My New Writing Process (or why I don’t believe in pantsing anymore)

For the longest time, I thought I was a “discovery writer.” That is to say, I believed there were two kinds of writers—pantsers vs. plotters—and that I was very much a pantser. It was what I was comfortable with. It was what I defaulted to when I sat down to write. It was the style… Continue reading My New Writing Process (or why I don’t believe in pantsing anymore)

Trope Tuesday: The Chessmaster

The Chessmaster is a fun trope, especially when done well. A good villain is always at least one step ahead of the good guys, so when it turns out that he’s three or four or ten steps ahead of them, it can make for some interesting plot twists. Of course, the chessmaster isn’t always the… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: The Chessmaster

Pantser vs. plotter? There is no such thing

I have come to the conclusion that the “pantsing vs. plotting” way of thinking about writing is as impractical and useless as nature vs. nurture, or talent vs. learned ability. Are you a pantser who discovery writes from the seat of his pants, or a plotter who has to outline every character, every plot point,… Continue reading Pantser vs. plotter? There is no such thing

The next few months are going to be CRAZY

I knew that back in March, but with Brothers in Exile about to be published, I’m right in the thick of it! Fortunately, it looks like everything is proceeding more or less according to schedule, which is good for my readers because it means a steady stream of books all summer. First of all, I’m… Continue reading The next few months are going to be CRAZY