On Stories and Empathy

For the last few years, I've ended every school year by giving students what I refer to as my "empathy" speech, a 5-7 minute attempt to contextualize the importance of the subject I teach (English). None of this is probably terribly new, but this year I felt like writing it out because this is my …

WHERE’S RANDY?

Greetings, friends. I know I haven't been blogging much lately, so I wanted to give you a quick update on what I've been up to in order to reassure you I haven't fallen off the face of the earth... I finished revisions and edits on After the Shot Drops! This took a couple rounds and …

Why did I like this so much?: MOONLIGHT

This is part of a (planned) new series of posts called Why did I like this so much? in which I try to analyze my enjoyment with an eye toward learning from great artists to inform my own work.  Last night I saw MOONLIGHT, directed by Barry Jenkins, and it was beautiful in a devastating yet …

COMING UP FOR AIR

Whew. Last night I finished a draft of my latest work-in-progress, THE GOBLIN & THE WHALE. It's technically a second draft, but I've spent the last six months rewriting it word-for-word from the first draft, so it feels like a brand new story. So in other words, I feel like this: At the same time, …

MIYAZAKI’S CHARACTERIZATION

I came across this video essay about how Miyazaki creates great characters and wanted to share it with all of you. It's an excellent study that any storyteller can learn from.  

JULY IN REVIEW

Here's what I've been up to: What I've been writing... I'm about a third of the way through a complete rewrite of a story I drafted in the fall/winter. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a YA dark fantasy featuring a girl, a boy, a goblin, a talking whale, a cult, …

REAL WRITING IS REVISING

I spoke to a writers' group the other day, and the most interesting question I received was about how my style/approach to writing has changed since going through the publication process with my first novel. Without hesitation, I answered that it was coming to understand that most of writing is revising. I told them that …

NOTES FROM THE REVISION HOLE

Whew. I'm emerging from about two weeks deep in the revision hole. This was by far the most intense writing experience of my nascent career. Normally, I write daily, but with no real pressure. However, this time I had a deadline to meet. I did not have a lot of time. And I had a …

UPDATE: I AM STILL ALIVE

It's been a while since I've posted here, so I just wanted to let you all know that I am still alive. Winter is a crazy busy time of year for me because in addition to teaching, I also coach our school's wrestling team. But the season is winding down so perhaps you'll hear from …

THE SIX STAGES OF REVISION GRIEF

So I remember hearing someone say that one of the difficulties of writing is that you have to create your raw materials. A painter starts with a canvas and paint. A potter or a sculptor starts with a lump of clay or rock*. However, a writer starts with nothing. You pluck words out of your head, …