Nancy Bilyeau's Blog, page 27

Henry VIII: Victim of disease or Nero-like tyrant?

I reviewed two biographies of Henry VIII for my friends at earlymodernengland.com. The books put forward very different theories of what "went wrong" with the king after the age of 40.



My book review follows:

"On Christmas Eve, 1545, the man who had ruled England for 36 years, Henry VIII, appeared before Parliament. All assembled had expected Lord Chancellor Thomas Wriothesley to address them before prorogation. But it was instead a morning for a king's speech.

Henry VIII did not arrive at Westminster with anything approaching speed or grace. Surpassing 300 pounds, the king suffered astoundingly poor health. He was plagued with severe headaches, constipation and recurrent fever. His foul-smelling, ulcerated legs could barely support him; he was sometimes carried around his luxuriously appointed palaces in a chair and lowered onto his unfortunate horse by a sort of crane..."

To continue, read the full review here.

How a Book Editor Works: A conversation With Heather Lazare

My debut novel, The Crown, was brought out by Heather Lazare, an accomplished editor who has acquired historical novels by Michelle Moran, Julia Gregson and Stephanie Lehmann. Heather bought my second novel, The Chalice, and edited it along with my UK editors at Orion. And she acquired the third novel in my trilogy, The Tapestry. Working with her on these books was a great pleasure. Heather was thoughtful and insightful, with a passion for history and an eye for detail. Last year Heather shifted to the freelance world, but we've kept in touch. To my delight, she made time for this interview, in which I learned things about her I never dreamed of. 50 Shades of Gray?? LOL.

I know that at the beginning of your career you were in publishing but not working as an editor. What motivated you to head in that direction?

I started at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency in Del Mar, California. Sandy’s husband had been a professor of mine and my thesis advisor suggested I meet her. I had no idea what an agent did, but I learned very quickly. I spent quality time with the slush pile while I was there and I had the opportunity to edit a few manuscripts that were eventually submitted and sold to publishing houses. The thing is, I didn’t feel those manuscripts were “done.” I wanted to keep tinkering, to keep editing—I wanted to be on the receiving end of those manuscripts so I could make them even better. A few years later I ended up in New York and got a job as an Editorial Assistant at Crown (Random House).

What is the most satisfying aspect of being a book editor?
For me, it’s helping an author achieve the full potential of their book. I love giving feedback that will help change the quality of the work and that will take it to a level the author might not have been able to reach on his or her own.

When you were acquiring novels for Random House and Simon & Schuster, what sort of book would get you excited enough to make you take the submission to the group making the decision?
I know authors hear over and over again that the first page has to “grab” the reader, and this is so true. The books I fought for were ones that had me on page one—but then didn’t let up until the end. Whenever I read something with a voice that feels fresh and different and a plot I haven’t seen before, I’d get really excited. As I read, I’m always formulating the pitch in my head thinking, how would I describe this to my sister? What would make her want to pick up this book? I’m also always thinking about the authors I would compare this author to. That’s how so much of publishing works—when an editor goes into an editorial meeting and talks about something they want to acquire, they have to be able to give an elevator pitch that will compel a number of other people in the room to want to read the book too. Of course, the book then has to deliver on that pitch and excitement!

Did you ever feel sad about a book that got away and chart its progress elsewhere?
YES. I could tell a very long and tearful story, but I’ll simply say that I was an underbidder on the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Think what you want about those books, but they made people READ. I heard from a surprising number of people who read only a few books a year (yes, those people exist), that they had read the trilogy. Acquiring those would have certainly changed my career.

What is the secret to a good editor/writer relationship?
I think the best relationships are collaborations. It can be very lonely being an author and to get to share your work with someone who gets it just as much as you do, who loves your characters as much as you do, and who wants to see you succeed as much as you do, is a very special bond. I always tell my authors that it’s their book, not mine, so if I suggest a change they don’t agree with, they can push back. The editorial process is give and take and it’s best when the author and editor have open communication and are willing to be totally honest with each other.

How about agents, what is the optimal editor/agent relationship?
The best agents are advocates for their author in all things, but they also know when to concede. After an editor is finished editing, there is so much that goes on behind the scenes to get the book through the publication process and at that point it’s not just the author/agent/editor relationship, there are now a lot more cooks in the kitchen and when the author/agent want something, it’s not always up to the editor to give it to them. It’s up to the agent to trust that the editor is doing the best job they can, always keeping the author and author’s work a priority.

