In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey calls it “sharpening the saw.” In the vernacular of the origin story, “We’re too busy writing to get better at writing.” I think it’s not just the writing that’s the problem, just like it’s not the erstwhile lumberjack’s saw that’s the problem. It’s his perspective….
Blog
Frustrated with marketing? Help is on the way!
Marketing. For many authors it’s a dirty word. When I go to RMFW events and talk to aspiring authors, I get the distinct impression that the real reason so many people pitch to agents and chase a traditional contract is because they just don’t want to do the marketing. They want to be pretty writer…
Deep POV Lesson 10 – Headhopping vs. Seamless POV Shifts
Some folks are POV purists, preaching that each scene should be from one POV and only one POV. Fine. I’m not going to argue. I’m not a POV purist. Powerful writing pulls the reader in and doesn’t let her up for air. I’ve read many books that shift POV in a scene, sometimes more than…
Rocky Mountain Writer #175
John Gilstrap Writers, John Gilstrap thinks you should cut yourself a bit of slack. Let the story flow. Get comfortable in your own writer’s skin. Stop copying the style of other writers. Sure, learn the so-called rules, but don’t let them hold you back. Gilstrap, one of the keynote speakers at the 2019 edition of…
Who is this Julie Forth, and why are we celebrating her?
On the day we celebrate our independence from tyranny, I’d like to discuss some books that remind us why, with all her flaws, the United States of America is, in my opinion, the most successful political experiment in the history of mankind. The following books remind us of the lofty and noble ideals upon which our…