C. Scott Frank's Blog, page 2

2018, 2019, and Beyond

Earlier this year, I sat down with a white board and mapped out what I wanted the next 18 months to look like. I had draft completion dates, final edit deadlines, and release dates lined out and scheduled. Over halfway through July, and I'm 2 for 4 on my goals. And that's okay.

My Silly Brain

I've talked to a few people about how much I bounce around from idea to idea to idea. They've all encouraged me to just jot down the new ideas and stick with my current plan to finish strong. And I would absolutely love to. But I can't. If you can, I envy you.

My brain gets stuck. Over the last few years, from project to project, I've been both a pantser and a plotter, and I absolutely see the value of both, and I can't say which is better, because they're both unique ways of arriving at the same goal. What I can tell you, however, is that whether I plot or pants, I get stuck. I can't think of how to get to the next place.

It's always dumb things, like, "I need to get this character outside for [reasons], but I can't figure out how to do that easily."

And yes, the problems are often just as dumb as that sounds.

My solution? Have multiple projects going so that when I get stuck on one, I can jump over to another and keep the creativity flowing. It works well for me, although I often end up scatterbrained. I really do envy the ability to just stick with something until it's finished. It's something I'm working on. Maybe one of these years I'll try settling down and just churn through one thing. Or maybe for a NaNoWriMo or something, who knows.

What's Next?

First things first, as soon as I finish this post, I'm going to give my TL;DR horror submission another read-through and then submit that. I'd never written true horror (and admittedly, I quite possibly still haven't) so this is a new thing for me.

One of the few things I'm actually ahead of schedule on is Venison Season 2. I had a stroke of really fun inspiration for that, so I've been working on that a lot. It's going to be bigger than season 1 and definitely take more risks. I'm hoping for a January start date for that, so stay posted!

I've also started working on a holiday release that will be coming in early November. Buckle up, I'm excited about this one!

What's new with Echo?

I had big hopes for Echo. I still have big dreams, but I've honestly hit some inspirational walls with the IP. I have some outlines and mostly written things, but they haven't really inspired me or resonated with me the same way Echo and Frequency did. Until that happens, I don't feel good about releasing that stuff. I'm hoping I can get there soon!

The New Hotness

In 2014, one of my best friends and I had an idea for a fun little mobile game. It involved a spaceship escaping a black hole, dodging asteroids and space debris and all kinds of things. At its heart, it was a simple one-finger arcade game. But under the hood, we envisioned a broad universe to support why there was a ship escaping a black hole. We had ideas for stories to be released alongside the app, including some interactive fiction apps to go with it.

In August of 2015, we released the app, it completely flopped and we ran out of time and money, so we never went any further with it.

Until now. About a month ago I dusted off an early draft of a first chapter and remembered some of what I loved about the project in the first place. So I've been drafting in that world a lot as well. I'm shooting for a rapid release trilogy, hopefully sometime in 2019, so be on the look out for the Nova Wing trilogy.

I have my hands full, but I love creating, so I can't wait to do more of it and share it with you! Of course, all the releases will be through Fox Press, so follow them to stay up to date!

A New Day, A New Project

It's been a week since Venison published. Crazy how time flies! And because I'm nowhere near above the occasional shameless plug, click here to buy your own lovely copy of Venison. Don't forget to leave a review!

After release day there's always that slightly empty feeling of wondering what happens next. I had big plans. I still have big plans, don't worry. But my brain gave me a new project, and I can't stop thinking about it. I've learned that the best way for me to combat this sort of thing is to lean into it. So lean I shall.

Here's a blurry image of my outline, because I'm not quite ready to share any deets yet.

So now I'm writing Venison Season 2, the sequel to Frequency, another fiction project with a group of friends, getting a submission ready for the TL;DR Horror Quarterly, and working on this crazy new project. I'll figure it out, I guess.

While I'm not quite ready to share concrete details about the new project, I can tell you that it's been something in the works for about 4 years, before I'd ever really considered pursuing this writing dream. It's actually pretty exciting to be returning back to these pre-author roots.

The initial plan was something of an interactive fiction piece for an app. But we never got around to that side of it and we never really left the brainstorming phase. And managed to lose most of our notes from the piece. So I'm kind of starting from scratch. But I'm pumped nonetheless.

I'll probably be shooting for a Spring release. My goal is to rapid release a trilogy, but that's also a ton of writing between now and then, so it may be Fall 2019. As always, stay tuned and read stuff!

