Table of Contents

Welcome to Anatomy of Perceval.  If you love suspense, social science fiction, political thriller or “future history” novels,  and if you’re curious about creative writing, classical music, orchestra conductors, and the professional writing life, I hope you’ll be my guest here regularly and tell others to visit.

The Perceval series consists of five novels set in a near future Europe and America with the same protagonist, American orchestra conductor Evan Quinn.  The novels blend genres: espionage, social science fiction, psychological suspense, and crime on an international stage.  I post regular updates on my writing progress and occasional musings on challenges or problems I encounter, the writing life, conductors, and other ideas, thoughts, concerns and experiences related to writing and the novels.

I will also post about my other writing projects, i.e. short stories, essays, and nonfiction projects and their related challenges and, I hope, successes.  I will also occasionally write book and movie reviews that relate to writing, the writing life, or storytelling.

Feel free to leave constructive and friendly comments.  I’d love to hear from all my readers, and especially from musicians, conductors, others in the classical music business, fellow writers and friends.  Enjoy!

TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR ANATOMY OF PERCEVAL 

 

PAGES:

•  About: “About C.C. Yager by C. C. Yager” and publication credits
• Table of Contents (includes “Welcome”)
• Synopses: Perceval’s Secret (Novel 1) plus summary of status of other novels in series
• Characters: For Perceval’s Secret
• Evan Quinn: Press release bio of Evan Quinn plus notes
• For Book Clubs: a discussion guide
• Chapter One of Perceval’s Secret (Excerpt)
• Contact
• Appreciation: a thank you to those who’ve helped and supported my publication efforts

Posts September 2007 – July 2020:

September 2007      

•  Writing to Date, 9/18/07
•  Research to Date, 9/19/07
•  Marketing to Date, 9/21/07
•  New Music, 9/24/07
•  Mental Tugs, 9/26/07
• “Escape” – Excerpt from Perceval, 9/28/07
•  The Shadow, 9/29/07

 October 2007           

• Who was that guy or Where do you get your ideas?, 10/6/07
•  First Chapters, 10/13/07
•  Why the Future? 10/20/07
•   Updates, 10/20/07 (Writing, Research)
•   Composer Institute, 10/27/07
•   Moving On, 10/29/07

 November 2007       

• Why an Orchestra Conductor? 11/3/07
• Published! in “Time” Magazine, 11/10/07
• Lessons from Research, 11/10/07
• Marketing Update, 11/12/07
• Essay Submission, 11/15/07
• Inside the Classics, 11/17/07
• What is He Thinking? – Part 1, 11/24/07
• Another Marketing Update, 11/26/07

 December 2007       

• What is He Thinking – Part 2, 12/1/07
• Marketing Update, 12/4/07
•  EXCERPT: “Conducting” from Perceval, 12/10/07
• Holiday Tug-of-War with Writer, 12/15/07
• Realities of the Musical Life, 12/20/07
• Why Perceval or Book Titles 101, 12/22/07
•  Perceval Plus Four, 12/29/07

 

 JANUARY 2008

• Writing Update, 1/5/08
• That Tingling Feeling, 1/9/08
• Research Update, 1/12/08
• Essay Contest Update, 1/14/08
• Conductors and Orchestras – Research, 1/17/08
• Future Politics: China, 1/19/08
• Movie Music, 1/26/08
• Marketing Update #3, 1/30/08

 February 2008         

• Living Language, 2/6/08
• Heath Ledger, 2/9/08
• Marketing Update #4, 2/9/08
• “The Exception” – Reading as a Writer, 2/16/08
• Another Essay Submission, 2/23/08
• Research: Conducting Shostakovich, 2/23/08
• Does Height Make the Conductor?, 2/29/08

 March 2008              

• Conductors and Score Study, 3/1/08
• Getting Back on Track – Writing Update, 3/1/08
• One More Step – Marketing Update #5 for Perceval, 3/5/08
•  Inspiring Quote? 3/8/08
•  Getting to Know…Characters, 3/8/08
•  Research: Conductors and Conducting – Part 1, 3/15/08
•  Research: Conductors and Conducting – Part 2, 3/22/08
•  What We Talk About When We Talk About Terrors, 3/29/08

 April 2008                

• Reading as a Writer: “Mister Martini,” 4/5/08
• WRITING: Vocation or Avocation?, 4/12/08
• These Things Happen – Writing Update, 4/16/08
•  Language, 4/19/08
•  Character Creation – “There Will Be Blood,” 4/21/08
•  Tricky Rhythms, 4/26/08

