Libraries and writers are inexorably entwined. Most writers grew up using libraries and have a great appreciation for the way they provide access to books. And writers directly benefit from libraries as they provide an important way for authors to be discovered by readers. Which means that in this world where everything is terrifyingly uncertain,…
After I finish a book I always have two files. One is the final manuscript I will submit. The other is a mishmash of scenes and pieces of scenes that never made it into the book. I usually start off saving this detritus at the end of the file. By the time I’m three-quarters of…
Writing In The Time Of Pandemic Distraction is the enemy of any writer.You sit down at the desk or open your laptop with the best intentions of working on your latest manuscript. Instead, you find yourself called to play online games, scroll through Facebook, Twitter feeds or Instagram. To obsessively check your latest book’s ranking…
I’m writing this blog post a full two weeks before it’s due, which is unheard of for someone like me, who always does things last minute. Why am I ahead of the game this time? Simple. Writing a blog post is better than gazing at my muddle of a manuscript. Or agonizing over the fact…
One of my first writing mentors recently passed away. Not only was he one of my first critique partners, he was also the reason I joined Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and got my first publishing contract. But despite all the sound advice my friend gave me, he never published a book himself, although he certainly…