It depends…
There are a lot of “rules” when it comes to good writing. As a writing coach, I get asked questions about these rules a lot. “Should I cut my book’s prologue?” “Should I always avoid adverbs?” “Should all my sentences be in active voice?” “Should I never edit while drafting?” Here is the reality folks:…
What Writers Can Learn from the ‘Full House’ Revival
Last night Netflix launched the Full House revival, Fuller House. My wife, my three daughters, and I sat down to binge watch as many episodes as we could, and we had an absolute blast. It appears, however, the critics did not enjoy the show nearly as much as my family did. The critical consensus is…
Amber Andrian on Turning Emotion into Art – The Writing Coach 021
Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors that help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work. In episode 21 of The Writing Coach, I speak with author and mentor Amber Adrian. Amber believes we’re all bigger and brighter than we…
Monica Leonelle on Productive Writing – The Writing Coach 020
Welcome to The Writing Coach. On this podcast, I speak with the instructors, editors, coaches, and mentors that help writers and authors create their art, build their audience, and sell their work. In episode 20 of The Writing Coach, I speak with author and productivity expert Monica Leonelle. Monica is a fiction and non-fiction author who…
How to CRUSH the Haters
Every single day of high school was a war zone. I was a punk rock kid living in a small, country town populated by hicks and rednecks. I was called “freak”, “faggot”, and “loser” more times than I can count. I was spat on and beaten-up. What I’m getting at is that I’m no stranger…
Don’t Be Afraid to Get Burned: High Art vs. Passionate Authenticity
In late 2006, the rock band My Chemical Romance and director Samuel Bayer set out to record two music videos back-to-back. By the end of the shoot drummer Bob Bryar would have second degree burns on his body, lead singer Gerard Way would be hospitalized with torn muscles in his legs, and one of the…
Don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are going to say
Imagine this: after years of perfecting your craft and building an audience in the independent publishing world you finally land that contract you’ve always dreamed of with one of the big five publishing houses. But when your book is released, it flops, and the publisher releases you from your contract. What now? Do you pack it in?…
Economy of Fear Sneak Preview and Author Commentary (Chapter 1)
Last week I shared with you a free sneak preview of the prologue to my new young adult horror/fantasy/sci-fi mash-up, The Page Turners: Economy of Fear, along with some video commentary addressing the chapter. This week I’m happy to continue this series of sneak peaks by sharing with you Chapter 1 of the book! Just click the link…
Announcing the Economy of Fear Pre-order Bonus Bundle
It’s author Kevin T. Johns here! I’m totally stoked to be able to announce that my new novel, The Page Turners: Economy of Fear, is now available for pre-order. I’m even more excited to tell you about the special pre-order bonus bundle I’ve put together. If you pre-order the book before Friday, July 3, 2015,…
Billy Boyd and the four hundred and thirty takes
The other day I watched the special features disc from the third of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit films, The Battle of the Five Armies. It included a featurette on the recording of the film’s closing song, The Last Goodbye, performed by actor and musician Billy Boyd (Pippin from the LOTR trilogy). As identified in the featurette,…