 May 2008                 

• Reading While Writing, 5/3/08
• What Makes a Writer?, 5/10/08
• A Writer – or Not?, 5/17/08
• A Movie About a Writer, 5/24/08
• To “Maestro” or not to “Maestro,” 5/31/08

 June 2008                 

• The Life of the Long-Distance Conductor…, 6/7/08
• Books, Books, Books, 6/10/08
• Politics in 2048 – An American Dystopia?, 6/14/08
• “Ferengi” and Duck – Fun With Names, 6/21/08
• Updates, or Wassup?, 6/28/08

 July 2008                  

• “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” 7/5/08
•  Rejection, 7/14/08
•  Reading Like a Writer: Two for the Dough, 7/21/08
•  Money, Money, Money…, 7/26/08
•  Peter and the Wolf, 7/31/08

 August 2008             

• Cash Bashing or Money, Money, Money Part 2, 8/2/08
• Creative Capitalism?, 8/9/08
• Musing on Hybrids, 8/16/08
• On Waiting: A Brief Meditation, 8/23/08
• A Toe Tapping…., 8/30/08

September 2008      

• Only Beating Time?  A Gentle Guide to Classical Music Concerts, 9/6/08
• Sticks and Drones: Conductor Blog, 9/13/08 
• Inspiration Doesn’t Wait for You, 9/20/08
• Candidates as Characters, 9/27/08       

October 2008

• The Three B’s, 10/4/08
• The Change, 10/11/08
• Writer on Writing: Richard Price, 10/15/08
• Essay Submission, 10/17/08
•  Reading as a Writer: Farthing, 10/18/08
• Marketing Update: Agents and Bookstores, 10/25/08
• “The Last Enemy,” 10/28/08

November 2008

• News on the Marketing Front, 11/1/08
• Composer Institute 2008, 11/08/08
•  “The Internet vs. Books,” 11/11/08
• Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest, 11/15/08
•  Holiday Beach, the Movie, 11/15/08
•  And the score is…., 11/19/08
•  The Redhead, 11/19/08
•  Reading as a Writer: The Road, 11/22/08
• Choosing Locations in “Perceval,” 11/29/08

December 2008       

•  December Update, 12/6/08
• Writing a Daily Journal: Helpful or No?, 12/13/08
• Ho, Ho, Hodge-Podge!, 12/20/08
•  Conductors by Musicians, 12/27/08
• Reading as a Writer: Honey, 12/27/08

JANUARY 2009

• Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow…, 1/3/09
• Novel to Screenplay, 1/10/09
• Updates, 1/17/09
• Good News!, 1/21/09
• A Little Literary Agent Experience, 1/26/09
•  The Future of the Novel, 1/31/09

February 2009

• A Love Letter, 2/7/09
• Concert Programs, 2/14/09
• The Minnesota Orchestra, 2/21/09
• “The Gr8 American Txt Msg Nvl,” 2/28/09

 March 2009          

• Time and Technology, 3/2/09
• Researching the Future, 3/7/09
• One Year Anniversary, 3/11/09
• The Change, Again, 3/14/09
• A Book Reading/Q&A/Signing, 3/21/09
•  The Centipedal Question, 3/28/09

 April 2009

• Thoughts and Updates, 4/4/09
• Rachmaninoff, 4/11/09
• Paying Attention as a Writer, 4/18/09
• Mischa Santora and the Minnesota Orchestra, 4/25/09

 May 2009

• Are Jobs Important?, 5/2/09
• Quirkiness, 5/6/09
• Narrative Structure, 5/9/09
• Does Mental Illness an Artist Make?, 5/15/09
• Work in Progress, 5/18/09
• Finalists Chosen for Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, 5/23/09
• Reading as a Writer: Street Portraits, 5/30/09

June 2009

• American Fiction, 6/6/09
• What’s in a Name?, 6/13/09
• Language Grows, 6/15/09
• On Courage, 6/20/09
• Seven Pounds or About Character Motivation, 6/27/09

 July 2009                  

• Characters in Love, 7/4/09
• How to Write a Love Scene and…, 7/11/09
• Chamber Music and Conductors, 7/18/09
• The “Worst” Advice for Writers, 7/23/09
• Psychology in Fiction, 7/25/09
• Updates, 7/29/09

 August 2009             

• On Daydreaming, 8/8/09
• Another Update, 8/8/09
• What Does Publication Mean?, 8/15/09
• A Writer’s Guide to Literary Agents, 8/22/09
• A Writer’s Guide to Literary Agents, Part 2, 8/29/09

 September 2009      

• Freedom of Choice, 9/5/09
• Two Years and Counting, 9/12/09
• Quality Art, 9/19/09
• The Pianist, 9/26/09

