Yes I realize we are way past the New Year’s resolution phase on the calendar….but hey…there is good chance you already blew those resolutions. So with this post I’m offering you a shot as redemption.

A clean slate if you will.

Let’s start over….. today.

I’ll go first….

Here goes…. but first….a thoughton why….. why resolutions are difficult to keep.

I believe that I know why many continually fail to meet their New Year’s Resolutions.

Why?

How many cliché resolution on Facebook did you skim through and not really read?

How many Facebook posts do you read and say, “Yeah right he will never lose twenty pounds by Easter.”

You know the ones….that talk about hitting the gym, quitting the smokes etc, etc, etc!

Why can’t they keep resolutions?

Why are some people already back up five pounds or smoking two packs a day by April?

What about that gym membership that hasn’t … Read More »

Paws on the Ground Update:

Many have asked about the status of my first novel, Paws on the Ground.

Thank you. I really appreciate your interest.

The novel is currently with my agent being prepared for submission. Fiction is very hard to sell right now. The book has to be perfect in order to achieve my goal of commercial publication.

I have a terrific literary agent in a well-respected Literary Agency. I’m letting them do their part by preparing the novel for submission to publishing houses while I focus on writing. Don’t worry though……..I’m being kept very well informed.

You all will be the first to hear any news!

So back to my writing journey………….

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A little while ago I took a break from my journey to becoming a published author in order to debate with the delightful Barbara Longley about the merit of critique groups … Read More »

Has it been one year already?

Yep, I launched this site this week last year and have been consistently writing and posting for the site since. So why did I start this site?

I need a platform if I am going to be a professional writer someday. Right?

That is what the experts say. But this site is more than just a platform for me—it is how I express myself. It provides me the ability to publish my work now through my blog posts. The site allows me to tell stories and share what I think is important and relevant in my world. Plus writing for the site makes me happy.

So let’s take a look at some stats for the year:

First subscriber: Pam Garrity

First commenter: Ginger Moran

Thank you, ladies!

Subscribers: 775

Comments: 2,358(Non Spam)

I really have nothing to compare these numbers with. I believe … Read More »

2012 will absolutely be a year I will never forget. Full of trials, tribulations—tragedy and celebration, this year was a rollercoaster for my family and me. During a layover a few days before Christmas I was pondering this crazy year. Actually I was making laps with a stroller through the Chicago Airport trying to keep someone (#1 on this list) occupied during a layover and my mind wandered like it always does. What resulted is the list below of the nine most significant things to happen to me this year.

#9: Became homeless. Well, not exactly, but it sort of felt like that. My childhood home in Whitman, Massachusetts went out of our family this summer. WOW! the memories at that place! Of course, I am happy for my mom. She didn’t need the hassle of managing a … Read More »

Recently my wife’s friend referred to my writing as hobby. Initially I was taken aback and slightly annoyed.

A hobby?

Really?

Does she know how many hours I put into my first novel?

Does she know how much time I dedicate weekly in pursuit of my writing career?

Does she know how much money I’ve invested in getting this career going?

Does she realize how hard it was for me to land a literary agent?

Of course the answer to all these questions is no.

But it got me thinking: when do you graduate from being a hobbyist to being a professional writer. Maybe my wife’s friend is correct. Maybe my writing is just a hobby?

I honestly can’t even pinpoint the nunber of hours I put into my first novel, Paws on the Ground. It has to be in the thousands though. I wrote the first draft in … Read More »

Last year I attended the 2011 James River Writer’s Conference full of self-doubt. I was nervous that I wouldn’t fit in with the scholarly, eclectic, and creative world. I’m an Army Officer. I’m not a writer. Could I be both, though?

I had written my first book while in Afghanistan. Big deal, right? I mean this conference was going to be full of serious writers. Surely they would look down on me. For the entire conference I was timid, stressed, and constantly trying to sell myself to possible literary agents and publishing folks.

Last year I had no website or Facebook page. I didn’t even know what Twitter was.

Of course, I was wrong on all accounts. I met tons of great people. I made great contacts that eventually led me to landing an agent. Yes, the 2011 James … Read More »

So Barbara Longley and I decided to go a second round with our discussion. Should an author work with an editor or a critique group. As you might remember I support going with an editor. My long winded and talented colleague, Barbara Longley is a huge supporter of critique groups.

Honestly I think Barb wanted to go a second round because she couldn’t handle that I was so spot on in that first post!

So here we go….round two….. I’ve got one gloves raised high to protect my face and the other lower……. Barb can’t be trusted to spar cleanly!  

KEVIN: I have a lot to say Barb? Really….Really? You just tripled my word count!

I’m not going to match you though. I don’t feel like I must. Why?…… Because I believe in myself. I don’t need affirmation that I can write. Especially from people who … Read More »

O my goodness did I receive some outrage from my post on Tough Love and Top Flight Editors a while back. I think that folks thought I was “slamming” critique groups. I wasn’t but will provide you my thoughts now.

But to ensure we provide you a holistic view of the subject I’ve asked my colleague and staunch critique group supporter, Barbara Longley, to join me in this discussion. Barbara is the incredibly talented author of Heart Of The Druid Laird- Carina Press, and she has a new trilogy coming through Montlake Publishing beginning with Far From Perfect releasing October 23rd. To read excerpts of her work, you can visit her website at this link.

Anyway, enough about Barbara….let’s talk about what I think…….

KEVIN: Critique groups are a waste of resources. To me resources equal time, effort and … Read More »

I waited on pins and needles as my new editor, John Paine, read my novel. I was worried he would read it and tell me that is was garbage. Or that I couldn’t write. Yes, my self- doubt was kicking in again.

To occupy my time I delved into platform development. I started building my own Word Press site and writing blog posts as they came to me. (I’ll talk about the importance of platform-building in future posts.)

Finally after about month John was able to read my book and provide feedback. We talked for an hour and a half about the book. He followed up with a detailed written four-page editorial report. First off—he didn’t tell me the novel stunk or my writing was horrible. OK, so  that was a good start.

John told me that the book’s concept was tremendous, the … Read More »