[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=ow.ly] I’ve been cruising towards the finale of my second draft of Shadow of the Black City. Threads are coming together. The characters are poised to make decisions that cannot be undone. It’s just that I’m not exactly sure how it all goes down. I have the big idea, just not the …
[tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=bit.ly] I’ve toiled along for the past 9+ months learning what works for me in terms of productivity. I’m feeling pretty good about that part of my writing process as I near the end of my second draft of my novel. I also know that I’ve got so much more to learn. …
I’m working on a dream Though sometimes it feels so far away I’m working on a dream And i know it will be mine someday Rain pourin’ down, i swing my hammer My hands are rough from working on a dream Bruce Springsteen Working on a Dream I took the time this past Monday to …
…he felt a loneliness he’d not known since he was a child and he felt wholly alien to the world although he loved it still. Cormac McCarthy All The Pretty Horses [tweetmeme source=”jjdanz” only_single=false service=bit.ly] Look at those words. They are not $100 words or $10 words or even $1 words. Those are the words …
I never read as much as I’d like. Does anyone? When I do read, I like the stories to be thought-provoking, and resonant. I like to care about the people about whom I’m reading, whether fiction or non-fiction. Of the books I read in 2009, these are the ones that lingered longest (in a good …
Check out the cool Van Gogh picture to the left. Using high intensity X-Rays, Scientists discovered the face over which Van Gogh painted Patch of Grass. Cool. Even cooler is, unlike scientists at Delft University, you’re the one adding the layers and your readers get to uncover them. I’m a little over a third of …
Knowing what I know now, I’ll be happy to blow out a disjointed, gangly mongrel of a first draft in the future if only to clear my mental sinuses. I mean, if that’s what it takes to get a tighter second draft that I might actually enjoy reading, then sign me up. Lemme ‘splain: The …
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPMWWEscRP0&feature=player_embedded] Jeff Vandemeer’s post on author platform got me to thinking. Really thinking. If you haven’t watched, do yourself a favor and take the 4 minutes to do so. Sure he’s pimping his book Booklife, but he’s doing it because he sees a need. He’s experienced enough of the insanity of the writing life to …
In the secret space of dreams, where I dreaming lay amazed. When the secrets all are told, and the petals all unfold. Attics of My Life – Grateful Dead As a writer, I dip into my memories, scrounging around for bits and pieces to create my Frankenstein stories – not literally mind you, just that …
One of the many problems with my first draft of Shadow of the Black City was the weakness of the desert magic. I hadn’t put enough time into it – and, really, I don’t think I was ready to tackle the issue. I knew this was a problem before I even started revisions, so I’ve …