February 17, 2012
Time. If your day is filled with work, duties at home, buying food. Breathing. How do you fit in some time to write?
What are the secrets? I will tell you what works for me. First, let me tell you that for the most part, I only write one day
a week. That's it. One day. Saturday. During the week, my day job keeps me so busy, that if you're like me, you invest so
much into it, there is no energy left to write. That's okay. So what have I been able to accomplish with that one day? Well,
two mystery novels published. Five screenplays, ten short stories, and three other books in my computer, ready to go. How?
Well, first you have to designate the time you will write. Don't let anyone or anything get in the way of your writing. Nothing.
Family has to know this is YOUR time to write. Next, during the week, spend your free time thinking about plot, character
development, twists, grabber dialogue, scene, and the very first thing you are excited to write about. In the car, turn off
the radio. Think. Keep a notepad near you. No, don't write while you're driving, wait till you come to a safe stop and jot
down a few things. That's it, just a few things. Think about what you're going to write, days before you write it. Get pumped
up about putting down words and sentences. And when the day comes, write! And please, write until you know it's getting old.
You know when to stop. When the words stop flowing, take a short break. Come back and get going again. You will be surpised
how much you can get done in a day. Another secret for me...switch up. I write my novel for a few weeks. Then I will switch
and move to the screenplay. Then move back to the novel. For me, it works. It keeps me fresh. When you finish a book, write
a short story. When you finish the short story, start a screenplay. When you are done with the screenplay, start the first
chapter to a book. Keep going. Switch up. Keep the balls in the air. Next time.
January 21, 2012
This
is a great year to be published. Either the established way of pub, or self pub. Work it out. Write. Publish. I just finished
a book. Big change for me. This one is not a mystery. General fiction. I always game for change. If it works. I liked the
characters so much, I hated it when the book came to oan end. It is called Shades of Gray. It is about a woman on a mission.
Not sure where Shades will find a home. That is being worked on as we both sit here. Still, it was a pleasure to write it.
I have another book, a mystery that is in the finall stages of being prepped and ready for a self publishing release hopefully
next month. We will see. It is the third book in the series featuring reporter Matt Bowens and is called Death by Deadline.
Two books in the works!! Not bad.
December 21,
2011
Before I was first
published, a few people listened to my world of being alone at the computer and writing my passion of creating Matt Bowens.
They heard my concerns, my attempts to get published, the numerous rejections and the question of whether it was worth. Well
first, of course it's worth it. I listened. I learned. Where was this place? It all happened at a writers conference called
Sleuth Fest. I have attended several. Writers from all over the country converge in one place in Florida to compare notes,
share stories, and learn from some of the best. All the help paid off. My first book was published in 2005 through Avalon
Books. The second mystery came a couple of years later. Yes, I wrote the books. I did the research and the work. However,
you need that boost or push from somewhere else. Sleuth Fest gave that to me. I highly recommend writers check it out. The
next one is next year in Orlando. If you like to party, well, they are party-people. If you go, enjoy.
| |
 | 
Okay, I stayed away longer than I promised. My bad. For things that helped me, consider this. Many writers start out with a great idea. An idea that rocks you so much
that you tear through the first thirty pages. Then what? The book sometimes stops and you reach a lull. The deal is you must
have two, maybe three great ideas for your mystery novel. Each idea represents a plot twist. A change in the story that moves
everything in another direction. When you mentally sit down and plot your book, these plot points should be there. And when
do these idea pop into your head? Anytime. You could be driving in your car and think of something profound. You could hear
two people talking nearby and pow, it hits you. In all of this, you wrap your characters into it, the pacing and the location.
Save the best for last. When I sit down and plan out a book, I have the last thirty pages firm in my mind. Firm. I find that
I write to that final point. Reaching the end really makes the writing process fun. Enjoy. |
October 14 2011
I think the words were always in me. If anyone drew on surroundings
to write, it would be me. I grew up in a housing project in Chicago. Just a few seconds on that. I would not change anything
about growing up there. My years there were some of the best in my life with many life-long friends. Rough times? Yes. Sometimes.
Isn't that what life is all about? We had a diverse community and it benefited all of us. Then I spent years gathering news
and standing in front of a camera. Rough times? Yes. But rough in a different way. I saw people going through rough situations
and for the most part, I could do much. However, I had my words and pictures. Hopefully the viewers could step in and make
change. And many times, that did happen. My point is I use all of these moments, emotions, hardships, good times, soaring
victories and direct, in-your-face crime to help give clarity and purpose to my writing. I have traveled from the boardrooms
to the morgue and back again. All of it goes into the writing. Next time: writing tips that helped me.
September 2011
Welcome.
This is my first entry so I wanted to set it up this way: The blog will be updated every two weeks. Anything beyond
that takes away from my writing and as we all know, that's not a good thing.
Writing is my passion. For a lot of years, I wrote tons of stories for news deadlines. All of those
stories were for a vast great audience. When I sit down to write my books, the writing is for me and for everyone who loves
to read. I just released my short story collection of mystery stories called Deep Trouble. They are all based in south Florida.
Just two things:
One, if you are a writer, just starting out, or maybe you've been writing for some time and you're
stuck, you're not alone. A suggestion: In south Florida, there are monthly meetings sponsored by Mystery Writers of America.
Information on them are almost always mentioned in the Sun-Sentinel. Also, once a year, there is the mystery writers conference
called Sleuth Fest. A great place to network, meet authors, speak with an agent and attend panel discussions on writing.
Finally, I want to thank some people. Joyce Sweeney runs a fantastic critique
group. She has been a writers best friend for many years. Her attendees have gone on to publish and the number runs more than
thirty. In my effort to self-publish, Mike Jastrzebski has been a great help. His books, Key Lime Blues and The Storm Killer
can be downloaded. My editor is Nadja Hansen. Nadja, thank you. My friend Michael Haskins from Key West also offered some
really good advice. His books are also available to download or purchase.
The thing about writing is don't stop trying. Things might slow you down. That's called life. Your
plot might stick in the middle. There are ways to pump it up and get the pace going again. Just don't stop trying.