You acquired some excellent historical fiction at the houses where you worked. What drew you to this genre in the first place?
Thanks, Nancy—you’re a lovely example of my fine taste ☺. I’d always been a fan of historical fiction and I was lucky enough to work for Allison McCabe when I started at Crown. She gave me Karleen Koen’s Dark Angels to read before I started working for her and I felt like Karleen was a revelation—why hadn’t I read her before? I learned so much from Allison, and I eventually took over the Jean Plaidy books we were reissuing—the brain child of a previous Crown editor, Rachel Kahan (now at William Morrow). I loved reissuing the Plaidy books and even appeared on a few of the covers (hiring a real model is expensive!). When Allison left, I inherited many of her authors and started to make my mark on the historical fiction world. Typically, editorial assistants work for two editors and the other editor I worked for had just published World War Z by Max Brooks, so my taste remains rather eclectic to this day.

What do you think of the trends in historical fiction in the last decade? It seems that there are three types: the novels with characters who are from history and are well known, the novels with imaginary characters from another time, and those that mix "real" with invented characters. Do you see strong futures for all three subgenres?
This is a great question and one I get asked often. I personally feel that a real person taken from history is a good idea, because it’s an easy sell for an editor—immediately the publicity and marketing team have the factual angle they can go after and if no one has written on the topic before, that’s an enticing hook. As to the imaginary characters from another time, I think these will continue to do well, specifically when that time period is linked to some little-known part of history—I’m thinking about books such as Kathleen Grissom’s The Kitchen House and Christina Baker Kline’s Orphan Train. Novels like yours that mix real and imaginary characters also have long legs—again, you have the hook of the real time period, but when an author gives us a point of view the reader has never seen (a novice!), the approach stands out amongst the others on the shelf. For a while, I felt that the best historical novels were from the point of view of a woman, but then I read Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and was totally blown away.

As a freelance book editor, how is your job different from working on a staff?
Now I get to take on anyproject I like, and that’s a very welcome change. At publishing houses, I would sometimes read books that I loved but that I knew were too small—i.e. the audience wouldn’t be wide enough to warrant a big advance. There was a lot of pressure on us editors to buy only big books—which is a totally frightening aspect. I watched books that were bought as “big” (usually more than $500K advance) barely sell more than the debut paperback I was publishing, and yet the $500K acquisition was considered more important and therefore got a bigger budget. When I read something now and I like it, I get to work with the author no matter what the future of the book might be. Some authors come to me knowing they want to self-publish and others are hoping to get their manuscript in agent-ready shape, and I enjoy all aspects of the process.

What is your process on a book you've agreed to edit?
I like to begin by reading the first twenty pages and a synopsis of the book. By reading those I will know if it’s the kind of book with which I’ll connect and if so, I’ll schedule a call with the author. I like to speak to people before we work together so that we both know what we want out of the relationship. I want to hear what the author expects and I outline my process so that we’re clear up front. I then schedule the manuscript onto my editorial calendar. When it’s time to edit, I work on the electronic document in track changes (unless the writer prefers a hard copy). I read through once making a few notes but really just getting a sense of the story. In my second read I look for places to cut (if it’s running long) and I also look for things that might need to be strengthened: character, plot, pace. I then read through a third time and make any additional line edits that might be necessary. I make notes on a separate document during each read, then I go through that document and elaborate my notes; this becomes my editorial letter. I then set up an editorial call with the author before sending anything back. That phone call could be anywhere from one to three hours and the author and I talk about the book. I go over the editorial letter so the author isn’t surprised by any of my comments or thoughts and if there are places where I have questions, we talk it out and come up with possible solutions for the author to work on. I then send back the edited manuscript and editorial letter via email. After that, I’m available to the author if they need any help—clarification, brainstorming, etc. We can schedule another call or just go back and forth over email, whatever is easiest for the author.

