(Officially) Announcing My Next Novel: Storming!

You’ve known it’s been coming for a long time. And now it’s here! I get to “officially” announce that my historical/dieselpunk novel Storming will release in one month on December 4th. If you’ve been keeping up with my adventure with this book over the last few years, you know I’m super-excited about this one. It has a fun, big-hearted summer-blockbuster feel and was an absolute blast to write. So what is it about?

Here’s the tease:

It’s not every day a woman in a ball gown parachutes out of the sky right in front of your biplane. Brash barnstormer Hitch Hitchcock is used to being ready for anything. But his world does a barrel roll when the fearless Jael demands he fly her back home... to the clouds. Caught between a corrupt country sheriff and dangerous new enemies from above, Hitch must save his Nebraska hometown from storm-wielding sky pirates before Jael flies off with his freewheeling heart.

To get a sneak peek at the cover art and read the full summary, be sure to stop by my site. You can also read the first chapter, check out who I would cast in the character roles if Storming were a movie, and win original artwork from the book! This, of course, is all building up to the big prize drawing on Launch Day. Stop by and join in the fun. Stop by and join in the fun.

Happy writing!

Featured Book: Outlining Your Novel Workbook

Containing hundreds of incisive questions and imagination-revving exercises, this valuable resource will show you how to:

Create your own personalized outlining process
Brainstorm premise and plot ideas
Discover your characters
Choose and create the right settings
Organize your scenes
And so much more!

This accessible and streamlined workbook will empower you to create a powerful outline—and an outstanding novel.

Buy the Book

“Sometimes I scare myself at how easily I slip inside my mind and live vicariously through these characters.”-Teresa Mummert

Drawing Winners

Twice a month, I randomly draw four names from among the subscribers of this e-letter.

The winners receive their choice of digital media from among my books on my website.

This month's winners are Frederick, Judy, Kathryn Mcloskey, and Claire.

I will contact the winners directly sometime this week. Congrats to all―and good luck to everyone else in the coming drawings!

Helpful Links & Resources

Pros And Cons of Indie And Traditional Publishing: Dean Crawford shares his thoughts on the different options for publishing your books.

Three Characteristics of Successful Writers: Rochelle Melander offers her insights on what it takes to be a great writer.

The Four Faces of Writing Fears: Emily Wenstrom offers suggestions for overcoming writing fars.

Think Your Story Is Epic? Think Again

If we define “epic” as deep and meaningful, then I think it’s safe to say 90% of authors would like to write an “epic” story. But epic’s a little harder than you might think.

Why is that? Simply because “epic” is about far more than simply big events or high stakes. To achieve epic, you have look deeper into your story and be willing to invest a lot more of yourself than just your penchant for fireworks.

I recently read a fantasy that, on its surface, seemed to have all the trappings of something truly epic: interesting concept, great setting, life-and-death physical stakes, deeply painful personal stakes, wonderfully realized characters.

But about halfway through, I found myself wondering what was wrong. Why was this story failing to grab me? Why was I skimming important battle-scene passages? Why wasn’t I invested in this seemingly slam-bang story?

There were three important factors this story was missing that could have taken it right to the top of the epic-book list.

1. Theme. Theme is the single greatest factor in separating entertainment stories from epic stories. Deep and resonant themes that use the story’s stakes to ask important questions are the surest way to get readers to invest themselves in your story.

2. Character arc. Transformative character arcs are closely linked to theme. Great themes will be illustrated in the character arcs, and great character arcs revolve around deep thematic questions. Even interesting characters won’t be epic unless they’re either undergoing or causing great personal change.

3. Subtext. Epic stories create a sense of subtext—the 9/10ths of the iceberg under the water—that make readers feel there is more to the story than just what they’re seeing. One of the best places to create this is via the Ghost or wound in the character’s backstory.

If it’s your desire to write an epic story, make sure you’re including these three all-important factors. Do that and you’ll transform your story from good to unforgettable!

“Writing is the best anti-depressant.”