Venison Season 1 Now Available

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Venison. It's here. It's really here.

It's been almost a year since I first had the idea for Venison after a family member told me about the real Chronic Wasting Disease that has affected deer all over the nation. Since then, the entire book ran as a serial right here on my website, including a special short story by Bryan Todd about the origin of a certain character.

Now, a revised, polished, and freshly edited version of the book is available in gorgeous print and eBook on Amazon. And that's freakin' awesome.

“Zombies are one thing, but a redneck on a power trip? That’s another horror altogether.

Since the zombie threat struck their hometown, Gray and Callum have been on the road for weeks. Callum is the only friend Gray has left, and Callum’s dad in Tulsa may be the only family either of them has left—if he survived. So they’re hiking across the state, avoiding zombies along the way.

When they stop in Stroud for supplies, they find themselves at the mercy of a hick with a god complex, a country gal who’s friendly except when she isn’t, and zombie that seems to be smarter than all of them.

And who knows what monster escaped from the high school gym.

Adapted from the intense web serial, Venison, all 13 episodes have been polished, edited, and compiled into one complete volume.

Includes the exclusive short story, Spades, written by Bryan Todd, and the never before released short, Daryl. Delve into the mind of one of the most memorable characters Gray and Callum encounter and learn the motivation behind the man.”

This is an exciting day for me. This is my largest single body of work to date, and I can't wait to start seeing it in the wild! Be sure and share to help me get the word out.

Let the deer get weird.

Not sure if you're ready to buy it? Read a sample above or get the whole first chapter free in your inbox.

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Free Cover Design for an Indie Author - July 2018

I've been super busy lately. Between trying to kick-off a micropublisher, to getting Venison ready to release, and changing my website platform and writing as much as I'd like (okay maybe not as much as I'd like, but at least I'm writing something), my time has been in complete flux.

Because of all that mess, I haven't been able to do one thing as much as I'd like: help people.

I'm wired to be a helper. I love to serve, love to support, and watch other people grow to be the best they can be.

Now that Venison is launching in a little over a week, I'll have some time over the next month or so to do just that. As I pondered something I could do to give back to the community in some way, inspiration struck.

Cover design is expensive. In fact, it's almost prohibitively expensive for the indie publisher who's just starting out. I can speak for myself that I would have precisely zero published books if I didn't have the design skills I do. It's the truth. That kind of money is hard to come by, but as I've illustrated in this post, good cover design is absolutely essential.

So I want to give away a free book cover to an indie author who might be stuck. No strings attached, nothing in it for me (except exposure, I guess). I just want to help someone and make their day.

Now I'm no rockstar designer. I admit that. My designs seem to be met with general approval, but I know that I'm not a book cover design prodigy. But I can make something that looks professionally designed, not clip-art, word-art, or any other -art feature that we can all agree is not good.

Now, be warned, I may be asking some tough questions about your financial state or publishing status if you apply. I'm not trying to be nosy or exclusive, I just want to make sure I'm helping someone who really needs the help, not someone who wants to take advantage.

If you're interested, drop me a line below. We'll talk and see if it's a good fit. If you're not selected this time, I plan on doing this a few times a year, so next time might be your shot!

Also, I know for me, it would be hard to step out and admit that I need the help. Pride or something, I don't know. So if you know someone who would otherwise be too shy to ask, point them my direction or even sign them up if you'd like! Help me make someone's day.

(PS. I know the internet is a crazy place where everything leads to a newsletter or something. Not the case here. I want to give something away completely free. This form leads straight to my inbox and I won't add you to a newsletter or anything.)

Name *
Name



First Name



Last Name


























Email Address *











































Tell me a little about your project: *

Thank you! I’ll be reviewing this personally, and I’ll get back to you!

Introducing Fox Press

Things That Were

It started New Years Eve, 2015. Four friends who love playing tabletop games together decided to come up with their own game. And they did. Chicken Run was funded in the summer of 2016 on Kickstarter and Pround Entertainment was born.

We had dozens of ideas for what to do next. We knew Chicken Run would just be the beginning of our creative career, but we had no idea what might happen next. As we began to conceptualize and design our next game, we wanted to create something deep and enrapturing.

We came up with the world of Varya. The deeper we got into brainstorming for the game, the more we realized there was a story to be told.