 October 2009           

• Contest Submissions, 10/2/09
• The Story Behind the Story, 10/3/09
• Published!, 10/6/09
• What Music Makes You Cry?, 10/10/09
• For Crying Out Loud, 10/17/09
• Minnesota Orchestra Has a New Pops Conductor, 10/19/09
• To Outline or Not to Outline?, 10/24/09
• That All-Important Relationship, 10/28/09
• Coughing Mayhem…ahem…., 10/31/09

 November 2009       

• I’m Late, I’m Late, for a very important…., 11/9/0
• Update on “Two Years and Counting,” 11/14/09
• Reading as a Writer: Ace by Richard Carr, 11/21/09

 December 2009       

• Well of Creativity, 12/9/09
• Organizing a Society, 12/21/09
• The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 12/31/09

JANUARY 2010

• Poet’s Corner, 1/4/10
• “Fantasy and Science Fiction” Magazine, 1/9/10
• The Three P’s, 1/16/10
•  The Past in “Battlestar Galactica,” 1/23/10
•  The Brick Wall, 1/27/10

February 2010

•  Watching Actors, 2/5/10
• Theme: What’s It All Mean?, 2/13/10
• The Nitty-Gritty: Organizing the Perceval Series for Consistency, etc., 2/20/10
• The Future as Location (What does it look like?), 2/27/10

March 2010

• The Book, 3/6/10
• Finally, a Defining Label, 3/12/10
• Influences, Part 1, 3/27/10

April 2010

• “The Ghost Writer,” 4/1/10
• The Arthur C. Clarke Award, 4/3/10
• A Conductor Website and Blog, 4/3/10
• Influences, Part 2, 4/10/10
• Creative Process, 4/17/10
• “Darkly Dreaming Dexter,” 4/24/10

May 2010

• Awesome Minnesota Orchestra, 5/1/10
• Updates on Writing and Other Things, 5/7/10
• China in 2048, 5/15/10
• Urtext in Music and Literature, 5/22/10
• The Foreign Language Factor, 5/26/10
• High Tech vs. Low Tech in PERCEVAL, 5/29/10

June 2010

• POD, 6/5/10
• Yevgeny, MO and Osmo, 6/7/10
• Philadelphia Has Chosen!, 6/14/10
• Writing a Blog: Is it a Publication Credit?, 6/19/10
• Thoughts on Michael Jackson, 6/26/10

July 2010

• Plot vs. Character, 7/2/10
• Spy Swap, 7/12/10
• Guilt, Again, 7/19/10
• Reading as a Writer: Lisbeth Salander Again!, 7/24/10
• What Does ‘Write What You Know’ Mean?, 7/31/10

August 2010

•  July 2010 Updates, 8/7/10
• Reading as a Writer: Grass, 8/14/10
• Coupling Characters, 8/23/10
• Why 2048 Will be Like 1984, 8/28/10

September 2010

• Cyberwar, 9/4/10
• Hugo Award, 9/7/10
• The Writing Life, 9/11/10
• Movie vs. Novel: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, 9/18/10
• Avatar: watching as a writer, 9/20/10
• Rejection, 9/20/10
• Good (and scary!), 9/25/10

October 2010

• Bartok and the MO, 10/8/10
• Utopia, Dystopia, Myopia, 10/16/10
• Creating Character: Lisbeth Salander, 10/23/10
• Composer Institute 2010, 10/30/10

November 2010

• How Does a Composer Know What to Write?, 11/6/10
• Author! Author!, 11/13/10
• Creating Character and Inclusionary Writing, 11/20/10
• Character: The Dark Side of Heroic, 11/27/10

December 2010

• December 2010 Updates, 12/4/10
• The Blizzard, 12/11/10
• Discovering the Zeitgeist, 12/18/10
• Words, 12/24/10
• Reading as a Writer: Child 44, 12/31/10

January 2011

• Most Anticipated Books of 2011, 1/8/11
• Character: Glenn Gould, 1/8/11
• To Read or To Write?, 1/15/11
• Taking Care of Business, 1/22/11
• Solving Writing Problems, 1/29/11

February 2011

• To Create or To Re-create?, 2/5/11
• Really, REALLY Good Author Interviews!, 2/9/11
• Let’s Get Really Personal: Characterization, 2/12/11
• 2010 Nebula Awards, 2/23/11
• Job Description: Creative Writer, 2/26/11

March 2011

• What Does Title of Publication Mean?, 3/5/11
• Does Writer’s Block Exist?, 3/19/11
• Reading as a Writer: ONE SLEEVE by Richard Carr, 3/26/11

April 2011

• Would You Do It Too?, 4/2/11
• Babbling Babel, 4/16/11
• Conflict Motivation, 4/23/11

