews. Very often new writers fundamentally misunderstand,...

The Anatomy of a Fiction Character

The first time I wrote a realistic character I thought: Where did that come from? So I set about trying to understand my characters. As...

Today I Turn Twenty Eight

This serves no purpose but documentation. I turn twenty-eight years old today. I have written three books. I am currently very in love. I...

What Type of Editor You Need

Editors are the practitioners that look over the health of your book. Like a medical practitioner, the editor will need to evaluate your...

Writing When You Don't Believe

You must proceed if you have a story to tell. Today I hit 100,000 words for the first time on a novel manuscript, and I have to say, it...