There are some common elements in Zen art that I find in my own work: attempting to achieve or express more through less, for example, or the exploration of artificial spatial constructs. I think the core of these aesthetics is an interplay between the experienced...
On Writing
I’m Not Fast
I'm a much faster thinker than doer. Lots of times, I feel like I can't keep up with my thoughts. I forget the exact metaphor Buddhists use for a wild mind, but it's something involving a large and dangerous mammal. They might refer to it as a raging, wild elephant or...
Infinite Vampire
I released my first series of novels in 2017 a series called "infinite vampire". I invested a lot of money, time, and effort into the book's creation. I had high hopes for how sales would perform, and delusions of how I would be a breakout novelist. Unfortunately my...
Freestyle Haiku
Back in 2010, I went through an extraordinarily painful event. My high school sweetheart and I, who had gotten married in 2003, split up and got a divorce. In the beginning of that painful process, my emotions were difficult to understand and control, and they had a...
My Self-Editing Checklist – It Might Help You!
Editing is important and challenging. I've got about 200,000 words to put through the editing ringer before February. That's a lot, but it's okay: I have a plan. Every editing session, I start by reviewing 20 editing 'rules' that I find important. The items on the...
Copy Editing and Proofreading
I've edited Infinite Vampire I: Blood 4 Life about twenty times. I've read it probably thirty times, and I've sent it out to twenty people to get their feedback on it. And I paid an editor I found on Reedsy to go through it... WOW. I thought it was clean, and there's...
The Internet Marketing RPG
I've spent about 5 or 6 weeks of 12 hour days creating my author platform (my internet marketing platform); and the thing is, I DIDN'T START FROM SCRATCH. I already had a start with a couple websites, a blog, and an email list. In hindsight, it would have helped if...
My Draft Zero Process
I have a unique approach to creative writing I call the Draft Zero Process. My Draft Zero Process might be something similar to what other writers do. It may only be a new perspective on a well established work-flow, but because it has made such a significant impact...
The Writer’s Spaceship
No matter if you're writing non-fiction, sci-fi romance, or YA historical high fantasy, every author could benefit from having a writer's spaceship. We're creative people, but we can be distracted. Sometimes, words don't fly onto 'the paper' as often or as frequently...
Deep Structure
On writetodone.com, Dr. John Yeoman writes tips on creating Deep Structure in short stories. This was a nice article that gives tips and describes why the tips create better stories. He describes 'Deep Structure' as the depth the reader feels in a story, the...