May 2011

• China, the Creditor, 5/9/11
• What Does Publication Mean?, 5/14/11
• What’s the Weather Like in Your Writing?, 5/21/11
• More of “Dexter”: Reading as a Writer, 5/28/11

June 2011

• June 2011 Updates, 6/4/11
• Revision Process – Structure, 6/11/11
• Loss of Letters, 6/13/11
• Writing Tools, 6/18/11
• Revision: Character, 6/25/11

July 2011

• Revision: Dialogue, 7/2/11
• Summer Reading, 7/9/11
• Tech Issues, 7/20/11
• Perceval and the Economy Debate, 7/23/11
• Love, Love, Love…., 7/30/11

August 2011

• Personal Legends or Following Your Bliss, 8/6/11
• Setting, or, Do You Know Where Your Characters Are?, 8/13/11
• Finding Other Thriller Writers, 8/20/11
• Hugo Awards 2011, 8/26/11
• Thrilling Internet Resource, 8/29/11

September 2011

• Domestic Issues in Novels, 9/3/11
• Reading as a Writer: “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” 9/10/11
• More on the Meaning of Publication and Other Thoughts, 9/17/11
• Published!, 9/24/11
• Revision — the Mechanics, 9/24/11

October 2011

• Marathon Novels, 10/1/11
• Care and Feeding of the IE, 10/8/11
• Excerpt: Prologue, 10/15/11
• A Weekend Off and an Update, 10/24/11
• Poet Richard Carr, 10/28/11
• For the Love of…Adverbs, 10/29/11

November 2011

• Property and Ownership Rights, 11/5/11
• Ah, the Writing Life!, 11/19/11
• Mind Your Character’s Manners, 11/19/11
• The Voice, 11/26/11

December 2011

• Reality in Fiction, 12/3/11
• Sex…Or?, 12/10/11
• Done!, 12/17/11
• Reading as a Writer: “Six Moon Dance,” 12/24/11
• Thinking About Language, 12/31/11

January 2012

• New Year, New Music, 1/7/12
• Revision Process: Assessment Read-Through, 1/14/12
• Fiction vs. Nonfiction — Or is it really a competition?, 1/21/12
• Essay Judging, 1/30/12

February 2012

• Choosing and Using Pens, 2/4/12
• Writing and Composing, 2/11/12
• And So It Begins…., 2/18/12
• Update, 2/25/12

March 2012

• Marketing Conductors, 3/3/12
• Music Humor, or Music that makes me Laugh, 3/10/12
• Programs for Orchestra Concerts, 3/17/12
• Romancing Characters, 3/24/12

April 2012

• I’ve Missed my Weekly Blogging, 4/16/12
• Writing, Writer, and Illness, 4/28/12

May 2012

• Opening the Childhood Box, 5/5/12
• What is Success?, 5/12/12
• Reading as a Writer: “Imperfect Prayers,” 5/19/12
• Reading as a Writer: C. L. Moore, 5/26/12

June 2012

• Heroes or Wimps?, 6/2/12
• Update: Contests, 6/12/12
• Auditions, 6/16/12
• Rowling’s Finale: Reading as a Writer, 6/23/12
• What is Espionage?, 6/30/12

July 2012

• Reading as a Writer: “Rasputin’s Daughter,” 7/7/12
• Dealing with the Bogeyman, 7/14/12

August 2012

• A Slow Return to Writing, 8/16/12
• “Dexter” Season Six, 8/25/12

September 2012

• Facing the Blank Page, 9/1/12 — Freshly Pressed
• Freshly Pressed by WordPress.com!!!, 9/3/12
• Update for “Table of Contents,” 9/5/12
• “Dead Wendy” by Richard Carr: Reading as a Writer, 9/8/12
• Update: Table of Contents, 9/15/12
• Two Online Literary Magazines Seeking Submissions, 9/15/12
• “Small Steps, Sparks,” 9/22/12
• Minnesota Orchestra and the Future, 9/29/12

October 2012

• Learning Characters, 10/6/12
• Do Your Feelings Get in the Way? or the Writer and Emotions, 10/13/12
• Brain Fried?, 10/20/12
• Infiltrate Their Minds, 10/27/12

November 2012

• Updates November 2012, 11/7/12
• Creating a Sympathetic Character, 11/9/12
• The Minnesota Orchestra and the Future, Part 2, 11/19/12
• “A Late Quartet” — the Movie, 11/24/12

December 2012

• Who are Your Creative Integrity Heroes?, 12/1/12
• Wrestle the Demons, 12/8/12
• Minnesota Orchestra Musicians’ Second Concert, 12/19/12
• “Art of Darkness,” 12/29/12

