by James Preston

When I read a great novel, I often find myself thinking, “How on earth did the author do it?” followed by, “Where did he start?” Every published author has had to get past the blank page.

Let’s talk about Plato, the Athenian philosopher.… Read the post

By James R. Preston

Her name was Enheduanna and she was a writer. We’ll talk more about her later. 

Welcome to another installment of Writers in the Storm. This one’s going to be a little different. But with any luck, we’ll be On the Road Again.… Read the post

by James Preston

Writers deal in words, but often those words need to paint a picture in the mind of our reader; they need to see what’s happening. Let’s talk about why that’s important and then about a different way for you to accomplish that visualization in your novel, through Storyboarding.… Read the post

by James Preston

Time is your friend . . . and your enemy.

You can never have enough. Yet it can stretch, minutes to seeming hours, in a boring movie that your date loves. It can race by when you’re writing to meet a deadline.… Read the post

…and why they are important to writers

James Preston

You’re book people. Don’t try to deny it—I know you are.

And you like libraries. 

Not me. I love libraries. Big ones, little ones, mobile ones, they’re all wonderful, as far as I’m concerned.… Read the post