It’s dystopian
Nothing says joy to me like a good dystopian novel. Well, maybe not joy, but they are fascinating—a dark future where the oppressed fight against tyranny. The first book I wrote was meant to be dystopian, but as the plot developed, I realized I had the wrong genre. It was really speculative fiction. It could […]
Pauper to Prince
Pierce Brown’s “Red Rising” is a dystopian novel set on Mars. A rigid color-based caste system divides society, and the protagonist, Darrow, is a Red. The Reds are the bottom caste suffering a harsh life below the earth’s surface, terraforming the planet in preparation for the other colors to join them. A swift series of […]
Rain is out there
While my novel hasn’t been published yet, I’m very excited to get the story out there. My company has a writing group and publishes a quarterly book of writing called From The Orchard. Kudos to Lloyd Hall, who is an amazing champion for writers and leads our writing group. This quarter’s issue focused on the […]
Pantser or Plotter?
My first book takes place in a near-future world that is both the same and very different from today. There are still companies and jobs. There are still laws. People still buy necessities like clothes and food, but wow, the food has changed. While writing the book, I struggled to understand why the world was […]
I could have said it better
I have sent off my query letters, and now I’m waiting for the end of summer. Most agents have said they will reply in two months, or not. In the meantime, I’m going through my manuscript to see what else I can do to improve it. Well, that and getting on the water with the […]
Stuck in normalcy
A woman in Costa Mesa, California, was trapped inside her Tesla for 40 minutes. Outside, people walked around the car, but she made no effort to call for help because her car told her to stay inside. Imagine you were stuck in your car while mere feet away; people walk out of Chick-fil-A with ice-cold […]
Oryx and Crake book review
“Oryx and Crake” by Margaret Atwood explores an all-too-familiar theme today. Techno Bro builds a fantastic, successful business and then explores his philosophy on what is wrong with the world. It doesn’t end well.
Deadlines come and go
My family and I had a lot going on from November through January, with numerous holidays and birthdays to celebrate. I imagined myself sitting at my desk, listening to holiday music