The bookstore is empty. I drink my Pepsi and pretend to work at the computer, the shelves full of unread books. What I really do is browse Pinterest. I might see one customer the rest of the day, maybe two. You know what makes me mad? People don’t read anymore….
Writing is not a straight line. At least, not for me. The Unremarkable Squire was started sometime in 2003, if my memory serves, and revised numerous times before I ever managed to write the last chapter. It’s just now seeing the light of day. Trouble on the Horizon was published in…
Not an “unremarkable” Squire cover, but a quite awesome cover for my forthcoming fantasy novel The Unremarkable Squire. In case you haven’t heard (where have you been?) here’s what it’s about: A squire’s oath is to be of service… but to whom? In the kingdom of Basileon, an unremarkable and emotionally…
“Look, daddy, look!” My going-on-three-year-old son points out the window of the van as I drive home. “Wow, the moon is big tonight, isn’t it?” “Daddy, I want to get it.” “Well, how are you going to get it?” He thinks seriously for a moment, drawing out his “Um…” before…
One of the powers of the storyteller is that he makes you feel. Say, for instance, there’s this guy. We’ll call him Tristan. And he’s madly in love with this princess, but she’s married. We’ll call her, I don’t know, Isolde. For a time, they sneak around in passionate, forbidden…
Real life, in case you’ve forgotten, is that thing that happens outside of the stories that surround us. Real life moves slower than stories. It makes less sense. It’s not as black-and-white. Usually, it’s far less entertaining. In real life, you don’t know what chapter you’re in. Maybe you’re somewhere…
At its most basic, desire simply means the protagonist wants something. If he can’t get what he wants, conflict ensues. A story is born. For me, however, the relationship between storytelling and desire have another, more personal meaning. That longing for something you can’t quite express, the hope for something…
Occasionally, I look at the list of books I’d like to read and wish I could read faster. That’s not the problem, though. Reading isn’t a race; it isn’t an attempt to cram more knowledge in your head, not with fiction. It’s a chance reconnect and recover. Reading should take time….
If a protagonist wakes up fully rested, eats breakfast, enjoys his day at work, comes home to his lovely wife and kids, fiddles on some project, and goes to bed, we might think one of two things: 1.) This is a terrible story. 2.) Uh-oh, everything’s going to hit the…
I know you do. You feel it when the credits roll and you’re glad you paid $9+ because it sparked something you haven’t quite identified yet. You feel it when you look at some landscape; it’s not just beautiful, it’s saying something. Sometimes it’s a snatch of music, a few notes, maybe just…
I’m in North Carolina right now. Since we have two young kids, we split the trip in half. Last night we camped. (Note to self: Camping with young kids on the longest day of the year may not have been the brightest idea.) My son Fyo was so excited about…
Well, the website’s not perfect yet, but it’s functional. Functional enough for an announcement, at least. My fanasty novel “The Unremarkable Squire” is set to be published this December by Barking Rain Press. Here’s the back cover copy: A squire’s oath is to be of service… but to whom? In…