A few weeks ago I walked out of our local art supplies shop with a set of acrylic paints and a new blending brush. I’m not a painter, and I spent way too long staring at the rainbow of paint choices, wondering what I should choose. Eventually I picked out a set of colors and … Continue reading Finding my inner creative child
Writing a novel is hard. Here's How to find the creative community you need.
A few years ago, I went to a conference all about the writing and publishing world. There, an editor from a big publisher gave a talk about how editors are looking for “voicey” novels. But what exactly is voice? And how can you develop a unique voice for your character? Part 1: Defining voice Your … Continue reading How to develop your character’s voice
Writing a novel is hard. From character development to worldbuilding to trying to keep all of your subplots straight, there is a lot that goes into writing a novel, especially for beginners. When I was first starting out as a writer, I made a lot of mistakes, and I struggled for years to even finish … Continue reading 8 Keys to Writing Spectacular Stories
When I started writing my fantasy novel series, the Sitka Saga, I knew it was something I wanted to share with the world one day, but I wasn’t exactly sure how I was going to do that. At first, I was dead-set on going the traditional publishing route. This was, after all, how “real” authors … Continue reading Why I’m publishing the Sitka Saga in Web3
The Beginnings Books aren’t always crafted in a linear fashion. In fact, my own personal experience shows that this is rarely the case for me. This year I am planning to launch the first part of my fantasy trilogy, the Sitka Saga, a story that has evolved and changed through the ten years I’ve spent … Continue reading The world needs your magic: Why I’m writing the Sitka Saga
And if you want your book to become somebody’s favorite novel, you need to master the art of weaving together internal and external conflict.
Most traditionally published books sell fewer than 5,000 copies. Writing novels is a terrible way to make a living with the current models. Let's change that.
Sometimes in the online writing space I see people who are concerned that they're not "talented" enough to write. But the truth is that if you're afraid to start because you're not already good, you'll miss out on the growth that happens through the process of creating.
As I look back on my last several years of being a writer, there is a pattern I’ve noticed: the more I’ve studied and learned about writing, the slower I actually get the writing done. And that’s because the more that I’ve learned, the more that I’ve started holding myself to impossible standards.