Posts by Michael
Summary, Exposition, and Narrative
Facts and information! All books need them in order for the reader to understand the story. But deciding how to deliver them is often the difference between a book that’s a slog and a book where the pages turn themselves. Whether fiction or non-fiction, and with works for any age of reader, the writer’s ability…
Read MoreAuthors are Extraordinary; Publishers are Ordinary
I gave a presentation called “Publishing 101” at the Brookfield Public Library on Sunday. I’ve given this presentation a couple of times before, and it treads familiar territory for me. I do an overview of types of publishers, types of contracts, and some good-to-know pieces of information for anyone interested in the industry (usually folks…
Read MoreOrange Hat’s Next Chapter: Now What?
When deciding what was next in my career and discussing my purchase of Orange Hat with our founder Shannon Ishizaki, I kept returning to the phrase “service continuity” as my foremost goal. Yes, ownership was changing, and there was soon to be someone else at the helm. But I wanted our authors to feel that…
Read MoreDetails, Juggling, and Chekhov’s Gun
Imagine you’re reading a story and learn in the first chapter that the protagonist does not speak. Maybe he can speak but chooses not to. Maybe he is unable to speak. No matter the reason, the fact remains. As we readers assess this story, we are immediately intrigued! How did the protagonist get this way?…
Read MoreOrange Hat’s Next Chapter: How Did We Get Here?
Purchasing Orange Hat was like a dream coming true when you never knew you had the dream in the first place. Read the inside story on the transition from founder Shannon to new owner Michael.
Read MoreWhoa Writing: Crafting Four-Dimensional Characters
Writing advice often stresses the importance of writing three-dimensional characters. These characters are “fully fleshed out,” which is a really creepy metaphor if you think about it for too long! They feel like “real people” because they have flaws and biases and personalities and backstories and all the other things that we know about real…
Read MoreWhoa Writing: The Villain is the Hero in Their Own Story
Who’s the hero of the movie Mean Girls? Is it ingenue and audience proxy Cady Heron? We see the world of Northshore High through her eyes. We feel her friendship with Janis and Damien. We ache over her crush on Aaron Samuel. We laugh as she pranks Regina and the other Plastics. Sure, toward the end of the film, we get a little worried that she’s gone too far. And she does neglect her real friends in favor of being popular. But she’s the hero, right?
Read MoreWhoa Writing: Finding Deeper Meaning
When’s the last time you’ve read Judy Blume’s classic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret? If you’ve never read it before, pick up a copy. I read it around age 14 (unusual reading for a boy, I know, but I’ve never been particular about the genders of my protagonists), and recently listened to the audiobook.
Read MoreWhoa Writing: Too Many People!
You know that song Too Many People from Paul and Linda McCartney’s album Ram? Great album!
Too many people going underground
Too many reaching for a piece of cake
Too many people pulled and pushed around
Too many waiting for that lucky break
Whoa Writing: Time-Bound Stories
When I teach writing, I discuss human beings as storytellers. Our memories of the past, our prognostications for the future, and our search for meaning transform our three dimensional world into a four dimensional one. “Post hoc, ergo propter hoc” may be a logical fallacy when used as the sole basis for reasoning, but storytelling is universal. Trying to figure out how events unfold to create an ending from a beginning is something we do every day.
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