There is no one secret to producing a good book. Hard work, patience, more hard work, dogged determination, and did I mention hard work? Yet it is so worth it. And, the more I write, the more I value one particular asset every writer should have. Beta readers! Beta readers are wonderful. Sometimes they are […] … Continue reading Reblog: How to Work With Beta Readers by A Writer’s Path
books
Why You Need to Know the Purpose of Your Book
In every non-fiction writing course you will ever take, one of the first things your instructor will ask you about is your "why." In other words: what's your purpose for writing this book? They say it's the first step in writing and marketing a successful book. But here's my question: why aren't fiction writers asked … Continue reading Why You Need to Know the Purpose of Your Book
Why Writers Should Watch TV
"Stay away from screens - they rot your brain!" everyone cries. And this is certainly true - getting too much screen time day after day brings a slew of terrible side effects for both mental and physical health. But, just like most activities, watching TV isn't inherently bad (unless, well, what you're watching is inherently … Continue reading Why Writers Should Watch TV
Have I Discovered the Perfect Plotting Method for Pantsers?
Pantsers, where are you? Hooray for having no idea what we're doing! That's what I always thought being a pantser meant. When I penned books in my younger years, I never even touched an outline. I thought I simply didn't need one - I could write a book from beginning to end flawlessly. But I've … Continue reading Have I Discovered the Perfect Plotting Method for Pantsers?
What We Learn from a Character’s First Scenes in The Force Awakens
May the Fourth be with you! It's no secret that I'm a Star Wars nerd. As I talked about last month, Star Wars shaped me both as a person and a writer as I was growing up. Love or hate certain parts of it, there's no doubt that Star Wars has, in all likelihood, the … Continue reading What We Learn from a Character’s First Scenes in The Force Awakens
Elantris: Do’s and Don’ts at the Beginning of a Book
If you've been keeping up with stuff for the past year or two, you might have heard of Brandon Sanderson (you know, the guy who broke Kickstarter?). You might have even read some of my posts about his books, as I've been reading through them for the past year or so. Sanderson is a fantastic … Continue reading Elantris: Do’s and Don’ts at the Beginning of a Book
Currently Reading…
I'll be honest with you - I don't have a review for today. Suddenly moving last month really threw off my schedule, so while I am in the process of reading and watching some stories I've been wanting to write reviews on, I have to play a bit of catch up. But just so that … Continue reading Currently Reading…
Do You Really Know Your Book’s Genre?
After working with authors from all over the world on many kinds of different story projects, I've seen a common theme. Many times, they present me with their masterpiece and I can instantly tell that the writing is good - but something is missing from the story. Something very important. Maybe there's no character development, a … Continue reading Do You Really Know Your Book’s Genre?
You’re Going to Hate Writing Your Book – But Here’s How You Keep Going
The slump is coming, but you can get past it. Nearly every writer faces the same hurdle when penning a brand new shiny book. Somewhere in the middle of the process, we lose motivation. We get stuck. The words won't come. We get writer's block. We get bored. Whatever you want to call it, it's … Continue reading You’re Going to Hate Writing Your Book – But Here’s How You Keep Going
The Stories that Shaped Me: Star Wars
How do you like Tuesdays? Specifically, what do you think of my Tuesday blog posts? I think it's beneficial to talk about good (and bad) stories so that we can learn from what others have done. Let me know your opinion in the comments! For now, I'm starting yet another new series about the stories … Continue reading The Stories that Shaped Me: Star Wars
The Story Canvas 