What do you think of the trend of "hybrid" writers, those who write books for both publishing houses and publish themselves?
I think it’s ambitious and exciting. I know when I was working for publishing houses, this was an ongoing discussion. If the publishing house has paid an author an advance, they want to be sure that the book the author is writing for them is the priority, so publishers can be reluctant to let an author self-publish while under contract. If an author is savvy enough in the self-publishing world, I think it’s a great idea to publish a novella or a short story between publications in order to keep fans interested and enticed. Authors in the New Adult genre have really mastered this.

What can authors do to support the publication of their books, both those working for traditional publishers and indie authors?
There’s so much both kinds of authors can do, but I’ll just focus on my top recommendation for each.
For those published by traditional houses, I always recommend keeping some of your advance in order to supplement whatever the house is doing. A publishing house has marketing money set aside on every title, but it’s rare that there’s much advertising after the first 4 weeks on sale. I’d suggest that authors get a clear vision of the marketing plan—when the ads are starting/stopping, where they will be advertising—and then buy their own ads after the publishing house’s ads have stopped. Even getting feedback from the house regarding click throughs can be helpful, that way you can see if you want to advertise on the same sites or not.

For Indie authors, focusing on your core fans and getting early reads and reviews up on Goodreads and Amazon is necessary. Those reviews and being an active member of Goodreads will not only help your book, but it will help grow your Indie community.

How important is a cover to a book taking off?
Admit it. We ALL judge books by their covers. So yes, a cover is extremely important to a book being picked up at a bookstore, but it’s less important to a book taking off. Books take off because of what’s between their covers, not because of their covers, but a beautiful and enticing jacket helps. I don’t miss the cover process at all (I could write an entire post about the endlessness of it), and what authors need to remember is that it’s not advantageous to tell the entire story on the cover. In so many instances authors had a vision for the cover that was so literal to the book that every detail on the cover needed to perfectly reflect their narrative. Trying to tell the story on the cover is overly ambitious, so I always like to think about Kathryn Stockett’s The Help (not the move-tie-in, the original cover). What does that cover actually tell you about the book? Not a whole lot. It’s a yellow cover with the title embossed on a purple lozenge and three birds below that. I love the simplicity of this cover and the fact that it’s not trying to tell the entire story.

You are now a consultant as well as a freelance editor. What kind of guidance do you offer your clients besides the editing of the manuscript?
I do a number of different things and cater to the specific needs of the authors and their books—anything from helping pair them with an agent to giving advice about how to go about self-publishing. Getting an agent seems to be the most popular, so that process works like this: After I’ve worked with an author and feel their book is ready for an agent’s eyes, I come up with a list of agents I think would be a good fit. These are people who have been my contacts for years and so when I reach out to them and tell them I’ve been working with someone, they are usually eager to put the author’s manuscript on the top of their reading pile. I don’t submit for authors—I think it’s important that they start the agent process themselves so they can have a personal relationship with their agent from the start. I try to match make with agents I think will best respond to the author’s material. I never guarantee representation, though I won’t reach out to agents about an author unless I think their work is near ready for publication—it’s my reputation on the line, too, so I want to be sure I’m advocating for the very best manuscripts!

I sometimes work with authors who have an idea for a book but want to talk about how to flesh it out—or they have a few ideas and want to know which sounds the most viable. We have a phone call/Skype date and then I’m available for follow-up questions via email after.

Heather Lazare is an independent Editorial and Publishing Consultant who has worked for Random House and Simon & Schuster. She lives in Pacific Grove, CA with her husband and toddler son.

Cover Reveal: The Tapestry

I am proud to share with you the cover of The Tapestry, the third book in the Joanna Stafford trilogy. The novel goes on sale March 24, 2015.

I think this cover truly represents the beauty and the darkness of Joanna's Tudor England world...

Knights Templar: Fact and Fiction

I learned about the fiction of Dominic Selwood by reading a piece of riveting nonfiction--an article in the Daily Telegraph titled "How a Protestant Spin Machine Hid the Truth About the English Reformation." (Read it here.) In the nearly 10 years I've been researching England's break from Rome, the backdrop to my historical thrillers, I'd come to many of the same conclusions about Henry VIII and Cromwell's actual agenda as this writer. I "etroduced" myself on twitter, and soon learned that apart from being a historian and former criminal solicitor, Dominic too was writing fiction. His thriller, set in modern times, is called The Sword of Moses.

To read my interview with Dominic, go here.

