Books
Written
and
In Progress

About Writing.

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I love writing. I treasure the freedom to express myself, wander in a new world, meet new people, explore ideas, and create something I can share.

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Writing grew from my love of reading. I've lost count of the books I've read. I'm the nerd, the fourth-grader, wandering the playground, eyes glued to a Jules Verne novel, yet never missing a step or tripping on a curb. I'm the frustration of every high-school English and Literature teacher. The odd student who was a better reader than the teacher and articulated why the assigned reading was dull. My Kindle is my mistress.

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Several years ago, I wondered if I could write a book. The answer is yes, but it turned out to be different than I imagined. Going from reading to writing a book was analogous to driving a car and building one from scratch. No cheating allowed; no going to Auto Zone for spark plugs; you must fashion every part by hand. I had to learn new skills, practice, grow a thicker skin, and decide to keep going no matter what.

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Plotters and Pantsers

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I can't tell you how often I've been asked, "How did you write a novel? I could never do that." They tell me about reading books on the craft, taking classes, and watching videos. They've spent years floundering, trying to follow the "instructions" on plot and character development, only to become frustrated and give up. My suggestion? Please sit down and write your story; let it flow from your fingers. You can fix anything that's broken after the first draft is complete.

 

Among writers, there are two primary paths toward the first draft, the Plotter, and the Pantster, and every author falls somewhere between these two styles. There's no advantage to one type or the other. In the end, like personality type, eye color, or skin color, your writing style isn't something that can or should be fixed. Worse, trying to be something you're not is frustrating, depressing, and discouraging.

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Plotters need structure and organization. The world needs Plotters. They are organized, predictable, dependable, and on time. They create books the way an architect builds a skyscraper. They spend more time planning and designing than writing. Their books are well organized, and the transition from first, second, third, and final drafts is clean. Do you know an author who spends more time planning vacations than enjoying them? Someone who dashes from place to place, is governed by her watch, and misses all the cool stuff along the way? She's probably a Plotter.

 

J.K Rowling, E.L. Stein, and John Grisham are all Plotters. I love their books, but I can't imagine a more dismal, tedious, and mind-numbingly dull way to write.

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I am a Pantser. For me, writing is an adventure. I learn the story as it flows from my fingers to my iPad or computer. Sitting down to write is a trip into the mist, a vacation to an unknown destination, with heroes and villains I meet along the road. When I set out, I think I know where I'm going and what I'd like to do at the beginning, middle, and end, yet I leap at every unforeseen path. I see all the cool stuff, explore odd places and twisting roads, and enjoy the journey even if I don't end up where I planned.

 

Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Meg Cabot, Mark Twain, Isaac Asimov, and other successful authors are Pantsers.

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All the time a Plotter spent at the beginning of their story, I spent at the end. My first drafts resemble the family minivan after a cross-country road trip, loaded with trash, gum on the headliner, toys stuck in all the vents, a rank smell from whatever new semi-sentient lifeform has evolved from the burger dropped behind the seat, and yes, there is a story somewhere under the mess. The real story, the one that you get to read, is the result of months of cleanup and reconstruction.

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About my Books:

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The Nanobots of Greenvale series is First Contact Science Fiction. Each book follows different characters in the fictional town of Greenvale and their interactions with the symbiotic nanobots that escaped from the local university laboratory. Within each story, the nanobots force the characters to reevaluate cherished beliefs and values and to check their moral foundations. Are their beliefs and standards built on sand or stone? Can they justify why they hold an idea dear without borrowing oil from another's lamp?

This series is intended for a mature, not less than eighteen-year-old, audience.

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My next two series are in the design and planning stage. As a Pantser, "design and planning" means I still need to pay off the American Express, clean the empty Fresca cans out of the back seat, pack my bags, and put gas in the car.

 

The first will be a hybrid of science-fiction and fantasy, following a group of characters as their world transitions from technology to magic. The books will be designed for an audience of teenagers and adults. I have the general plot puzzled out and will put "fingers to keyboard" after I finish "Inanna."

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The second is still bubbling up from the ooze. I'm pinballing ideas with my kids and friends. I can tell you it will be a LiTRPG story set in a fantasy world.