In the Spring of 2017, we released the novella, Frosthammer, which I co-wrote with Bryan Todd. It was the first time for both of us to publish something, and we got the itch. If you've followed me on social media, you know the love for writing has only intensified for me, and now, on the cusp of my first full-length novel release, Venison, I'm excited to announce Fox Press.

Fox Press

We came to a crossroads this past Spring. What do we do with all the books we want to create? Who owns the books, the author or Pround? So we came up with a solution: Fox Press. A new kind of micropublisher for independent authors. As a team, we wanted to create a solution that will help us release books well and with integrity. As we began to create Fox Press, we realized we were creating something that could help independent authors everywhere.

You can read more about Fox Press here, but I'm excited to announce that all of my previous releases are now under the Fox Press banner, and Venison will be the first new release for Fox Press.

If you watched my Proof reveal for Venison, you may have even noticed some Fox Press branding on the cover. That makes it official, right? Follow Fox Press for more exciting news as we gear up for open submissions this winter.

Take care!

Free Gift: Venison Season 1 Soundtrack

I'm pretty excited about this one. Subscribers to my newsletter will get a free album of a few songs I wrote and recorded as inspiration for Venison. I've been working on this on the side for a few months, and I think it's going to be pretty neat. Here's a sample of one of the tracks:

If you're interested in getting the whole album free, simply sign up below and you'll get an email when it releases on June 15th!

Get the Soundtrack!

AfterWords and 2018 Updates

AfterWords has been an absolute blast. This year, we've met 21 incredible authors and heard a slice of their stories. It doesn't get much more inspiring than that. We've met authors from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, UK, France and of course, all over the U.S. It has been an absolute thrill ride getting to know authors from all across this blue marble.
Suffice it to say: I love AfterWords.

But I also love writing, and it's honestly been harder than I'd expected to do both. If we've known each other for any length of time, you know that I love setting unattainable goals and then emphatically not attaining them. It's a beautiful cycle of self-doubt and self-loathing.

So, I'm taking a bit of a break.

AfterWords will be on a bit of a hiatus through the summer, at least until August. I know, I know, there are a few of you who have submitted answers that will have to wait, and I'm sorry for that. You'll be first on the list come August, for sure! I'll plan on circling back around in July to get updates and all that.

Some News

So what's going on? I'll tell ya!

Next month, I'll be releasing Venison, both eBook and print. And I still need to get the final edit and formatting knocked out.

I would love to have the sequel to Frequency out in August, but I need to make some big headway on that in the next few weeks for it to happen.

I'm working with some friends on a really cool collection that I'm keeping somewhat under wraps, for now, called Red. That will release this fall, but we need to have the draft done in July.

I'm also working on Venison Season 2 and I've kinda been stuck writing that recently because the inspiration monster (zombie?) has visited. I'm really excited about it.

Finally, I'm working on a new website, because WordPress frankly hasn't been doing it for me. WP is a great tool, and I love it, but I'm finding it's not right for me at the moment. I hope to have that out in the next week or so.

Finally pt 2, I'm working on a semi-super-secret project with a group of friends, we'll be announcing that June 15th, so mark your calendars!

I just have too much going on. AfterWords is very dear to me, and it's not going away forever! Just for a little while.

Dan Alvarez and I will keep #AfterWordsMini chugging, however, each Monday at 6pm CST, so you can get your AfterWords fix thataway!

I look forward to connecting on the socials and knocking some really cool projects out this summer!

Overcoming Fear with Rachel Saylor

Rachel is a writer I've gotten to know a little bit through a few writerly Facebook groups over the last 8 months or so (woah!) and it's been great getting to know her! (As well as all the awesome writers I've had the honor of meeting in one way or another in the past year. Seriously, you are all awesome) Anyway, she's talented, driven, and encouraging. But enough from me! Let's hear from her:

I’m a writer from Boone, North Carolina, but I’ve recently transplanted to Tempe, Arizona. My work ranges from nonfiction to post-apocalyptic fiction and modern realistic young adult. I’ve written two novels, both of which are under the editing process. I also enjoy writing shorts and flash fictions. Writing and reading are what I do. It’s where I find my joy and clarity. My wish is to create stories and characters in which my readers fall in love with as much as I have fallen in love with them myself.

What inspires you and/or why do you write?

