As an editor, I get to see some pretty amazing writing before it ever hits the shelves. A little while ago, I was able to edit “The Monster in Blackwood Forest” for Drue M. Scott, and I was struck by his ability to create a realistic world that generates excitement about where he’s going to go with the story. Now, that he’s in the process of getting the book ready to publish here is what I can tell you…
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Why I Wrote ‘There Are No Penguins in Alaska’
When I was living in Alaska, I saw a lot of wildlife in the wild. I saw brown bears, black bears, moose, foxes, beluga whales, and other animals while I was hiking – often they were not far from town. It’s an absolutely stunning state, especially in the summer. The one creature I never saw was a penguin because there are no penguins in Alaska. Still, tourists would continue to ask waitstaff, grocery store clerks, and random strangers: How can I see the penguins?
Continue readingWhy I Wrote ‘Disneyland Is Creativity’: Creative Process
I wanted to capture the joy and use the examples of creativity in Disneyland to help people become more creative. Creativity is a core part of our humanity. People have been artists and storytellers since they came together in caves hundreds of thousands of years ago. Human beings survive as a species not by being the fastest or strongest but by being the most creative. Our creativity allows us to adapt as a species, and our personal creativity allows us to live better lives. I wrote “Disneyland Is Creativity” to help you find your creative process and empower you to become more creative.
Continue readingWhy I Wrote ‘Adventures on the Amur’: The Creative Process
When I started writing to make a living, I ran across a post that said authors need to write between 15 and 20 books to be able to make a living from their writing. The idea is that people buy a new release, like it, and then buy the other books in the author’s backlog. One crucial piece of information that I missed was that these books should be interlocking trilogies, so three focus on main characters and the other six focus on side characters. No matter, I thought about the type of book that I enjoyed the idea of, and the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series (affiliate links) came to mind. Then I crafted “the Adventures on the Amur.”
Continue readingThe Creative Process of Writing ‘My Life in the Projects’
Someone once said that being creative isn’t just about having ideas. There are billions of ideas out there. The creative person has to choose one of the ideas and bring it into the world. As a writer, I have tens of ideas for books and series, and hundreds of ideas for articles. (This year alone, I’ve written over 275 articles on my website and more at my day job.) So, how did I come to choose to publish “My Life in the Projects” as my first book? Here’s a peek at the creative process of writing that book.
Continue reading‘Invasion’: Societal Issues Easy to Digest in Young Love Story
If you want to read a book and be surprised, pick up Russell Nohelty’s “Invasion” without reading any of the summaries or the rest of this review. Until June 25, 2020, you can get “Invasion” as part of the Wannabe Press Summer Fantasy/Science Fiction Novel Slate Kickstarter. The project is already funded, so you can rest assured that you will get your copy of this great book. If you read any further, there will be mild spoilers ahead.
Continue readingFor Your Own Creative Journey, Follow ‘Why Bowie Matters’
In his book “Why Bowie Matters” (affiliate link), Will Brooker writes about his own creative journey in the context of exploring David Bowie’s life. He decided to walk in Bowie’s footsteps and to explore Bowie’s life in a physical manner. He distilled Bowie’s life down to a year’s worth of experiences, dressed like Bowie, traveled to the places that were important to Bowie’s development as an artist and icon, and experimented with the same talents that Bowie did. His experience can help you in your own creative journey.
Continue readingRussell Nohelty Kickstarts the Summer with Four Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books
USA Today Best-selling Author Russell Nohelty is in the midst of his latest Kickstarter: the “Wannabe Press Summer Fantasy/Science Fiction Novel Slate.” He took some time out of his schedule to answer some of our questions about reading, creativity and how he kickstarts the summer successfully with his latest Kickstarter campaign.
Continue readingHelp Indie Authors Sell More Books with Our Store
We want to help indie authors sell more books. It doesn’t matter whether people purchase the books from us, from the author directly, or from Amazon. What matters is that the books get sold, so that the authors can eventually bring their stories to life full-time. That’s one of the ideas behind our store and workspace, but why is it important to help indie authors sell more books?
Continue readingLooking for Indie Author Recommendations (for Proposed Bookstore)
As my wife and I work our way back to our bookstore plans and try to rework something more sustainable, we are looking for your indie author recommendations. If you are, or know, an indie author, contact us to see how we can help each other. You can read on or go to our application page.
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Penguinate! Positive Creativity 