My first attempt at novel-writing was based on my brother’s experience in the transportation industry in the 1970s. He provided the basics—overall plot, knowledge of 18-wheelers and trucker jargon. I did the writing—just barely well enough to get an audiobook contract. I had an expert co-author, so writing out of my own experience made sense….
Category: General Interest
My NaNoWriMo Roadmap
After spending nine months on a first draft and another year and a half on revisions, I resolved to make my next book a more streamlined process. That’s why I’m spending October of this year on research, outlining, and pre-writing, and I hope to use NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to write my rough draft….
It’s Research, Dear
When I plan a trip, one of the first things I think about is what kind of research I can do there. Not because I’m looking for a tax write-off (because, hey, I still have to pay for the trip even if I can write some of it off later), but because I want to make…
Q: Fiction or Nonfiction? A: Both.
I spoke to a writers’ group in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after the publication at age twenty-six of my first book, a nonfiction guide to backpacking and camping in developing countries. I described the vagaries of finding an agent and publisher, and revealed to the audience my real dream as a writer. I told the group…
Life’s Wake-Up Calls
For the past few months, I’ve been so focused on my own stuff that I realize I’ve been missing the bigger picture. Time to reevaluate. As some of you may have heard, we’ve been moving—downsizing—and I’ve been angsting over a variety of things: 1. Downsizing. How do you get rid of a thing that someone…