I am inspired to transplant readers into another world where they can be swept up into the story so much they feel as if they are part of it. There are stories within me that want to be told, and I want to be the vessel that connects those ideas to paper. Have you ever done something that makes you come alive and feel like you have something unique to offer the world? That’s how I feel when I am writing. I’ve been an avid reader since I was a child. I am inspired by the books and passages I’ve read that brings tears to my eyes. I’m inspired by words that make me feel such deep emotions, that it sticks with me forever. I want my readers to connect so deeply with my characters and stories that they smile, cry, get angry when the protagonist is wronged, and are forever changed by it. I’m pushed by the idea that I can open readers minds to a different way of viewing the world because they become emotionally invested in my tales.

Describe your process as best you can:

First, the idea/story has to present itself to me. Typically, this happens when I’m taken to a scene in my mind. I sit and observe the noises, the overall feeling, the setting. Then I take in the main character and what they are sensing and feeling. Their actions and appearance begin to unravel for me. From here, I like to create an outline. If I have a clear direction for the ending, then the beginning and middle presents itself more easily. Once a first draft is written of a novel, I like to let it sit for a month before picking it back up for editing/beta readers. For shorts and flash fictions, I like to get feedback from

Once a first draft is written of a novel, I like to let it sit for a month before picking it back up for editing/beta readers. For shorts and flash fictions, I like to get feedback from those closest to me almost immediately.

I’d like to say my process is seamless and constant, but the truth is that it is ever evolving. The way one story is created and edited may look different from the way another one develops.

For when I am writing a novel: Each morning, I first read everything I wrote the day before and make minor edits to it and add things that I think are missing. This helps me to keep things relatively organized. It also gets my mind engaged with the story and back into it so I can start where I left off the day before, (hopefully) creating a seamless story.

What is your favorite tool or resource? (Like Scrivener, Grammarly, a blog, etc?)

I mostly use something really fancy to write my pieces called Google Docs ;) I love using Grammarly for editing help. I just recently started using Betabooks.co as an easy way to send my book out to beta readers. The interface is really easy to use and makes it simpler to keep track of your readers and where they are at in the story, as well as see all of their feedback in one place. Author, Hugh Howey, has written some incredible insight for writers in a four part series. I highly suggest it for any writer. His first part can be found here: http://www.hughhowey.com/writing-insi...- part-one- becoming-a- writer/

Biggest challenge for you, and how have you overcome it? (Or how are you working to overcome it!)

Feeling like an imposter. This is something that plagues many artists and it is something I struggle with weekly if not daily. At times, I just have to take a moment to tell myself, “Rachel, you are a writer and you are a good one at that. You are fierce and you can do anything you put your mind to.” Other times, I turn to my husband for words of affirmation, but in the end, it is just a fear that can be set free with hard work and determination.

Elizabeth Gilbert wrote in her book, Big Magic, “Dearest Fear: Creativity and I are about to go on a road trip together. I understand you’ll be joining us, because you always do. I acknowledge that you believe you have an important job to do in my life, and that you take your job seriously. Apparently your job is to induce complete panic whenever I’m about to do anything interesting—and, may I say, you are superb at your job. So by all means, keep doing your job, if you feel you must. But I will also be doing my job on this road trip, which is to work hard and stay focused. And Creativity will be doing its job, which is to remain stimulating and inspiring. There’s plenty of room in this vehicle for all of us, so make yourself at home, but understand this: Creativity and I are the only ones who will be making any decisions along the way.“

This idea that fear is always around, even for exceptionally successful writers, has been liberating for me. I can relax more in the presence of fear without letting it take control over me and my creativity. When writing my novels, I find that fear tends to crop up about two-thirds of the way into the story. Just having this knowledge is so helpful. When it happens, I let fear know that it needs to chill out and take a seat while me and the story finish what we started.

What do you consider your biggest strength? (Don’t be shy!)

This is really hard for me to answer, so I asked my closest friends and family what they see as my biggest strength. My sister said one of my biggest strengths is my intense focus and determination. When I set my mind to something, I go after it with full force and believe wholeheartedly that I will get to the end. This goes for finding the finish to a novel, or reworking one of my pieces until it is closer to its best version. (Her words exactly)

Any other advice for authors, based on your unique experience?

My biggest piece of advice is to keep writing. Even when you feel uninspired, keep writing. Writers write not only when they’re inspired, but also and especially, when they are uninspired. Push yourself and you will experience growth.

Try new ways and processes when approaching your writing. If you are a pantser and you’ve never been a planner or one to write out an outline, try it out and see how it works for you. Vice versa too, if you’re a planner, try writing something without a plan. I’ve seen immense growth in my writing when I’m willing to test out new methods.

