In the spirit of Halloween, I did a search for Jamie Lee Curtis movies and Peacock served up Prom Night. It was the teaser clip that hooked me: An early 20s Jamie Lee Curtis, dancing alone to the song in her head, arms high and graceful, body spinning, when her Read more…
The new Top Gun: Maverick blew me away. It’s so good! It was story telling magic just like the original 1986 Top Gun. When the final credits rolled it had me thinking, how the heck did they pull that off? Again!? If you’re like me and enjoy nerding-out on stories Read more…
There’s lots of reasons to write pulp novels. One reason is that pulp novels sell, and a writer should never discount what readers want. If you’re a beginner looking for a quick book that will improve your storytelling, here is James Scott Bell’s book, “How to Write Pulp Fiction,” available Read more…
Here I will share with you my process for rewriting a novel, and it involves a quality notebook and set of good pens. I had every intention of finishing my rewrites before my kids left on spring break. As it happens March is too busy for me and life has Read more…
There are five stages in the writing process, and by the writing process, I mean the process that starts with an idea and ends with a manuscript you can pitch to a stranger. Like many things that are more art than science, these stages aren’t set in stone. Still, if Read more…
Rather, should you read The Hero With A Thousand Faces? This book is where the Hero’s Journey concept originates. My answer: It depends. It’s a Friday afternoon in glorious Florida. The thermostat in my car read 83 degrees outside. I know this might sound hot, but to me, it’s just Read more…
Sure, there are probably more science fiction tropes, but here I’ve focused on five broad tropes and explained what each trope tries to explore in a sci-fi work. In each genre, there are conventions that readers expect to find. Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, General Fiction, non-fiction, and the Read more…
There are things I wish I knew before writing my novel, hence I made some mistakes. While there’s a ton of advice out there this boils down to personal lessons learned. There’s a lot to learn from other people’s going around in circles so maybe, just maybe, you won’t have Read more…
My parents have a patio that backs up against a small pond, surrounded by a forest preserve along the opposite side from where I’m sitting. It’s pretty, lush, and verdant (green!). The air conditioning unit just kicked on, and it’s drowning out the sounds of distant birds squawking (I haven’t Read more…
I’d never been so happy to sit and watch Penny play soccer as I was the other day. The rain from earlier in the afternoon brought with it fresh tropical air and a blue-streaked sky, and it was good to sit back and watch the kids do normal kid things. Read more…