Tag: writing
-
An Episode of (writing) Failure
I like to be honest on this blog. No reason to be otherwise. I don’t like to be pretentious, though any foray into self-advertising seems to uncomfortably cling to the cliff leading into the valley of pretension. Here’s the cold hard truth. But sometimes writers fail to achieve their goals. Sometimes others deem their work…
-
Recognition is nice, but it’s not why I do it.
Why do writers write? No doubt there are a myriad of reasons. Some noble. Some mundane. Some exploitative. I always wanted to be a writer because I felt that being a writer would be cool. How’s that for pithy? I thought that being a writer would make people go “ooohh” and “ahhhh” which would in…
-
When writing, I don’t want to sound smart. I want to sound real.
I was reading some reviews written by some readers of a particular novelist whom I am not familiar with. The readers were noting some of the rather bizarre metaphors that the author was using and said that if you liked the sound of these then you will like this person’s writing. The metaphors themselves seemed…
-
A Love Story about a Vietnamese Banyan Tree Twenty Years in the Making
I wrote a guest post for Lovely Reads which just published over the weekend. Here’s the opening and please head on over to Serenity’s site to read the rest about my soon to be released third novel: A Love Story about a Vietnamese Banyan Tree Twenty Years in the Making by Mark W Sasse It’s…
-
Another Scrivener convert. I should get commission.
I was standing outside the theatre doors, greeting the crowd at the world premiere opening of my musical last week when one of my writer friends attacked me with a firm handshake. “I took your advice about Scrivener, and, wow, it’s fantastic. Thank you so much.” It’s easy to proselytize something you are passionate about,…
-
Writing: Can I do it again?
This seems to be a re-occurring theme for me, and I suppose for many writers: Can I do it again? The ‘it’ is write. Can I repeat the magic? Do I have another story in me? Will the clever hooks and twists and turns be so evident in my next writing as in my last…
-
You Can’t Control Your Destiny, Only Your Direction
Here’s a lesson I have learned and am continuing to learn as an indie author: I can’t control my destiny, but I can control my direction. I have a goal. I would one day love to write for a living, but I have no way of knowing if it will ever come true. There are…
-
I am not chaff. I am a serious writer, thank you.
Elitism always frowns on democratization. I was reading an article which quoted two well-known mainstream authors, who gave their thoughts on the changing face of the publishing industry. One of them said that the traditional publishing model – with all our familiar and well-loved gatekeepers including literary agents and publishing executives (wait, scratch that “well-loved”…
-
A Momentary Stare at a Blank Page
Before I go and write I wanted to reflect on the blank page that awaits me. I have an idea in my head and I am ready to start putting it on paper. Two hours from now the blank will be filled, but I am not yet sure what I will have. Will the words…
-
Decision Making in Writing: When Writers and Readers Disagree
I always say this: “Writing is all about making decisions. Good writing is about making the right decisions.” Now if someone would please point out to me the meaning of ‘right decision’ then I’ll be sitting at a Parisian Cafe with the next generation of Roaring 20s writers. How do you know when you made…
Author Mark W Sasse 