Where can other authors or readers connect with you and find your work?

I love chatting with other writers. Email is the best way to get in touch: rachelannesaylor@gmail.com I also like scheduling phone calls/skype calls to connect with other writers, so email me and we can schedule a time!

You can connect with me on Instagram or Twitter - My less used medium, but one I’d like to be a bigger part of.

At rachelsaylor.com you can sign up to be notified of when my books will become available. My short memoir, Fire Diaries, which chronicles my experience before, during and after waking up to my home being on fire will be available soon!

What I Learned from Writing a Web Serial

A couple months ago, the first season of my very first web serial, Venison, came to a close. I learned some things.
Before I get to what I learned, let me share some of my vision for the project.

Venison

Close to a year ago, an uncle of mine told me about a disease that is becoming more common in deer—both in the wild and in reserves. The disease is called Chronic Wasting Disease and is a prionic disease that affects the brain of infected animals. So far, the disease has yet to spread to humans, but there is little known about the disease and what it could be capable of.

I was instantly hooked.

I began to research the disease and concoct this world where humans are affected and become zombie-like. In fact, about three weeks after I began publishing Venison, news outlets began referring to CWD as "Zombie Deer Disease." I'd love to be able to take partial credit for that, but even though a Google term search shows nobody used it until a few weeks after I started Venison, my serial just isn't that popular.

I also had a specific vision for the mechanics of the serial.

What I had in mind was something that felt and functioned more like a TV show than a book. For example, many web serials are described as synonymous with the term "web novel" but that's not what I wanted to shoot for. I wanted true episodic fiction. Unfortunately, I got carried away, and completely failed in that endeavor, but more on that later.

With that vision in mind, I set a word count for each episode at 4000 words +/- 150. I wanted each episode to release at a predictable time, with a predictable commitment for the reader. Other web serials I looked at very wildly in length of episodes, so one day I'd read an episode in about 10 minutes, others it would take me half an hour.

So that's the scope. The task I set before me. With that in mind, here are some things I learned.

It's Not As Easy As It Looks

I looked at dozens of other web serials and thought to myself, "Yeah, I can do that." But in all honesty, I think I took the challenge too lightly.

Web serials are basically complete books, only released at intervals. I didn't prepare myself for that. I got behind. I had to scramble. I had to retcon. Writing a book takes a lot of time, energy, and effort[Citation Needed] and I really underestimated that.

Is Venison something I'm really proud of? Absolutely. I love the story. I love the world. Is it the best I can do? I'm not sure (how's that for a marketing pitch?) but I am editing right now to make it even better before I release it as a novel next month.

For a specific example of where I underestimated the task, I present my characters. I think they're mostly okay, but they're not nearly as deep as I'd like. In fact, some of the secondary and tertiary characters have a far more interesting character arc than the main characters. Not great for a first-person piece. Whoops.

Not to say the main character doesn't have a journey and a place to go, but I just don't feel as if I developed it the way I should.

How I'll fix it for Season 2: In Season 2, I want to focus on characters. Before I even to draft Season 2, I'm going to spend some time studying my characters and working up bios. I want to take this approach: Indentity informs action. Action doesn't create identity. I often approach characters the second way: what they do reveals who they are to me. As the author, I need to find out who they are and use that to determine what they do.

On Episodes

I started with a grand idea to create true episodic fiction. And then quickly wrote a book and broke it into episodes. I got lost in the weeds on some different plots and ideas—far more than I'd like. On the one hand, it was good because there was a lot of tension and "What's next?" for the reader. On the other hand... I feel like it may have gotten tiresome for the reader. Cliffhanger after cliffhanger can really fatigue, and that's not what I'm going for.

How I'll fix it for Season 2: Let it breathe. I need to allow some time to pass between episodes occasionally. I'm also going to revisit story structure. Broad season focus, narrow episode focus. In Season 1, I often tried to tackle too many things in a single episode. Season 2 will address this (hopefully).

I'll also loosen up on my episode word count goal. I'll just tell stories, and see where they land. I think focusing on that for Season 1 was a healthy exercise, but wasted effort and worked me into a box.

Find the Fun

Early readers of Venison (and the companion short story, Rest Stop, found in TL;DR) said one thing they loved is the light comedic feel, a la Zombieland. That's absolutely what I was going for. A story set in a zombie apocalypse that doesn't take itself too seriously, is a little bit self-aware, and simply fun. I feel like early episodes captured that idea well. Later episodes began to take themselves a little too seriously.

