Recently, a Luthiel’s Song reader asked me to answer a few questions for her gifted program school project. For my part, I was delighted to pitch in. As I was working on the answers, I began to think that they might also be helpful to other writers or just useful to those interested in the craft. In my opinion, there are probably as many ways to become an author as there are authors. Regardless, I’ll be sharing some of my experiences in the following paragraphs. I hope they help you! (more…)

Continued from Submissions/Rejections

Looking back, I don’t really know what madness possessed me to take such risks. In all honesty, it’s the same madness that keeps me here working on Luthiel’s Song still. Part of it must be love for the thing. The other part, just determination to make it where I’m headed. Hopefully the top of that mountain. Or at least the next foothill.

But I did the crazy thing. The mad thing Ray Bradbury wrote about when he talked of jumping off cliffs and trying to build a set of wings before hitting ground. (more…)

Continued from Death and Rewriting,

So now that I had a finished manuscript in hand what was I to do?

The standard, well accepted, way to enter the literary world is to submit and then professionally publish your book. So after finishing Luthiel’s Song I tried. (more…)

Dear Friends,

The fantasy group I moderate on myspace called Luthiel’s Fantasy Group Luthiel’s Fantasy Group has been hacked. For those of you who love this group or who love fantasy in general, I’m asking you to lend your sword to my cause. (more…)

Continued from The Military?

So I kept writing Luthiel’s Song after college.

It was amazing! I’d finally found a character I loved to write about. Her world unfolded before my eyes like a vast tapestry. I was in that giddy phase when a writer begins to really create. There was such a sense of possibility and so many things seemed open to me.

But the world outside of my imagination was a dire place for a young writer. (more…)

Continued from Opportunities, Obstacles

While still at college, and much to the chagrin of my professors, I decided to do a crazy thing. I went off and I joined the infantry.

The US Army National Guard.

What was I thinking? (more…)

Continued from “A book with blank pages”

…But this time I was lucky! I managed to get into the fantastic Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL. And what I discovered there, aside from some excellent surf and a campus which was a lot like Hogwarts in the real world, were some amazing opportunities and some relatively disheartening obstacles. (more…)

… Now also during this time I received a strange gift.

A book with blank pages.

What sort of good is a book with blank pages? Is it any good to an 8 year- old - boy?

I didn’t really think so. It sat on my desk collecting dust for about two years. But, eventually, I did pick it up and put a few things in it.

The blank page begs at least something. The call of mystery on my desk had finally become loud enough for me to hear. (more…)

I’m going to step away from talks about myths and writing philosophy for a little while to share with you some of my story becoming a writer. Hopefully, it will be helpful to those of you who are interested in writing or doing anything else that may seem difficult. As I’m by no means perfect please take what lessons may be helpful to you and leave those that are not.

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In my experience, nothing worthwhile has ever really been all that easy. Even from the very beginning. You see, when I was young, I had trouble learning to read.

I still remember the first grade very well. I’d learned abc’s and to read a few words here and there. But I was shocked to find that, upon entering school, nearly everyone in my class already knew how to read.

I remember coming home with my ‘Dick and Jane’ book. I’d sit on the couch and stare and stare at it — hoping the words would miraculously fly off the page and into my mind. (more…)

This past Friday, I was interviewed on a local TV station in Charlottesville in connection with the Virginia Festival of the Book. I was popping around doing visits to various schools helping to get students into reading. Matt sent out some press releases and landed a TV interview — small miracle!!

So we go to the TV station and what do they want to know?? Do they want to know about Luthiel’s Song? Not so much. Do they want to know about writing a good book? Nope. Do they want to know about the importance of reading at a young age?? No way. (more…)