Medmenham Abbey: Heaven and Hell

In my blog post for English Historical Fiction Authors, I researched an abbey ruin like no other: Medmenham, a Cistercian community in Buckinghamshire.

Many people have vaguely heard of a Hellfire Club. The one most written about was formed by a rich English aristocrat, Sir Francis Dashwood, and met in the abbey he'd leased in the 18th century. He wanted privacy for his various misdeeds, whether just drunken silliness or actual depravity is up for debate.

Francis Dashwood, by Hogarth

But before it was a meeting place for the "Monks of Medmenham," it was an actual monastery, founded on lands granted by a very different sort of aristocrat, a medieval heiress. To learn about the history of this fascinating place, go here: http://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-infamous-monks-of-medmenham-abbey.html

The Mystery of the Bishop's Poisoner

I wrote a post for English Historical Fiction Authors about the strange and shocking death of a man condemned for poisoning those in the household of Bishop John Fisher, then one of Henry VIII's most formidable opponents in the struggle for a divorce from Catherine of Aragon.

John FisherTo read my post, go here.

How to End a Novel

At last week's Thrillerfest, the annual conference for writers of suspense fiction, I was honored to moderate a panel called "Happily Ever After?" The topic: how to plan and write your book's ending. The members of my panel were authors Ben Lieberman, Chelsea Cain, Brenda Novak, Carla Neggers and Michael Sears.

Some of the authors knew the ending of their books before they wrote page one--others didn't know until the end who the bad guy was. It was a fascinating look inside their creative process.

To learn more, read the article on the panel written by Writer's Digest.

The Plea of Catherine of Aragon

On June 21, 1529, Catherine of Aragón knelt before her husband in front of two cardinals and the nobility of England and begged him not to proceed with the annulment of their 20-year-long marriage.



Henry VIII informed his Spanish wife two years earlier that his conscience troubled him, that he believed their lack of male heirs proved that God was displeased by their union. In marrying Catherine, his older brother's widow, he claimed he violated Old Testament law.

Catherine, five years older than Henry VIII, was, quite simply, not having it. The proud daughter of Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragón insisted her marriage was legally valid and refused to cooperate with her second husband's effort to annul the marriage. We can only assume that her discovery that King Henry was passionately in love with a younger woman of the court, a charismatic commoner named Anne Boleyn, hardened her resolve even further. Catherine and Henry had produced a daughter, the accomplished Princess Mary, and in eyes of the queen--as well as a significant portion of the nobility--Mary was a perfectly acceptable heiress to the throne.

Cardinal Campeggio eventually made his way to England to hear the case, along with English Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, in an ecclesiastical court held in Blackfriars, the magnificent priory of the Dominican friars in London. Blackfriars itself has long fascinated me. I set several chapters of my second novel The Chalice inside its walls. On a trip to London I spent hours trying to find a trace of it. (Read the blog post here.)

But for the purposes of this post, I'd like to pay tribute to Catherine's decision to kneel before Henry and beg for her marriage and her rights. The king was surprised, dismayed, and twice tried to raise her to her feet. She would not do so. She was determined to have her say.

Shakespeare re-created this moving and powerful scene in his play Henry VIII, which I saw performed in Central Park almost 20 years ago. The bard embellished historical record only slightly. What follows is quite close to what Catherine said, according to contemporary records:


QUEEN CATHERINE
Sir, I desire you do me right and justice;
And to bestow your pity on me: for
I am a most poor woman, and a stranger,
Born out of your dominions; having here
No judge indifferent, nor no more assurance
Of equal friendship and proceeding. Alas, sir,
In what have I offended you? what cause
Hath my behavior given to your displeasure,
That thus you should proceed to put me off,
And take your good grace from me?
Heaven witness,I have been to you a true and humble wife,
At all times to your will conformable;
Ever in fear to kindle your dislike,
Yea, subject to your countenance, glad or sorry
As I saw it inclined: when was the hour
I ever contradicted your desire,
Or made it not mine too? Or which of your friends
Have I not strove to love, although I knew
He were mine enemy? what friend of mine
That had to him derived your anger, did I
Continue in my liking? nay, gave notice
He was from thence discharged. Sir, call to mind
That I have been your wife, in this obedience,
Upward of twenty years, and have been blest
With many children by you: if, in the course
And process of this time, you can report,
And prove it too, against mine honour aught,
My bond to wedlock, or my love and duty,
Against your sacred person, in God's name,
Turn me away; and let the foul'st contempt
Shut door upon me, and so give me up
To the sharp'st kind of justice. Please you sir,
The king, your father, was reputed for
A prince most prudent, of an excellent
And unmatch'd wit and judgment: Ferdinand,
My father, king of Spain, was reckon'd one
The wisest prince that there had reign'd by many
A year before: it is not to be question'd
That they had gather'd a wise council to them
Of every realm, that did debate this business,
Who deem'd our marriage lawful: wherefore I humbly
Beseech you, sir, to spare me, till I may
Be by my friends in Spain advised; whose counsel
I will implore: if not, i' the name of God,
Your pleasure be fulfill'd!

