Writing Life

the razor book by J. Barton Mitchell

The Razor Audiobook Sample

The awesome Travis Baldree just posted a video with a sample reading from The Razor audiobook, and it’s one of my favorite chapters. You can tell he’s a pro because he has only a few “Whiskey Flubs”.

The Importance of Finishing Stuff…No Matter What, Part Two

It’s not about reaching a completed version of something (with a true beginning, middle, and end; what we generally call a draft). This is about knowing when something is finished. When it is at the final draft. The hard part is, a final draft doesn’t always equal a success.

strong female characters

Strong Female Characters

Female characters are often labeled “strong” because there is an element to them that’s self aware they are doing things not stereotypically associated with being female. As much as they pretend to shrug off the “male gaze”, they’re actually just another version of it. Physically strong perhaps…but not well written.

The Importance of Finishing Stuff…No Matter What (Part Uno)

Finishing something is a milestone. Finishing something with true forethought and intention is a victory. Doing so, puts you at a different stage of your career and progress as an artist.

Why Books are Interactive

One version of good writing, is writing that trusts the reader to fill in the blanks themselves, to use their own imagination to help in the story telling process.

James Horner and the Giant Spring

I’m listening to my (sadly) out of print Vinyl edition of James Horner’s awesome score to BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, not only my favorite Roger Corman movie (a tough call to make, it’s like picking your favorite Robert E. Howard short, but come on: it’s a remake of THE MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN in space, itself a remake of SEVEN SAMURAI in the […]

So, a Writer walks into a coffee shop…

I’m writing this in a small, hip, yet not over the top diner near my apartment. It’s one of my favorite places. I can walk here when the weather’s nice (which it usually is). I know the servers and the managers. My poor math skills result in them getting tipped well, and they give me a free dessert or a […]