DAN ALATORRE

New Year’s Eve – or as my party friend calls it, Amateur Night. Have fun, stay safe, call a cab if you have too many, and keep your clothes on unless you’re at my house. I’ll see you tomorrow.

More stuff you need to know…

The 1972 movie Deliverance is a terrific lesson in TENSION.  Deliverance will be on the AMC channel January 4th at 2am eastern time (and probably other times).  This movie has some great scenes that show how to really heighten tension, it has characters who have to make “what if” decisions like in Walking Dead, and […]

Jealousy is idiotic. Writers can often be insecure types… So they’re often jealous of the success of other writers. LEO BABAUTA from Dan: I know I am occasionally jealous of other writers Wanna know what I do about that jealousy, when I feel it? I embrace them. I try to become friends with the person […]

I believe this. I believed it long before I ever knew Mark Twain said it. I used to say, and still say: “Every one of you have an amazing story inside you.” That’s almost the same thing. It’s why we pick up a pen or pencil or computer and pound out the words, and failure […]

Writing the hundred words or so that adorn the back of your book – and the Ammy listing – is hard. Looking at examples of other people’s work, when applicable, is… well, it might be easy to look at their blurbs, but what can we learn from their blurbs? Aha. Glad you asked. Let’s start […]

I say it all the time but only because it’s true: You guys are the best. I’m lucky to have you as readers of this little blog thing I do. I hope you enjoy your Christmas. I’m sure I’ll enjoy mine.  Savvy will awaken to a mountain of presents under the tree, after coming in […]

It’s Christmas eve day here, so I’ll go easy one you while you finish that last minute gift wrapping. I’ve now read the first two Harry Potter books and seen all the movies. (I planned on reading all the books but that is allegedly a Christmas present and it’s not Christmas yet as of this […]