Frequently Asked Questions…

WHAT’S WITH THE TITLE, COFFEE WITH DRAGONS?

First, you have to understand how much I need coffee. My brain doesn’t start before my first cup of the day. In my family it’s pretty much legendary at this point. I tried to quit coffee once because the caffeine was messing with me, and my family kept offering to brew me a pot. I did it, but it was short-lived.

Second, we all have dragons in our lives—job issues, bills, family crises, you get the idea. You can try to slay the dragon, or you can figure out what it’s trying to teach you. If you sit down with your dragon and ask it what it wants, it’s far less messy and you won’t risk getting incinerated.

Oh, and I write stories with dragons, so there’s that, too.

WHAT DOES YOUR WRITING PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

Messy. My first drafts are always a hot mess, the middle is always the hard part, and it takes a couple edits to drill down to the real story. I don’t recommend it, but that’s how my brain works.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR NEW WRITERS?

Honestly, y’all, I’ve been at this for over 20 years. I still don’t have it figured out, so this will likely change.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. You have to learn as you go.
Read. A lot. Read the genre you want to write, but read other stuff, too. Work in some nonfiction that seems unrelated to what you’re writing. You never know when a little nugget will fly out of left field and give you a killer plot twist.
Write. A lot. Your writing will stink on ice at first, but the more you do it, the better you’ll get. If I had it to do over again, I’d start with journalling and short stories.
Only show your early work to people you trust and who support you, but won’t just tell you it’s wonderful.
Develop a thick skin. Start with rhino and work up from there. It’s not easy to listen to criticism. You’ll want to curl up in a corner and never write again. Don’t do that. Listen without defending, think it over, and implement if you feel it’s justified.

DO YOU HAVE SIGNED COPIES OF YOUR BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE?

It depends on the book. I have Dawn Before The Dark and some of the anthologies. Email me at coffeewithdragons2020@gmail.com for more info.