Category Archives: Behind the scenes

“Behind the scenes” are anecdotes from my writing experience.

Short and Sweet

Posted on May 14, 2015 by Pete

When my first daughter was born, people came out of the woodwork with advice, but my buddy Kevin gave me this little nugget: “You’ll want to tell people about everything your kid does. Don’t. No one cares. If you absolutely … Continue reading →

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#showyourwork

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Pete

I just finished reading Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work!, and I recommend it for any creator out there interested in fostering a community around their creations. I’ve followed Mr. Kleon’s blog for a while now, and you can probably see … Continue reading →

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My Big Picture: The Jigsaw Puzzle

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Pete

I often imagine stories like a mural. I have a rough idea of the whole thing. I have images for where the story starts and ends, and a vague notion of the middle. It’s like looking at the picture on … Continue reading →

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Use What You Have: The Lineup

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Pete

At one point, I needed a comparative height chart with all the Togahan races (like something you’d see in an RPG* manual). This would help me visualize scenes and blocking, and insert mannerisms where they were required. I once tried … Continue reading →

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The Beauty of the No-Prize

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Pete

Stan Lee invented the Marvel No-Prize back in 1964, and over time it took many forms, but my favorite, by far, was when it encouraged readers’ imaginations. As fans, many of us are quick to point out inconsistencies, even in … Continue reading →

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Minecraft, Struggle, and Story

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Pete

I’m always looking for console games I can play with my daughters. I had resisted downloading Minecraft because I had heard how addictive it was, and the rumors were true. (I dream about the damn game now.) I started on … Continue reading →

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2015 Q1 Progress Report

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Pete

This week I’ll give you an update on the status of things. Current goals are: Release Novel #3: The first revision is going a bit slower than I’d like, because I’m changing more in the rough draft than I had … Continue reading →

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Free Body Diagrams

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Pete

This week I’ll be talking about a major scene from A Togahan Returns, so if you haven’t read that yet, and don’t want stuff spoiled….well, I’ll see you next week. Otherwise, follow me past the page break…

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Seriously

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Pete

When I was at Boskone a couple weeks ago, I enjoyed hearing many professional authors describe their process, their routines, and their habits. They write for a living, and so they’re writing constantly. They might have a half dozen projects … Continue reading →

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Boskone 2015 Review

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Pete

This was the third Boskone  I’ve attended, and like the others, I enjoyed myself a great deal (despite missing Sunday’s program because I woke up to more than a foot of new snow in my street). A more literary convention, … Continue reading →

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