A Follow Up to My Previous Post

In my last post I recommended the film “The Gambler” because of a provocative scene (a monologue, actually) on the challenge and frustrations of the fiction-writing life.  Several folks have told me they didn’t feel the same. That it was actually discouraging instead of motivating.  Fair enough.  I get that.  I apologize for not better […]

Novelists: A Risky Bet that Just Might Be a Sure Thing… For You

I’m about to recommend a movie to you.  That alone is a risky bet, but there is rationale behind my madness. I’m talking about “The Gambler,” starring Mark Wahlberg, one of the major holiday releases out now.  Critics are not hating it, but to be honest they’re comparing it to Applebees on a street full […]

Win a free copy of my new novel… this week only!

Plus a little content for you today.  First, the promotional deal: My publisher (Turner Publishing) is running a little lottery to give away a few dozen copies of my latest release, “The Seventh Thunder” (click to learn more about the book).  There are no strings, though I’ll add that if you’d like to post a […]

The Role of Concept in a Real-World Story

Quick story to encapsulate the mindset – complete with barriers and old tapes and other priorities – of the writer who struggles with the notion of concept. Concept, of course, is the presence of something conceptual within a story.  It’s not the story itself, but rather, the landscape for one.  A framework.  A compelling notion […]

Can Your Concept be TOO Big?

To open this can of worms… Announcing the re-release of my novel, “The Seventh Thunder.” The concept is massive.  So much so it initially scared agents and publishers away.   A few years ago I used this novel as my calling card to find a new agent.  Leveraging the endorsement of my former editor at […]