When I first started writing I had no idea how important it was to build a platform. To be honest I didn’t even know what a platform was. I just thought if I started writing people would flock to my blog. Like the famous movie quote, I imagined… If I build it, they will come….
Have you ever written a fabulous scene, section or chapter that made you feel like you should win the Pulitzer Prize? Oh, admit it. I’m talking about those times when your writing seems to soar. The descriptive detail is so vivid you feel like you’ve stepped into the story. The dialogue and quirky and interesting—not…
Every story needs a good hero. The flawed one we love to root for. The one who faces a challenge and comes out stronger on the other end. Even a superhero has a weakness. Maybe he’s misunderstood or misjudged in an ordinary world where he just doesn’t fit. Worse, a malevolent creep lurks nearby with…
When I began the journey to become a working writer, I took a freelance writing course taught by Kathryn Fanning at the local library. Week by week, I learned from Kathryn how to study the markets, identify what topics I was qualified to write, query magazines with the article ideas, write and submit my work….
Writing about Hollywood, William Goldman famously said, “Nobody knows anything.” I feel much the same about publishing. When eBooks first broke, I repeatedly heard people say, “That will never catch on,” or “I love the feel of a real book in my hands.” Well, guess what? EBooks account for about 75% of sales in popular…
Sometimes, quality is hard to define. For example, in Super Bowl XLVIII (that would be 48 for the Roman-numeral-challenged), the best defense in the NFL was pitted against the best offense. Going into the game, most pundits thought the score would be close. In reality, the Broncos and their explosive offense were impotent against the…
I was twenty-two years old when I took a part-time job with First United Methodist in downtown Oklahoma City doing something I had no business doing—running a drama team. How can that be, you might ask. After all, I currently work as the head writer at The Skit Guys. But let me tell you how…
For the first time in my editing career, I walked away from a client I’d agreed to work with. He was a very nice man, loved the Lord with passion, and had unquenchable faith. I wanted to partner with him even though I knew his project would require extensive rewriting. But after the first segment…
I took a circuitous route to my writing career. A registered nurse, I worked as the clinical supervisor of the coronary care unit and the assistant clinical supervisor of the intensive care tower at Baptist Integris in Oklahoma City. My life revolved around live and death decisions every day. I could almost smell the spirit…
Is there anything worse than staring at a blank screen and not knowing what to type? Whether you’re a Pantser or Plotter, writer’s block stinks! But believe it or not there is a cure. Some die-hard plotters would say “if you plotted out your story before you wrote it then you wouldn’t have writer’s block.” But I’m sure even…