Month: December 2011

Retrospective of a Novice Writer – Yolanda Washington

Author Yolanda Washington

December is usually the time of the year for reflection. With that thought, came the realization that I had an anniversary of sorts last month. I owe myself a present. I missed it because I was driving myself nuts to “win” my first go at NaNoWriMo. And yes, I did “win.”

Many of you are published and can look back fondly on your time as a novice (I hope). For me, though, I’m still in the honeymoon stage of being a writer. You know, that first year when you love every aspect of the craft and the job. I haven’t become jaded, yet, and I hope I never do. I love what I do. This is the best job ever. Continue reading “Retrospective of a Novice Writer – Yolanda Washington”

Author Jennifer Rainey Says Follow Your Heart

Author Jennifer Rainey

I’m usually not one for the inspirational, follow-your-heart, hug-it-out scene. It’s a little too fluffy to me. In fact, anyone who knows me personally knows it’s easier to hug a cactus than it is to hug me.

That said, today I’d like to tell you to follow your heart. Or rather, I’d like to discuss the importance of writing what you want to write, rather than what others want you to write.

It sounds like simple, duh! advice, but you’d be surprised how often that little bit of wisdom gets ignored in a world full of everyone else’s opinions. The importance of feedback is stressed constantly in the writing world. Now, I’m not saying the opinions of others shouldn’t be regarded. Absolutely not! You’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t have your writing edited and critiqued, but you’re also never going to get anywhere if you do nothing but listen to others. Continue reading “Author Jennifer Rainey Says Follow Your Heart”

Top O’ the World, Ma!

My novel Upgrade just received a fantastic 5-star review by the lovely and talented K.S. “Kat” Brooks. Check this out:

I’ll admit I had no idea what I was getting into when I started reading Upgrade. I’d read a few of Stephen Hise’s blogs and found his wit and writing ability both impressive and refreshing. I wanted to see what his book was about. From all the buzz, I thought it was going to be a futuristic psychological thriller – and I wasn’t far off.

Stephen Hise has written a piece of work that amazes me. I’m a very picky reader – one who gets easily bored and skips over bits and pieces and paragraphs, and sometimes even pages. I read every word of Upgrade. Not only did I read every word, each page turned nearly on its own, beckoning me with the tease of knowing something was going to happen – something that I didn’t see coming. And it was right about that. Continue reading “Top O’ the World, Ma!”

Meet the Author: M.L. Gardner

Author M.L. Gardner

M.L. “Molly” Gardner writes with a simple but elegant style. “It is important to me that readers see the character clearly, the room they are in, and the facial expression they hold during conversation. I often go back and edit out some of the details, finding a good balance of painting a picture and leaving some for the readers imagination. I also only keep an eye on the rules. For every rule I have ever read for fiction writers, I have found a fabulous author who has successfully broken that rule. So from the start I have not focused on the rules. I only care about writing a good story people will love. Don’t get me wrong–grammar and sentence structure are important. So is finding the right balance between conversation and narration and fleshing out characters. But I don’t take it to a level that compromises my sanity. As an author friend of mine so wonderfully puts it to those who micro-analyze his work, Boy did you miss the point. Go be an editor.” Continue reading “Meet the Author: M.L. Gardner”