Author and Ghostwriter
I’ve been reading thrillers and other types of genre fiction lately. Clive Cussler is my favorite of these so far, largely because I really like action. Car chases, helicopter crashes, pirate battles: all that stuff! Here’s what I think of this latest Cussler book Shock Wave. The opening is fantastic. The action and scene-setting are … Read moreHow to Write Epic Best Sellers: A Clive Cussler Review
I’m pleased as punch to publish this Kirkus Review of my Young Adult novel, Bits of String too Small to Save. The reviewer called it “impressively creative,” “wildly imaginative,” “occasionally haunting,” and declared it “anchored by strong, evolving female characters.” This book has a ton of characters, each weirder than the next, which makes it … Read moreWhat Actually Inspires a Colorful Kirkus Review Like This One?
Please enjoy this video about the difference between a “vanity memoir” and a legitimate memoir. It all has to do with being a vulnerable memoirist versus being a braggart. Many of my clients worry about their projects being perceived as frivolous. This will help clear up what exactly it takes to write a memoir that’s … Read moreA Vulnerable Memoirist Engages Rare Skill
I’ve had a lot of clients who worry that writing a memoir will seem like what they call a “vanity project.” I think this is a term that has come into common use lately, what with all the self publishing that’s available. It’s not all done at a quality level. Some memoirs seem rather self … Read moreMemoirs Don’t Praise but Highlight Interesting Struggles
If you’ve been wanting to become a memoirist, here’s your first lesson, called “Commas can kiss my ass!” It’s also my very first video. Comments are welcome! Go ahead, let me have it. Basically, the thing is, don’t let a fear of getting your grammar and punctuation wrong hold you back from putting words on … Read moreCommas Can Kiss My Ass! Says Bright, Alert Memoirist
I recently took a class with the famous thriller writer Dan Brown! A lot of things he said stood out, but I particularly thought he had a unique approach to staying fresh during his writing time. He has an app–I don’t know what it’s called–that forces you to take a break every hour by literally … Read moreBestselling Writing Advice. It’s to Help You Be Better
If you’re writing a memoir, and you don’t “have time to write,” there’s always the audio-tape method. This biography writing trick is far more effective than most people think. Best of all, this method gives you permission to do two things: one, talk your book instead of write it and two, tell it out of … Read moreEnjoy Biography Writing Victory, Scene by Scene
You have a friend whose life is always a mess. I mean his kids are a mess, his ex-wife is a mess, his girlfriend is a mess, his business is a mess, each and every client within his business is a mess. His dog is a mess. His girlfriend’s dog is an even bigger mess. … Read moreA Memoirist’s Heart Confronts a Brazen Mess
When people find out I’m a writer, they often ask me (with a weird kind of light in their eyes) for my “routine.” I think people have a romantic notion that I’m up all night with a bottle of Jack, ranting and raving into the computer … scratch that, into an old-fashioned Olivetti typewriter, like … Read moreGetting up in Time for the Bright Sunrise?
As an entrepreneur, I think I’ve been in denial about a little thing called stress, for years. Perhaps “ignorance” is more accurate than “denial,” though. It’s just that I always thought of “stress” as something suffered by working moms, high powered lawyers, and people in the midst of divorce. As for me: I’m self employed, … Read moreMany Writers are Seen as Proven, Powerful Entrepreneurs