 

JANUARY 2013

• What is a Professional Writer?, 1/6/13
• Publishing in the 21st Century, 1/12/13
• FOCUS!…and stay healthy, 1/19/13
• Congratulations…., 1/19/13
• Character: Physical Flaws, 1/26/13

 February 2013

• Sibelius with the Minnesota Orchestra, 2/2/13
• Memory, 2/9/13
• More to Come…, 2/16/13
• Dystopia: A Bad Place to Be, Part 1, 2/23/13

March 2013

• Dystopia: A Bad Place to Be, Part 2, 3/1/13
• A Little Something About Writing Screenplays, 3/9/13
• “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”…Again, 3/16/13
• What’s a Book Proposal?, 3/23/13
• What’s in a Writer’s Name?, 3/30/13

April 2013

• Working with Memory, the Writer’s, that is…, 4/6/13
• More Learning to Do…, 4/12/13
• First Sentences, 4/20/13
• Why I Love Classical Music: a Minnesota Orchestra Concert, 4/27/13

May 2013

• The Minnesota Orchestra: A Conductor’s Musical Instrument Torn Apart?, 5/4/13
• More Next Week…., 5/10/13
• When a Writer Must Speak Instead of Write, 5/18/13
• Character: “Dexter” Season 7, 5/25/13

June 2013

• Writing a Journal: Electronic or Hard Copy?, 6/10/13
• Strunk and White, 6/13/13
• 87 Hours, 6/26/13
• Updates June 2013, 6/29/13

July 2013

• The Minnesota Orchestra: Dead or Alive?, 7/6/13
• First Readers, 7/13/13
• Screenplay vs. Novel, 7/20/13
• Rowling or Galbraith? Or…what’s the color of author envy?, 7/27/13

 August 2013

• Have You Cleaned Out Your Bookshelves Recently?, 8/3/13
• Creating a Strong Story, 8/10/13
• Forced Vacation…., 8/17/13
• Does the Minnesota Orchestra Have a Future?, 8/31/13

September 2013

• For Your Reading Enjoyment, 9/4/13
• Meeting With an Editor, 9/7/13
• Pitching “Perceval’s Secret,” 9/14/13
• Write Faster?, 9/16/13
• My Kickstarter Project is LIVE!, 9/21/13
• TRUST, 9/28/13

October 2013

• Revision Work: Character, 10/5/13
• Only 9 Days Left! Kickstarter Project Update, 10/11/13
• How to Be a Writer, 10/19/13
• UPDATE: My Kickstarter Project has now ended…., 10/21/13
• Revision Work: Cutting, 10/26/13

November 2013

• You and the Library of Congress, 11/2/13
• The White Ribbon, 11/3/13
• Revision Work: Time Setting, 11/8/13
• My First Grant Experience, 11/16/13
• E-Publication Project: The Book Cover, 11/23/13
• Enigma Variations, 11/30/13

December 2013

• “Dexter” the Final Season (8), 12/7/13
• Evan in Minnesota, 2013 to 2048, 12/14/13
• Being a Writer During the Holidays, 12/21/13
• Updates: December 2013, 12/28/13

 

January 2014

• An End, 1/4/14
• Reading as a Writer: “Lucifer” by Richard Carr, 1/11/14
• The Lockout is Over!, 1/18/14
• E-Publication: The Font Search, 1/25/14
• Dancing Joy!, 1/27/14

February 2014

• Endings and Blocks, 2/8/14
• Once Again, What Does Publication Mean?, 2/15/14
• The Through Line, 2/22/14

March 2014

• Update: E-Publication, 3/1/14
• Brain Exhaustion, 3/8/14
• Focus on the Story, 3/17/14
• WHAT DOES A MUSIC DIRECTOR DO?, 3/22/14
• The Week That Was, 3/29/14
• PUBLISHED!, 3/31/14

April 2014

• Vacation!, 4/3/14
• Marketing: What is it, Really?, 4/12/14
• Life of a Writer in 2014, 4/25/14

May 2014

• My New (Necessary) Freelance Business, 5/3/14
• Encouragement or Support?, 5/9/14
• What does “commercial success” mean to you?, 5/17/14
• Monkey Mind, 5/24/14
• PUBLISHED!, 5/30/14
• Non-Writer’s Block, 5/31/14

June 2014

• 1000 Likes!, 6/2/14
• Update on PERCEVAL’S SECRET, 6/7/14
• One of Those Days, 6/14/14
• PUBLISHED, Again!, 6/19/14
• Suspension of Disbelief, 6/21/14
• Over 1000!, 6/21/14
• Update: Author Buzz Contests, 6/25/14
• Writing and Living with Uncertainty, 6/28/14
• Update: Author Buzz Contest, 6/30/14

