In her January Recommended Reading List, USA Today Bestselling Author Kristine Kathryn Rusch said of “Little Blue Fuzzy”: I love this story. I first saw it in a workshop under a different title. The story was funny then, and it’s funny now. David H. Hendrickson is one of my favorite writers. Use this piece as an […]
“Tiffany” included in Kris Rusch’s Recommended Reading!
If you’ve been reading this blog for any time at all, you know about my intense admiration for Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I consider her the single best teacher I’ve ever had. The workshops run by her and Dean Wesley Smith have changed my life. She’s also one of my favorite writers. (And also a heckuva person, […]
Surviving the Kris Rusch Death March
I’m writing this from gate D9 at the Portland, Oregon airport, waiting for my flight back to Boston after spending over a week on the Oregon Coast. I’m tired but very excited about my writing and what the future holds. I was one of eighteen professional writers working with Kristine Kathryn Rusch (and at the […]
June & July 2010 Recommended Reading List
Yes, I know it’s late August, but I’ve either had other writing projects I’ve been focused on or had other topics I wanted to get to first. In September, I expect to begin posting this list on a monthly basis and also be more punctual. That’s the plan, at least. There are a few books I enjoyed but won’t be […]
2011 Workshops
I’ve mentioned before and will mention again how much I’ve learned at the great workshops offered by Kris Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith. Here’s a schedule of the ones they’ll be offering in 2011. I highly recommend them.
April & May 2010 Recommended Reading List
Most of the reading I did in these two months was in preparation for Kris Rusch’s Mystery Writing workshop. As a result, most of these recommendations come from that genre. Bruen, Ken, The Guards, St. Martins Minotaur, 2003. Not only had I never read Bruen before, I’d never even heard of him. This book, however, was part […]
The Death of Dreams by Half-inches
The latest installment in Kris Rusch’s Freelancer’s Survival Guide hit me like a roundhouse left hook out of nowhere. The next thing I knew, I was staring up from the canvas, seeing stars. Kris was writing about giving up on your dreams. Among the many great insights, one in particular delivered the most powerful blow. “…sometimes (often!) the […]
John Wooden and Writing
This is about writing, not sports. Trust me. Legendary basketball coach John Wooden died last Friday at the age of 99. He left behind a number of quotes that transcend sports and I’d like to apply to writing. Let’s have a look. If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that […]
Don’t Be a Knucklehead
If you're a writer (or want to be one) and you're not always trying to learn, then you're a knucklehead.
A WORKshop
Some writers’ workshops are thinly disguised vacations. (I’ve avoided them.) Then there are the Workshops run by Kris Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith. They’re held out on the beautiful Oregon coast, but in most cases you don’t get much, if any, time to enjoy the pounding surf and other enticements. You’re there to work on the […]