Favorite Writing Advice: Adding Tension to Your Story
One simple idea can give your story much-needed tension. One phrase — one sentence, really — can help most authors make their stories more tense, more dramatic, more gripping. “If … Continue reading
Getting Your Book Published: Labor, Luck or Kismet?
Every time somebody says, “Things happen for a reason,” I say, “Yeah, but it doesn’t have to be a good reason.” I’m not exactly a believer in what you’d call … Continue reading
Can You Learn More From Fiction Than Nonfiction?
Learning a little something from everything you read. I’ve said it a hundred times if I’ve said it once: “Write what you know, read what you don’t.” Writing what you … Continue reading
Learning to Write from the Ides of March
In honor of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, here’s a blog post from a few years (and one month) back. It’s March 15, the famous Ides of … Continue reading
Hidden Meanings in a Story Every Author Finds
Finding messages and meanings in your story you didn’t know were there. Remember that high school or college English class where a student pointed out some hidden meaning in a … Continue reading
Leaping Lemmings – Cover Reveal
Here it is at long last — the final cover for my first picture book, Leaping Lemmings! I won’t go into all the details that took this book … Continue reading
The Importance of the Book Pre-Order to Authors
Why early success means continued success in publishing. Does it really matter if you order a book online before its official release date? Before its “book birthday” as they say … Continue reading
One Way to Land an Interview
My interview on The Historians Every once in awhile something falls into your lap, but if you don’t act on it, it will slip through your legs like a bad-hop … Continue reading
The Long Road to Publication: Patience & Persistence
I have long said that authors are not paid for their words, they are paid for their perseverance. When it’s easy to give up, good writers stick with it, improve … Continue reading
Schenectady Today Interview: Pete Seeger, The People’s Singer
Host Ann Parillo interviews me about my book “Pete Seeger, The People’s Singer”. Always a great time — and check out all the cool photos of Pete, Woody, Toshi, and… … Continue reading
John Briggs Books 