July 2014

• Perceval’s Secret Author Buzz Contest Results!, 7/3/14
• The Writer’s Life: Taking Care of Yourself, 7/5/14
• The Creative Brain, 7/15/14
• The Brilliant Detective, 7/19/14
• Update: July 26, 2014, 7/26/14

August 2014

• My Empty Head, 8/2/14
• Hiatus, Folks, 8/5/14

September 2014

• They’re Back!, 9/6/14
• Survival, 9/13/14
• Night Angles…!, 9/19/14
• Contest for FREE Book!, 9/23/14
• Point of View: Second Person, 9/27/14

October 2014

• “Seeking the Infinite,” 10/4/14
• Living and Writing, 10/11/14
• Author Media Kit, 10/18/14
• Do Classical Music Concerts Need to be Changed?, 10/25/14

November 2014

• Being an Author: Readers, 11/1/14
• Being an Author: Motivation, 11/7/14
• An “Interstellar” Trip, 11/9/14
• Character: Dialogue, 11/15/14
• Update on “Perceval’s Secret,” 11/29/14

December 2014

• Writing with Passion, Writing as Passion, 12/6/14
• Character: Physical Appearance, 12/13/14
• Attending a Classical Music Concert, Part 1, 12/20/14
• Congratulations, Maestro!, 12/24/14
• Attending a Classical Music Concert, Part 2, 12/27/14
• “Grave Reading” by Richard Carr, 12/30/14

 

January 2015

• Listening to Classical Music, 1/3/15
• The Ugly Truth About Book Sales, 1/10/15
• “Darkness at Noon” by Arthur Koestler, 1/10/15
• Author Etiquette for Contacting Book Bloggers, 1/12/15
• Future Classics 2015, 1/19/15
• What does being an Artist mean in 2015?, 1/24/15

February 2015 – no posts

March 2015

• Not Writing, 3/14/15

April 2015

• If You Can Help…., 4/10/15
• #Read #Authors – #Copyright #Infringement #Notification, 4/18/15
• Messages from the Deep, 4/25/15
• Book Club Discussion Guide, 4/28/15

May 2015

• The Writer in the World, 5/9/15
• Exploring the Human Mind Through Characters in Fiction, 5/16/15
• From the Top, 5/25/15

June 2015

• Listen to Yourself, Writers!, 6/1/15
• Getting Back in the Writing Groove, 6/6/15
• The Professional Writer: Are you Submitting?, 6/14/15
• To Review or Not To Review?, 6/20/15
• Just a Hobby? Or Just a Job?, 6/27/15

July 2015

• Support #IndieBooksBeSeen Today – Indie Pride Day!, 7/1/15
• Political Correctness in Creative Writing, 7/4/15
• Would You Work in a Moneyless Future?, 7/11/15
• My Cherished Object for Cherished Blogfest 2015, 7/24/15

August 2015

• Finding Voice, 8/3/15
• Are You Part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group? #IWSG #amwriting, 8/8/15
• Some Thoughts on Point of View, 8/15/15
• Fame, 8/22/15
• Time Suckers, 8/29/15

September 2015

• Why I Read Genre Fiction, 9/5/15
• Why Does Music Give Us the Chills?, 9/13/15
• The Average Earnings of Authors, 9/26/15
• What are your reading habits?, 9/26/15

October 2015

• How Not To Treat Editors (and people): A Documentary, 10/8/15
• Inspiration, 10/10/15
• Mind Over Body, 10/17/15
• Good vs. Evil, 10/31/15

November 2015

• In Search of the Right Word, 11/8/15
• Oh, What a Lovely Blog…Award!, 11/16/15
• Writers Deserve Payment for Their Work!, 11/20/15
• The Care and Feeding of the Imagination, 11/21/15
• GONE GIRL: Unlikable Characters, 11/28/15

December 2015

• Reading Poetry, 12/5/15
• Reading as a Writer: “Gypsy” by Carter Scholz, 12/11/15
• Voice of experience: 5 things that established authors would tell new writers, 12/13/15
• Write What You Know?, 12/19/15
• Updates: December 2015, 12/26/15

 

January 2016

• Keep Moving Forward, 1/2/16
• Fiction vs. Reality, 1/10/16
• Ludwig van Beethoven, 1/16/16
• Three Paradoxes of Writing Life, 1/18/16
• Writing vs. Talking, 1/24/16
• Structure. 1/29/16

February 2016

• New Music Now, 2/7/16
• Success, or a Reassessment of What It Means, 2/12/16
• Harper Lee, 2/21/16
• Finding the Perfect Title, 2/27/16

