This morning at breakfast, I was unreasonably pleased to see a thin stack of stapled paper across the table from me. The top sheet was titled “Vaetra Untrained, Part 1.” My wife’s thin scribbles decorated the margin down the page with her reactions and comments. You see, my wife is my “alpha” reader. Not even […]
I’m not a faster writer yet
July 17, 2012 by
I came to a hard realization this week: Vaetra Untrained is definitely not going to be released on my intended schedule of “Mid 2012.” As it turns out, Vaetra Untrained (Vaetra Chronicles, #2) is taking as long to write as Vaetra Unveiled (Vaetra Chronicles, #1), so it will be published in about the same time […]
Vaetra Unveiled is Live on Kindle!
January 24, 2012 by
I’m very excited to report that the Kindle edition of my first book, Vaetra Unveiled is now available on Amazon.com! Vaetra Unveiled is book one of The Vaetra Chronicles, a magical fantasy adventure trilogy. Although the book is part of a series, it stands well on its own (no cliff-hanger ending.) I’m offering the book […]
Releasing a Fiction Book in Print: Is It Worth Doing?
December 12, 2011 by
As my first book goes into final editing, I’ve turned my attention to the production aspects of getting it out into the world. Last week I posted about the cover design, which is still undergoing modifications. This week, I’ve been mulling over the issues related to what formats should be brought to market and how […]
Book Cover Unveiling
December 3, 2011 by
This past week was a banner week for progress on Vaetra Unveiled. I completed the third draft, which is the final draft before the manuscript goes out for editing. I also got the first proposed book cover from my designer, Susan. My Facebook followers got a sneak peek at the cover earlier this week, and […]
Incorporating Runes into a Magic System
November 1, 2011 by
I joined Rachel Harrie’s platform-building campaign a couple of months ago. It has been a great way to get to know other fiction writers, who have turned out to be a supportive and fascinating bunch. Rachel kept things interesting by holding flash fiction writing challenges, which encouraged everyone to visit each other’s blogs and share […]
Before and After (Beta Lessons 5)
October 9, 2011 by
This post is the fifth in a series I’ve been writing on Beta Lessons (formerly called “What My Beta Readers Have Taught Me”). Links to the first four posts in the series are at the end. This week, I thought it might be fun to share some of the changes I’ve made to the opening […]
In the Throes of Revision (Beta Lessons 4)
October 1, 2011 by
This is the fourth post in a series I’ve been writing on Beta Lessons (formerly What My Beta Readers Have Taught Me). Links to the first three posts in the series are at the end. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve learned some things about revision. The most surprising thing I’ve learned is that […]
The Beta Experiment – Week 3
August 21, 2011 by
Two weeks ago, I started a beta reading program for my current work-in-progress Vaetra Unveiled. I just delivered the third installment of chapters moments ago. So far, the program has been a tremendous success, at least from my perspective. I have several committed readers who have been generous with critique and feedback. The experiment of […]
Evolution of a Beat Sheet
July 29, 2011 by
Author and writing coach Larry Brooks introduced me to a writing tool called a “beat sheet.” It has become my favorite story planning tool. Put simply, a beat sheet is an ordered list of the scenes in your book; an outline, more or less. The name comes from a drumming analogy, where the story milestones […]