This is a natural progression. As the stakes rise, the tension rises and the humor drops off. Watch any Marvel movie featuring Iron Man. Tony Stark is all jokes and sarcasm until the 3rd act, and then he buckles down and settles in for the action.

How I'll fix it for Season 2: With Venison, I think I went a little too far. The feel of the story changed, in my opinion. With Season 2, I'm getting back to my roots. If it doesn't make me smile, I'm doing it wrong.

Consistency is Key

I've talked a lot about things I can do better, but now let's talk about observations and the advice I have based on that.

Consistency. If you're thinking about doing a serial, be consistent. Write as much of the thing as possible before you launch—you don't want to get behind. Release each episode/chapter at the same time on the same day of the week. Be predictable. I wanted people to wake up every Thursday like "Oh hey, Venison comes out today!"

The first 4 or 5 weeks, I'd have readership in the tens on a good release day. Then all the sudden, something happened and by the sixth week, I had over half a hundred readership average (which, for starting out, isn't bad) and it grew, for the most part, throughout the season.

Be consistent and reliable, it pays off in the long haul.

What I'll do differently for Season 2: I released episodes for Season 1 at 6pm CST. (That harkens back to my TV show thing) The problem is that went against my initial vision and reason for being consistent. There's a few serials and webcomics I keep tabs on, and I almost always read them first thing in the morning. I suspect I'm not alone. Look for Season 2 episodes to release in the morning. Probably. That might change though, who knows?

Staying Power

Venison Season 1 rounded out right around 53,000 words. In 13 episodes. The problem with a 13 episode run is that about the time people got used to checking in, the season was through. So for the next season, you can probably expect episodes to be a little shorter, and I'm hoping for more of them. Really, if I could shoot for somewhere between 60-80k words for the next season, but shorter episodes. Ideally 20-24 episodes, or more. I also don't want to cram stuff in if it doesn't need to be there, but I think writing a little more episodically will help with that.

It'd be great to run a full January to June schedule next year. We'll see if I can pull it off.

 

 

Am I taking this serial too seriously by studying it and analyzing it to death? Probably. But I'm hoping to take it to the next level next year and really make it sing. There are a lot of weird, crazy, and possibly disturbing ideas I'd hoped to include in Season 1 that will absolutely make an appearance in Season 2.

So buckle up. It's going to be wild. Until then, get ready for Venison Season 1 in print and eBook next month. Oh yeah, here's the cover:

Follow Your Own Weirdness with David Clark

I was born and grew up in the US, but I currently live in Toulouse, France, which I guess makes me an expatriate writer. (Exotic, I know.) I've been stubbornly passionate about writing since I was 15, and have been storytelling in various forms since before then. Poetry was my first love, so much so that I pursued it through two and a half degrees; but if I'm honest, I'd have to admit that fantasy and science fiction have been in my blood for longer. These days, when I'm not parenting or sleeping off the side effects of it, I write mostly those three things and occasionally dabble in other forms and genres. I secretly yearn to finish and launch my two radio play serials. And I love puns—there, I said it.

What inspires you and/or why do you write?

I can't not write. I love that feeling you get with a good poem or story that the floor has just dropped out from under you, and I love creating that with words and sharing it with others.

As to what inspires me, on one level, anything and everything can. Writing is an exploration of truths for me, and of possibilities. Anything and everything is open and available to that sounding, that discovery. (Writing, for me, began as a way of expressing the inexpressible, exploring the truths of my feelings in ways I didn’t feel able to with those around me.)

On another level, what tends to interest me in terms of subject matter, well, that changes depending on where I am in my personal life. Whatever strikes my fancy in terms of writing always reflects some deeper aspect of a problem or issue that concerns me, that I’m thinking about or working on or that has been affecting me; I can't avoid this, it always happens, even if I don't intend it.

So whatever I find that catches my eye gets bent toward the purpose of exploring and expressing my deeper emotional, spiritual, existential questions and concerns, as well as toward the endless need to create something that shakes people.

Describe your process as best you can:

Idea. Write it. Interrupt it. Come back later and add or revise. Interrupt. Repeat. Never finish.

