The last dozen fantasy books I’ve read would be classified as epic fantasy. Some kind of hero or heroine goes on a quest, or there are world-spanning conflicts between kings and queens. I guess you’re expecting me to say, “Ugh, I’m so sick of epic fantasy.” Actually, no. I quite enjoy these kinds of stories … Read more
If you’re reading this, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is over and you have one of the following in your quivering, coffee-stained hands: A string of nonsensical words that closely resemble the ramblings of a mad centaur. 50,000 words that are mostly just alternations of “I hate this” or “Crap!” A pretty solid attempt at … Read more
Last time on Cover to Cover, I introduced this series of articles, which follows a novel from birth to potential publication. The previous entry was all about ideas. How to grow them, nurture them, and expand them. This time I’m going to show you how to take that idea and mold it into an actual … Read more
Recently, I compared a query letter to a job interview. However, that is only partially correct. If a query letter is you, showing up a little early, dressed in a clean, pressed suit, then your synopsis is what you choose to talk about during the actual interview. Once you’re past the first impressions (and we’ll … Read more
I’m not wearing pants. However, when writing novels, sometimes I like to sit in my jeans or maybe pajama bottoms. Wait a minute. I know what you’re thinking. “Is he really going to talk about the benefits of writing with or without pants?” Well, I was going to… I think the more appropriate question might … Read more
“I’m stuck.” These two words ring in your ears. That blank page. The blinking cursor. After three hours of hard-work, all you have is this: The Knight of Moonberries by John R. R. R. R. Johnson The knight walked… And that’s it. That blank page is waiting for you to blow it up. Fill it … Read more