Of course it did not work. Henry VIII would not be deterred. Catherine was eventually banished from court and Henry married Anne Boleyn. Queen Catherine suffered anguish, depression and fear over her shattered marriage. Yet she never wavered. The queen died of a painful illness, abandoned, in January 1536.

I have been married 21 years to my husband, and, for that and many other reasons, I take a moment today to salute a woman who fought for her rights, her throne, and her daughter.

Letter From a Friar

I'm always thrilled to hear from someone in monastic orders now who has read one of my Tudor thrillers. Once in a while I receive an email from a reader who thinks the way I depict a nun's life is "wrong." But I don't hear that from a sister who has taken vows, or from a friar.

Friar Thom, a Franciscan, enjoyed reading about how the nuns and friars interacted in The Crown. I just heard from him about The Chalice and wanted so share it (he said it would be OK).


Greetings Nancy,

I finished The Chalice today and I have to say it was GREAT, SPECTACULAR, EXCITING !!! I bought the book last year when it was hot off the press. But I was asked to take a new assignment in Joliet, Illinois (outside Chicago) and didn't get around to breaking open my adventure.  I spent a great deal of time ending (and grieving) the old and welcoming the new.
 
As in The Crown I found myself totally lost in the book/adventure/journey. In fact on at least two occasions friars who passed by my room late in the evening, asked "who in the world were you talking to in your room so late - we didn't have guests did we?"  I had to confess Nancy, I was talking to the characters in the book. I do admit one evening even to yelling at Jacquard !!! You instill such life into everyone in the epic adventure.
 
I won't take up your time Nancy. I have read so many reviews from readers on line, who like myself  loved and praised your writings. Congratulations!!
 
Now we all can't wait for -The Covenant.
 
May our good God send many blessings upon you and your family Nancy, and in thanksgiving for his spirit which helps you to make history come alive for all of us...
 
Blessings,
(Friar) Thom Smith, OFM

My Writing Process: A Little Music, a Lot of Coffee

By Nancy Bilyeau

The Sister Queens FobbitIt's my turn to leap--or would the correct verb be hop?--onto the My Writing Process blog tour. I've been tagged by two talented novelists: David Abrams, author of the award-winning satiric war novel Fobbit, and Sophie Perinot, who wrote The Sister Queens, one of my favorite historical novels (get to know her in my interview.) I was supposed to blog in April to follow up on Sophie's lead, and, well, that didn't happen. Explanation to follow, a respectable one, I hope. David tagged me much more recently, and I decided to go ahead and talk process. This is always an interesting exercise because when you have to answer these questions, it makes you realize things about how you do your work. In my case, I faced the fact


The idea here is to answer four questions, then pass the hat to other authors to answer the same--it's a great way to learn about some new authors. I'll tag my chosen at the bottom of this post. Don't miss them!

Ready? Let's go...

1. What are you working on?

I've just finished my third novel, The Covenant, and turned it in to my editor at Touchstone/Simon&Schuster. I love writing a series and so I eagerly signed on to writing a third book in one year's time. My first novel, The Crown, took five years to research and write. I left my editing job at InStyle magazine to devote myself to writing the second novel, The Chalice, and completed it in 14 months. Somehow I thought that even though I'd returned to magazine editing full-time, and I have two children at home, I could write a third novel in a year. I'm very proud that I finished my book--and excited about the story and the characters and the history I'm bringing to life--but it wasn't easy. Some things fell by the wayside, including my first opportunity to blog about my process. Sorry, Sophie! I expect to receive my editor's notes any minute, and then must jump on the edits of the book, to ensure it will be ready for a February 2015 publication date.

