Book news, movie reviews, hot takes, etc.
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August 2021 Writing Update
Awakened – ~57,000 words, approximately 1/2 of first draft July was a productive month! Still had the chance to go back and edit some things that I had written before, but mostly it was a chance to move forward. On some days, I steamrolled and wrote as much as 3,300 words. That’s a new record…
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July 2021 Writing Update
Awakened – ~39,000 words, approximately 1/3 of first draft Things are coming together. On the surface, it looks like I only wrote 4,000 words over the last month, but a lot of what’s been done has actually been rewrites. I began rehashing things from earlier in the story, only intending to spruce some things up,…
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June 2021 Writing Update
Awakened has been kicking my butt. But less so lately. I really struggled with where to begin on the third book in the Wevlian Chronicles. I kind of knew where I wanted to take things and had some ideas on what characters should endure along the way, but I didn’t have a clear idea of…
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5 life lessons I’ve learned from writing books
It’s not uncommon to take life lessons from a hobby that you greatly enjoy. Writing is no different. I’m currently working on my fourth book, and along the way, I’ve learned a lot of great things that have translated into the rest of my life. Some of it might surprise you. Don’t be afraid to…
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Why I chose indie publishing over traditional
This is a question that every writer eventually deals with if they’re considering publishing their work: indie or traditional. There are a lot of pros and cons to each, and every writer needs to look into both options and decide for themselves before they make a decision. As for me, I went with independent publishing.…
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My free speech was attacked in second grade
I was censored for the first time when I was eight years old. It was the first time my writing broke boundaries. Pushed limits. Made someone uncomfortable. And for it, I was scolded and disciplined. Has my soul ever recovered? Well, if it had, I wouldn’t really be writing about it at age twenty-nine, would…
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My Writing Process
When people discover I’m an author, a common question I get asked is, “What is your process?” Purged, my third book, just got published this week. So in honor of this milestone, why not share my writing process? If you’re thinking about writing a book yourself, maybe this will be beneficial. The beautiful thing about…
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Your boy’s TOP 5 FAVORITE BOOKS of ALL TIME (Fiction)
I am a writer. Writers write. It’s a writer’s right to write. Writers rightfully write and I am right to write to delight… right? Writers also read. Stephen King’s Golden Rule, as mentioned in his seminal volume On Writing, admonishes writers to read as much as they write–which should be a lot. Admittedly, I’m not…
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Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings
Purged progress: First revision, 92% I’m right in the middle of the final battle. Seriously, this first revision has been a great chance to tighten up a lot of aspects of Purged, and it’s shaping into something really special. When this book is done, I’m confident that this will be my best work yet–a more…
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Writer’s Log #11 – First revision and current reads
Purged progress: First revision, 31% Purged is coming right along! It’s getting tightened up! The characters are becoming more fleshed out! The pacing is getting smoother! The description is more vivid and direct! Huzzah! Rejoice! Have a pint! Or a glass of milk or whatever. I don’t know what you like. I’ve been taking at…