Category write
Kanye Had A Bad Week
Kanye West had a bad week. No matter what else happens, I’ve had a better week than Kanye. I’m powering through a head cold, which I know is probably Zika Virus. I had Mexican food this week, and Mexico is close to the Caribbean where the Zika Virus lives – so, I must have Zika. […]
What The Hell Was I Thinking?
So you typed the words, The End Remember that first manuscript you finished? The one you thought was going to rocket to the top of the bestselling lists? Sure you do. I remember that day. Queries went out and I sat back waiting to watch the big 5 publishers fight over the rights to the book. The […]
Let Me Enjoy My Happy Place
The Time In Between Writing Projects I’ve found that sweet spot, the one right after you finish reading a good book, and wrapping up the revisions on a manuscript of your own. A warm glow spreads from the center of my being. Could this be contentment? This vaguely familiar feeling smells of an overheated computer […]
Do You Suffer From Revision Brain Syndrome?
Revision Brain Syndrome (RBS) RBS is destined to be added to the list of serious psychological maladies in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 5th edition (DSM V) as a condition plaguing millions of writers. (cue Sarah McLachlan sad puppy music here) Self-diagnosis is difficult and I’ll warn you now to stay […]
A Survivalist’s Guide To Writing
Survive You need to think like a survivalist when you start out on a writing adventure. The only goal in this first draft is to survive. The key to surviving your writing project is all in the preparation. Traditional survivalists are a sturdy lot who know what they are getting into before they step out into the […]
Wanna Go To Mars?
We got this all wrong… I’m sitting at my keyboard and revising (as I’m supposed to do) and something shiny crosses the monitor and pulls my attention away like a moth to a flame. A news wire reports that over 200,000 people have applied to travel seven months through space and live on Mars. The […]
What Is The Honey Badger Telling Me?
Honey Badger Don’t Plot So, I’m sitting at my keyboard drafting the last few chapters of a novel and I know where the story goes. I know how the plot lines come together, how the characters change and I’m just about ready to wrap this one up. I’m at this point because I’ve outlined, planned and […]
Writing And Torture
Behold the art of torture. Pain, discomfort and fear are powerful motivators. Extorting confessions and achieving compliance through coercion is a “tradition” dating back thousands of years, usually in the name of God, King, or Country. Fast forward to the present and the “Bringers of Pain” continue to wage war on innocents, but the motivation […]
Are We There Yet?
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? I remember saying those words and, then later in life, hearing that same phrase over and over and over from the backseat every time we set out on some great adventure. The constant barrage of anticipation became a combination of nails on the chalkboard […]
A Voice on Editing and Ego
Editing a manuscript is one thing you cannot shortcut. The process is direct, personal and, if you’re not ready for it, editing will rip the flesh from your bones, leaving you and your story a quivering mass of gelatin. Like most things in life, I’ve learned this the hard way. You’ve finished a draft of your […]
James L'Etoile 