Become a Better Writer ...

Got an idea for a book, but aren't sure how to start writing? Or maybe you are already a writer looking to improve your skills. In either case, there are a host of advice books that can help. But where to start in this vast bibliography? The folks at EditionGuard have some ideas. Check out their list of 13 books for aspiring writers.

The list includes my all-time favorite book about writing. Can you guess which one?

Hint: The author has the same last name as the main character in my first novel.

A Decade Ago

Ten years ago, in August 2006, I started writing a story about a modern-day King David. For that first draft, I used a pencil to write longhand in a spiral notebook. Two and a half years (and many pencils) later, that story became my first published novel, The All-American King.

Top 50 Writing Blogs

Positive Writer recently announced its Top 50 Writing Blogs for 2016.

Check them out here.

Self Editing

Writing a book? Here's a list of 21 self-editing tips to improving your work before publication.

I'd write more here, but I'm trying to apply #4.

So, you want to write a novel ...

Click for a list of 12 books that bestselling author Jerry Jenkins recommends for writers (veterans and novices alike) looking to hone their skills.

Number 5 is a favorite of mine.

Sudeikis

Jason Sudeikis said the following when describing the work involved in developing sketches (many of which never air) for Saturday Night Live.

"If you allow yourself to enjoy only the product and not the process, I don't know if it's worth it. You could dump all your heart and soul into it and get nothing in return."

End of the Beginning

Today I finished the first draft of my third novel. There is, of course, still much work to be done, but reaching this point is a significant milestone. I now have a full manuscript to read, start to finish, and can focus on hammering it into something presentable.

How far along am I in the overall process of getting this book to a published format available to readers? Hard to say, though perhaps the words of Winston Churchill are now applicable. During World War II, after British forces won the Battle of El Alamein in November 1942, the prime minister observed:

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."

My Teachers

Before and during the writing of my first novel, I studied several books on how to write fiction. The list includes Writing for the Soul (Jerry Jenkins), On Writing (Stephen King), Bird by Bird (Anne Lamott) and The First Five Pages (Noah Lukeman). I also read scores of useful articles in The Writer, a magazine I’ve subscribed to for eight years. All of the above provided invaluable lessons and advice as I wrote The All-American King.

Now halfway through my second novel, I’m finding it beneficial to consult my old “teachers” again to make sure I’m still following their sound instruction. This review not only refreshes my knowledge of the craft, it also renews my enthusiasm for the writing experience.