March 2016

• Have You Tried an Online Writing Forum?, 3/5/16
• Do You Make Money Writing?, 3/17/16
• Promotion and Marketing, 3/19/16
• President Obama Agrees with Me, 3/26/16
• Ideas are Overrated, 3/31/16

April 2016

• Accepting Feedback, 4/2/16
• Do You Know Inspiration?, 4/9/16
• Prince and Beethoven, 4/24/16
• Writers: How do you Think of your Readers?, 4/30/16

May 2016

• To Write or Not to Write, 5/7/16
• The First Page, 5/14/16
• Review of “Perceval’s Secret,” 5/17/16
• Voice of The Other, 5/30/16

June 2016

• The American Election 2016 and the “Perceval” Future, 6/4/16
• That Time Again: Writing Update for June 2016, 6/11/16
• Violence in Fiction, 6/18/16
• Series vs. Stand Alone Novels, 6/25/16

July 2016

• The Copyright Conversation, 7/2/16
• Journal Writing vs. Social Media, 7/16/16
• Writing the Future: the Mars Trilogy, 7/30/16

August 2016

• Eleven Obstacles to Liking Classical Music, 8/6/16
• Happy Anniversary!, 8/13/16
• #YouKnowYouAreAWriterWhen you can flip your own switches. #VotB, 8/21/16
• Establishing Priorities, 8/27/16

September 2016

• Getting Started, 9/4/16
• Learning and Growing as a Writer, 9/10/16
• Stephen Hough’s Rules for Concert-going, 9/16/16
• Writing Sex, 9/18/16
• Living in a Narrative Culture, 9/26/16

October 2016

• Writing Tools, 10/1/16
• Writing Roots?, 10/8/16
• Bob Dylan!, 10/13/16
• Venerable Conductors, 10/22/16
• How do you find your next Read?, 10/30/16

November 2016

• Why Write?, 11/5/16
• Made America Great Again, 11/13/16
• Obstacles and Creating Suspense in Fiction, or “The Doomsday Book” by Connie Willis, 11/20/16
• Fog, 11/28/16

December 2016

• Working, or Why Making Art is a Fulltime Job, 12/3/16
• Writing by Hand, 12/10/16
• Thinking About my Creative Process, 12/19/16
• Chillin’ Out, 12/24/16
• Updates, 12/31/16

JANUARY 2017

• Revision, 1/9/17
• “What do you do?”, 1/14/17
• Creating Character: Flaws, 1/23/17
• Food for Thought Going Forward, 1/28/17
• 5 qualities of a brilliant story, 1/29/17

February 2017

• Future Classics 2017, 2/4/17
• Adam Burns, or Characters that are cut, 2/11/17
• Taking Perceval to the Next Level, 2/18/17
• Becoming a Writer: “Whisper of the Heart,” 2/25/17

March 2017

• What is Classical Music and does it take a PhD to enjoy it?, 3/4/17
• Update: Taking Perceval to the Next Level, 3/12/17
• Being a Creative Writer: Under Oppression, 3/18/17
• Am I Evan Quinn?, 3/25/17

6/17/17

• Ach, the Liebster Award!, 4/1/17
• A Brief Hiatus, 4/8/17
• It Can’t Happen Here?, 4/23/17

May 2017

• Big Classical Music, 5/21/17
• What Makes a Writer?, 5/27/17

June 2017

• Book Review: “Devil’s Trill” by Gerald Elias, 6/3/17
• The Cost of Being Independent, 6/17/17
• Writers and Actors: Daniel Day-Lewis, 6/25/17

July 2017

• Character: Power, 7/2/17
• How to Develop Ideas for Stories, 7/9/17
• It’s all in the timing…., 7/16/17
• She Has a Name, 7/30/17

August 2017

• How do you choose books to buy?, 8/5/17
• Figuring Out the Questions, 8/13/17
• Top Ten Posts of All Time on Anatomy of Perceval, 8/20/17
• Writing Update, 8/27/17

September 2017

• Grammar Matters, 9/3/17
• The Structure Game, 9/10/17
• How do you write until you’re done?, 9/16/17
• Writing Sound, 9/23/17

October 2017

• Being a Creative Writer in 2017, 10/1/17
• Getting Started…again…and again…, 10/8/17
• Writing Death, 10/15/17
• Truth in Fiction, 10/22/17
• A Week Off, 10/29/17

November 2017

• Writing in Pieces, 11/5/17
• Future Classics, 11/12/17
• What is your deepest fear?, 11/19/17
• Filling in the Holes, 11/26/17

