CHICKEN SHACK
Great first sentences (and an analysis of the first sentences of my own novels)
I have no definitive favorite first line of a novel, though I am partial to the first line of Slaughterhouse Five: “All this happened, more or less.” Also, Fahrenheit 451: “It was a pleasure to burn.” Of all my books, I like the first sentence of Chicken Shack, my unpublished novel that will hopefully see…
Read More“Where do you get your ideas?” is an understandable but impossible-to-answer question for authors. But “Nuns at Scout camp” will be one of my answers someday.
I’m often asked where I get my ideas for books, which is an understandable but impossible question to answer. There is no well of ideas. There is no secret formula. There is no one answer to that question, as much as fledgling writers seem to want there to be. Simply put, I hear something. I…
Read MoreWhere do you get your ideas?
I am often asked where I get the inspiration and ideas for my stories, especially considering that I’m fortunate enough to have so many ideas from which to choose. A few years ago I wrote a post explaining my process. Since I continue to be asked this question almost more than any other, I thought…
Read MoreI already wrote this story.
TIME magazine reports on a funeral home in South Carolina will soon offer Starbucks coffee, lattes and free Wi-Fi for those grieving over their loved ones. Having written an entire novel about a combined funeral home/fast food chicken restaurant (it’s still in the desk drawer), I find this news slightly disconcerting. Did Starbucks just steal…
Read MoreKnow thyself, or just read what festival organizers have to say about you instead
My appearance at the upcoming Connecticut Book Festival has been finalized for those interested in attending. I will be speaking on Sunday from 10:00-11:00 AM at the University of Connecticut Greater Hartford Campus. I’ll then be signing books from 11:00 AM -12:00 PM. More details to follow, including the schedules for the other authors appearing. …
Read MoreBook news, including MEMOIRS OF AN IMAGINARY FRIEND
I’ve had a few readers email me recently inquiring about news of my upcoming book, so I thought I’d offer an update: My third novel, Chicken Shack, which I finished in June of last year, has been slid onto the back burner in favor of my newest book. I was about halfway done with the…
Read MoreHow to write like a simpleton
One of the joyous aspects of becoming a published author has been watching people in my life take a crack at writing as well. If that idiot can do it, maybe I can do it. I agree. Today was an especially busy day in this regard. In the span of three hours, I met with…
Read MoreWhere do you get your ideas?
I am often asked where I get the inspiration and ideas for my stories, especially considering that I am fortunate enough to have so many ideas from which to choose. This is the kind of question that is impossible to answer with a single sentence, because I never know when I might stumble upon an…
Read MoreWhich story should I write next?
In the span of the last two days, I complete revisions on my manuscript (CHICKEN SHACK), sent it off to my agent and began a new book. Actually, I’ve started writing two new novels since finishing the initial draft of CHICKEN SHACK. I’m thinking of one of them (BUDO) as my primary book (at least…
Read MoreUltimate business conversion
CHICKEN SHACK features a funeral home turned fried chicken restaurant and was inspired by the conversion of Blackstone Potato Chips to a funeral home in the town in which I grew up. I’ve written about other odd business combinations and conversions, including a movie theatre turned hotel, a laundromat/restaurant/bar, and a publishing house/tutoring center/pirate supply…
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