The girl was born and raised in The South, yet knew nothing much of it as her attention was always focused on something else. The girl had heard of a great war that had once been fought over some issue…what was it? Oh, yes. Slavery. During a field trip in 5th Grade, she had even seen […]

Trashed out. In need of repair. Dingy paint, chipped. Floors, scratches showing clean wood through years of grime or squares of linoleum tiles searching for their place among empty patches of dried glue. Ceilings, smoke stained; bathtubs, ringed with mineral deposits clinging to God only knew whose old skin. Chicken coop out back, empty except […]

I’ve been asked how it is I plot my novels. The short answer is: I don’t, not really, kinda sorta somewhat not. The correct answer is: I have a general idea of story, but when my characters surprise me, my stories always benefit. In other words, I write like John le Carré. For instance, my […]

I first met Charles Olaf Johnson, or Chuck as friends call him, at my writing critique group run by Jedwin Smith. Chuck was in his mid-seventies, but that didn’t stop him from flirting. I remember thinking, “Dang, Chuck, if you were younger…holy cow, I would be in trouble.” And he knew I was thinking that. Chuck was awesomely […]

To plot, or not to plot — that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the book to allow The characters to surprise the writer Or to make detailed plot assignments And, by controlling, end the surprise. To plan the plot — who knows — and by plan to say we end The heartache, and […]

Long and tall she was born. Skin and bones, too, because her mother, determined to walk out of the hospital in her skinny pants, had eaten only goat’s milk and cornbread during her pregnancy thereby almost starving her firstborn. But the girl’s survival instinct was strong. So, using God’s very own system while plugged into […]

A friend of mine, Marcus Dewan Williams, owns a highly successful independent bookstore. He posted this on Facebook: Too many self-published authors are putting out LOW QUALITY books. POOR cover designs. POOR typesetting. POOR grammar and etc. smh From the beginning Marcus has supported those who couldn’t get a publishing deal and went the self-pub route. […]