Category: Creative Process/Craft

How I Wrote My Debut Novel: Part Six – Reading and Writing

A few years ago I was speaking with a fellow author at an event. “So what are you reading?” I asked. I was amazed to…

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How I Wrote My Debut Novel: Part Four – Keeping a Simple Writing Record

To some this might be optional; however, when building a discipline or habit, some light record keeping can be motivational and offer a focal point…

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How I Wrote My Debut Novel: Part Three – The Two Documents that are a Novel in Progress

Now that we’re writing daily and have a place in which we do so, we turn to the tactics— elements of the practical process I…

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How I Wrote My Debut Novel: Part Two – Focus and the Value of Writing in the Same Location

Place matters. We become emotionally attached to it. Over time, a place becomes imbibed with meaning and memory. A place becomes a sanctuary, an oasis,…

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How I Wrote My Debut Novel: Part One – The Value of a Writing Discipline

Eight years ago this month I finished my thesis defense, earning my MFA in Creative Writing at Butler University, Indianapolis. My thesis, after another draft…

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