David Litwack's Blog, page 3
August 9, 2014
The partnership between the reader and the writer
I have now received over three hundred reviews for my novels and have read every one of them. I’m struck by the variety of ways readers perceive my stories. One person’s “page turner” is another’s “thought provoking and beautifully written.” Why so subjective? Novel details and painting brushstrokes To me, fiction is a partnership between the reader and the author. Continue Reading
April 4, 2014
Book contests and the author’s fluctuating mood
If you asked my wife, she’d tell you my mood fluctuates up and down with my writing . If the words flow easily, I’m up. On a day when the right words escape me, I’m down. The same can be said about acceptances or rejections, and good reviews or the inevitable (but thankfully rare) bad review. Then there’s contests. Let’s Continue Reading
March 19, 2014
From concept to cover
I recently completed the cover for my upcoming novel, The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky. The daughter of the title is Kailani, a mysterious little girl, raised in deeply religious society, who sails into a purely secular world. Through the trials of its characters, the book explores the clash between reason and faith, and the redeeming power of Continue Reading
February 21, 2014
Why do I write?
I recently did an interview where a book blogger asked the following question: “What’s the reason for your life? Have you figured out your reason for being here yet?” I’ve done a number of interviews before, both in my prior life as a technologist and in my current role as an author. Some questions are professional. What do you think of a Continue Reading
February 13, 2014
The man in the arena
Okay. I’ve been meaning to post this but have been cowed for fear it would be taken poorly by critics. I think it’s time. We, as authors, work hard in isolation. Very few will have significant success. For some, their fondest dream is that a handful of people will read their work and be moved by it, be changed in Continue Reading
January 22, 2014
How is writing a novel like (or should be like) the Pinewood Derby?
When my sons were in Cub Scouts, they participated in an annual event called the Pinewood Derby. Work started months before the actual event, a long, painstaking process to create a small car to race down an inclined track. How small? By rule, the starting piece of soft pinewood could be no bigger than 2 ¾” x 7” x 3”—a block Continue Reading
December 19, 2013
First Draft Frustrations
Hooray. I’ve finished slogging through the first ten thousand words of my newest novel (the sequel to There Comes a Prophet). For the past two years, I’ve been working on Along the Watchtower and The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky (coming May 2014), so it’s been a while since I’ve had to deal with the dreaded blank page. Continue Reading
December 2, 2013
Third novel to be published
I am pleased to announced that my next novel, The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky, has been accepted by Evolved Publishing and will be released on May 19, 2014.
November 30, 2013
Readers’ Favorite Awards
Readers’ Favorite Awards Ceremony Miami – November 2013 Thanks to Readers’ Favorite for hosting a wonderful awards ceremony during the 2013 Miami Book Fair. They offer not only recognition but encouragement to authors, while at the same time providing a great service to readers by identifying quality books. It was also a nice opportunity to meet fellow authors from Continue Reading
November 17, 2013
On Backpacking and New Beginnings
In my earlier days, when I had younger knees, I loved to go backpacking in the mountains of northern New England. My favorite place to hike was the Lafayette ridge in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire. The exposed ridge goes on for a mile and half along a knife edge, from the summit of Mt. Lafeyette across Mt. Lincoln to Little Continue Reading
