I like to challenge myself. And I like to learn new things. These attributes have come in handy as I’ve focused on writing novels. When I was a kid, I was enthralled by movies. One summer in particular, the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark was playing at a local dollar theater. Back before DVDs […]
There is a lot to like in Catholic, Reluctantly, however it is missing enough dramatic weight to make it memorable. This book, published by Chesterton Press, is the first in a series of young adult Catholic novels that revolves around the students and parents involved in creating a new Catholic school called John Paul II […]
A Pius Man: A Holy Thriller, by Declan Finn, is equal parts intriguing and frustrating. As a self-published novel, it is one or two professional edits away from being a top-notch thriller. A Pius Man is the first in a trilogy of books and deals with the threats against a newly elected Jesuit Pope and […]
When working on a project, I need my must-have information staring me in the face or I’ll never remember all of it. It’s just the way I’m wired. Years ago, during training for my day job, I learned that people organize their workspace in a variety of different ways, depending on how their minds manage […]
The primary reason I am attracted to creating faith-based entertainment for young adults is because they have virtually no viable options that promote a healthy faith journey. Whether it be our Nikki & Babs DVD or our upcoming Gabby Wells novel series, I feel there is a growing need for young adult characters that are […]
Creating an effective marketing campaign means you have to work backwards. For our first book, Gabby Wells: Water & Blood, Dorothea and I met and had a brainstorming session over lunch, discussing all of the things that have to happen between now and the release of the book. As you can imagine, such a list […]
A few days ago we setup a green screen in my living room and shot some potential book cover shots for the five books in the Gabby Wells series. DC fooling around. I’m fortunate to have a photogenic daughter who also happens to have been instrumental in development of the Gabby Wells character. So, it […]
Welcome to my first podcast! During these podcasts we’ll have interviews with people in various areas of the publishing and entertainment industry, including both Christian and secular artists. I’m very excited to have Kari Burke with us on our first show. She’s a Catholic writer whose pro-life book The Life I Dreamed deals with the […]
I’ve been writing in one form or another for almost 30 years. I’d like to share some tips that I use to help me get from the blank page to a finished story. Writers Write: Writers are compelled to write. So, if you want to be a writer, write. I’ve come across a lot of […]
Platform, by Michael Hyatt, is one of the most helpful books I’ve read in a long time. It guides you throw the process of creating a compelling product and how to use proven strategies to promote that product in the numerous social media outlets available to you. The “Platform” refers to rising you above the […]
One of the benefits of having worked in the entertainment industry in a variety of different positions is knowing how to create and edit a trailer. After mulling numerous ways to use a trailer to promote the first Gabby Wells book, we decided to use the hand-held camera/docu-drama approach. This should give it a sense […]
One of the best editing advices I’ve ever heard was this… Edit your story in reverse. What does that mean? Start with the last chapter and go backwards. The early chapters have invariably been reread and edited far more than the later chapters, but, in a good novel, ever chapter has to be good. So, […]
The differences between a screenplay and a novel are equivalent to the differences between a blueprint and a finished building. Over time, screenplays have come to be structured in a very specific way so that each page equals approximately one minute of screen time. And the three act screenplay structure, where major events happen at […]