December 2017

• Maestro or Maestra?, 12/3/17
• Being a Fearless Writer, 12/10/17
• Heart-wrenching Music, 12/16/17
• End of Year Writing Update, 12/23/17

 

january 2018

• Sharpen Focus, 1/8/18
• Flashbacks in Movies, 1/13/18
• Inspirations, 1/23/18
• Character: Building and Maintaining Relationships, 1/30/18

February 2018

• Saving or Shredding? The cleaning clutter conundrum, 2/3/18
• Are Congressional Republicans Patriotic or Not?, 2/7/18
• Lengthening Shelf Life, Part 1, 2/10/18
• Lengthening Shelf Life, Part 2, 2/18/18
• Jobs, Income, and the Future, 2/24/18
• Why do I Continue to Write?, 2/26/18

March 2018

• When Inspiration Strikes, 3/3/18
• 6 unusual tips for writing characters who’ll keep readers riveted — guest post at Ingram Spark, 3/8/18
• Facing the Blank Page…Again, 3/18/18
• “Perceval’s Secret” FREE Through April 7!, 3/25/18
• Update: Aanora Story, 3/31/18

April 2018

• Last Day! PERCEVAL’S SECRET is Free!, 4/7/18
• A Week Later — Was the Free Promotion a Success?, 4/14/18
• BOOK REVIEW: “Our Blue Earth” by Richard Carr, 4/21/18
• To Journal or Not to Journal?, 4/29/18

May 2018

• How to Know When It’s Really the End, 5/5/18
• Thanks to Aanora, I’m on a Mini-Hiatus, 5/20/18
• Re-reading a Classic: “To Kill a Mockingbird,” 5/26/18

June 2018

• Revision Work, or, Now the Fun Begins!, 6/2/18
• Is Anyone Out There?, 6/9/18
• Rejection, with a side of Acceptance, 6/16/18
• PERCEVAL’S SECRET Has Been Nominated! Woo-Hoo!, 6/17/18
• Creative Mind Under Stress, 6/23/18
• I Need to Write Fiction Today, 6/30/18

July 2018

• A Powerful Emotional Combination, 7/7/18
• Have You Ever Made Yourself Cry?, 7/14/18
• In Celebration of Summer Reading (as a Writer), 7/21/18

August 2018

• Mid-Year Writing Update, 8/4/18
• Silver Medal for PERCEVAL’S SECRET!, 8/7/18
• Revision: How to get started?, 8/11/18
• Out of the Dream, On to the Screen, 8/18/18
• Remaining True to Characters, 8/25/18

September 2018

• Two Years and Counting…., 9/2/18
• Experience and Learning, or There’s Always a Lesson to Learn, 9/8/18
• Perceval’s Shadow: Revision Work 1, 9/15/18
• Dear Stephen King, 9/29/18

October 2018

• How do you define Success?, 10/6/18
• Just Published!, 10/12/18
• Language, 10/13/18
• Revealing Character Through Language, 10/20/18
• To Sex Scene or Not to Sex Scene, 10/27/18

November 2018

• Perceval’s Shadow: Revision Work 3, 11/3/18
• Being a Writer, 11/10/18
• Still Standing, 11/17/18

December 2018

• An Update, 12/1/18
• First Draft: Write Short or Write Long?, 12/22/18

 

january 2019

• The Different Types of Editing Explained, 1/13/19

February 2019 — no posts

March 2019

• Writing No Matter What, 3/2/19
• Tempus Fugit, 3/2/19
• Silence, 3/16/19

April 2019 — no posts

May 2019

• Morning, Noon, and Night, 5/4/19

June 2019

• Life Happens, and Then What?, 6/16/19

July 2019

• I’m Back…I Think, 7/14/19

August 2019 — no posts

September 2019

• Author! Author! Where have you been?, 9/21/19

October 2019

• What your readers will never notice…a small point about reader belief and story logic (with a little help from Terrance Dicks, Rod Hull and Nina Conti), 10/13/19
• Book Review vs. Book Critique, 10/19/19

November 2019

• Writers — how to find the editor that’s right for you, 11/10/19

December 2019

• Chapter Nine and Time, 12/23/19

 

january 2020

• New Year, New News, 1/5/20

February 2020 — no posts

March 2020

• Five Stars!!, 3/9/20

April 2020

• To Hire and Editor or Not, 4/5/20
• Silver Linings, 4/11/20

May 2020

• Slowing Down, 5/23/20

June 2020

• Finished!, 6/14/20

July 2020

• Review: FITZPATRICK by Richard Carr, 7/6/20
• First Page, First Chapter, 7/11/20
• Music for a Pandemic, Part 1, 7/18/20