Canadian writing legend Ed Griffin passed away recently leaving a legacy of several books, a thriving writer’s festival, and a family who adored him. But he left us with much more.
I lost my mentor this past July. Ed Griffin passed away. His life will be summed up far more ably by others, and his accomplishments will be documented in many other places. Instead, I’d like to pass along some of the things I learned from him. Some of you may be familiar with Ed’s lessons from his online posts (including this website), or attending his writing classes. For those of you who didn’t have the privilege of meeting him in person – please imagine a fiery, pasty white guy, in love with the spoken word – warmly, strongly, and passionately teaching you these lessons. Continue reading “Lessons Ed Taught Me”
From my perspective most things in life require; desire, commitment, education, training, and practice. Publishing and becoming a best-selling published author, although related, are at two ends of the spectrum. I tell anyone looking to become a published author: don’t expect to make money at it. You do it because you want to show off your creation, much like showing your baby’s picture. Writing is a lot of work and takes time and effort. However, the hardest part of the process is no longer publishing. Publishing is much simpler, more streamlined and less costly than it used to be. Today, thanks to the tools available, anyone can do it, and it can cost as little as nothing. 
It’s a real rush to pass on a tip from Lawrence Block because he just might be the most major monster in crime fiction. Consider: he’s author of over forty novels (and that’s just under his own name — not counting another 50 or so under various noms du travail). But it goes way beyond that. He’s one of those writers that everybody in his field has read, and most other writers in that field have been influenced by. His Matt Scudder series is an uber-classic, a modern version of Chandler or Hammett. But with a more human character arc, readers watched Scudder come to grips with his alcoholism. Scudder alone would enshrine Mr. Block in the Crime Hall of Fame…