I say this only slightly as a joke. I have long had difficulty finishing projects, especially stories, though I’m getting better now and following through. On top of that, in my mind, a piece is never done. You know that saying, "A work is never finished, only abandoned"? Well, I never fully abandon anything. I have poems that I have considered complete for years, only to go back to them and make changes. And I have novels I’ve started but not touched in ages that I still consider active WIPs.

And in truth, there's a lot of interruption in my process—a feature that has only become more prominent with kids—as well as painstaking revision, especially when it comes to poetry. I go back and focus on small details, make the language say just what I want. I’ll tinker until I’m completely satisfied, until that little voice inside me doesn’t have any more questions or concerns. And even then, I’ll have someone else look at it before deciding a work is where I want it to be.

What is your favorite tool or resource? (Like Scrivener, Grammarly, a blog, etc?)

Can't say I have a favorite, but I do like Scrivener a lot. I've tried others—StoryMill, Ulysses, etc.—and many are decent, too, but Scrivener is so much more powerful and flexible than most of them.

The Chicago Manual of Style. Use this book!

/r/writingprompts for inspiration and practice.

Other writing, games, music, and art for inspiration and instruction.

Life. Get out and experience it. Breathe it, taste it, touch it, bask in it.

My own damn imagination.

Biggest challenge for you, and how have you overcome it? (Or how are you working to overcome it!)

Staying on task is one of the biggest, I would say. I'm used to writing poetry, which I can drop and come back to easily, and can revise and tweak throughout the process. I'm currently working on short fiction and novels, and their length is a challenge for me. You can't interrupt the writing as frequently as I typically do and still come back to it as easily. You have to sit in the chair and put it down. And you definitely can't go back before it's done and adjust to perfection, or else you'll never get anywhere. That is very hard for me not to do, because, as I said above, I like focusing on the tiny details. But I'm working on sitting down and just writing. On letting the drafts be bad, and on being comfortable with that. On putting something down, even if I think it stinks, or I don't know what it is. Something is better than nothing. Something will get you to the next step. And its one step after another, one foot in front of the other, all the way to the end. Only then can you turn around and correct the path you took. (One lesson I continually forget is that it is only through writing that writing gets done; and that when you have no ideas, the act of spilling out words anyway is what brings the ideas on. Not waiting for them to knock.)

The other biggest challenge for me is one you and I talked about via Twitter the other day: facing and moving through and past whatever it is inside me that believes I can’t do anything on my own, and shies away from the very actions that will bring me toward my deepest desires.

What do you consider your biggest strength? (Don’t be shy!)

My sense of artistic truth. My sense of cliché and drive to avoid it. My imagination. My ideas. My sense of sound and rhythm and beauty and grammar and language at the word level.More detail: I can sniff out cliché and commonplace like a hound. It rings false to me, and it should—language and ideas that have been overused lose their power.

More detail: I can sniff out cliché and commonplace like a non-cliché thing with a good sense of smell. It rings false to me, and it should—language and ideas that have been overused lose their power. We should always strive to avoid them, find ways around them.

As to truth, let me be more specific: a truth, not the truth. I don't believe in the latter, at least insofar as human perspectives go. But there are truths, that which is recognizable as human experience, that which moves us, resonates with us. When I write, I ultimately want to write these things. I want someone who reads what I have created to be moved to their core by what I've done, and to take pleasure in surface as much as depths.

Any other advice for authors, based on your unique experience?

I am not really into giving generic advice. Everyone finds their own way, and what works for me may not be appropriate to you. If someone has a particular question that they want to talk out with me, want my input on, then I'll gladly help. But I don't want to give prescriptions or proscriptions.

To that end, the only kind of broad advice I can give is about approach, not about execution. Execution varies, and different people have different capabilities, can pull off different things. Different pieces can pull off different things, too. So:

Understand/think about effects. Everything you write has effects on its readers. Manipulating these as much as possible is our job.

Writing is strategic information management. See above re: effects.

Follow your own weirdness. Embrace it. Trust your instincts, your gut. But verify, too.

Train: Read. Practice. Learn about all the details, all the aspects of your craft. Strive to integrate them naturally into your writing. Get good, trustworthy feedback and listen to it. And then trust your instincts. Which, of course, you can develop and hone through study and practice.

Where can other authors or readers connect with you?

Check out my website, www.selfpluspen.com, or find me on Twitter (@selfpluspen) and Instagram (similar). You can also get access to behind-the-scenes content, video readings, and special editions of my work if you support me on Patreon (www.patreon.com/selfpluspen).