My next project is top-secret. Sorry, my agent insists. But I can tell you that while it's also a historical thriller, it's a more personal story than anything I've written before.


2. How does your work differ from others of its genre?

Bishop Gardiner, antagonistMy books are a fusion of historical novel and thriller. My protagonist, Joanna Stafford, is fictional, as are several other key characters, but I also populate the books with real people from history, ranging from Henry VIII and Bishop Stephen Gardiner to George Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell, Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard. There are other Tudor-era mysteries and thrillers on the market, including the excellent books penned by C.J. Sansom, C.W. Gortner and S.J. Parris. My books differ from those in my protagonist's calling in life and her point of view: When The Crown begins, she is a Dominican novice, during a time when Henry VIII was determined to break from Rome. There are few (if any) novels set in the Tudor era that take the Catholic side in the Reformation. I'm fortunate to find a readership of people interested in this perspective. As my English friend Harriet says, "It's interesting to read about this from the point of view of the losers!" The final point of difference is the touch of mysticism running through my novels, drawing on historically accurate beliefs in relics, prophecy and sorcery.


3.) Why do you write what you do?

Glenda Jackson, an unforgettable Elizabeth I.I'm writing the books I would love to read. I've been a voracious fan of historical fiction since I was 12 years old, and that's about the time I fell in love with the Tudor period as well. I was so smitten with the PBS series "Elizabeth R," starring the incomparable Glenda Jackson, that it launched me on a life of buying just about every biography and nonfiction book written on the Tudor period. I never thought I would write a book set in that time myself, I was a magazine editor and writer dabbling in screenwriting. Then, in 2005, I was invited to participate in a fiction workshop; I'd never published even a short story at that point. I walked into the workshop with a tentative plan to write a mystery set in the 16th century. Once I decided on my main character, a half-Spanish novice hoping to become a nun, her story took hold of me, body and soul. Joanna Stafford— intelligent, stubborn, pious, loyal, impulsive, hot-tempered—is someone who is very much alive to me.

4.) How does your writing process work?

Because I come from the magazine world, I follow some of the principles of magazine writing. One is that the "lede," the beginning, is very important. With each of my novels, I worked hard on the opening paragraph and in particular the first sentence:

The Crown:


The Chalice:


In constructing my novels, I follow a loose outline. By loose I don't mean that I haven't any idea of where the book is going. I figure out major plot points and an ending before I start writing. But I think it's important to keep the writing open to improvisation, to surprises. I feel that when books are plotted in detail ahead and follow it exactly, the story has a faintly predictable air. When I am tapping on my keyboard and inspiration hits, it can lead to some exciting choices. It almost feels like someone whispering in my ear, "I'm here! I'm here!"

I believe in revising, that is another thing I bring with me from magazines. I never get writer's block, because I know that even the roughest prose can be revised and made smooth. But I can't write as fast as some other authors. Stephen King thinks novelists should be able to produce 2,000 words a day. Even if I have the whole day to write, I rarely can manage more than 500. It might be because my books are written in a specific style: first person narration, stripped of modern expressions. My engine simply runs out of gas after 500 words or so.

My favorite time to write is early morning, just before dawn. I listen to some music--I particularly like composers Trevor Morris and Wojciech Kilar--drink strong coffee and then fling myself at the keyboard. If I'm not happy with what I'm writing, I take long walks alone. When I need serious inspiration, I head for the Cloisters Museum.

That's it! Please check out the posts from these wonderful writers next week:


Beth von Staats is a historical fiction short story writer and administrator/owner of Queen Anne Boleyn Historical Writers (www.queenanneboleyn.com). Beth's short story compilation focuses on the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI and Queen Mary I through the life experiences of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, Thomas Cromwell, and a host of other Tudor Era historical figures. Some of her shorts stories are published on the website.

Peter Andrews is a full-time, independent writer of speeches, articles, novels, screenplays, and blogs. He has dozens of short stories and hundreds of nonfiction articles in print. He has worked professionally in PR, and as a Web producer, speechwriter, and radio producer. He is the author of the popular How To Write Fast Blog, http://howtowritefast.blogspot.com/