Why We Need More Artisans

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Why We Need More Artisans

Have you heard of Guy Kawasaki? He was the chief evangelist of Apple; then he started preaching about artisanal publishing. His book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur is great. Why? Because if you have a voice inside you that resonates with the word artisan, it helps that voice be heard.

And we need more people like you.

Modern Artisans

The cobbler in a medieval village. The cheese-maker. The carpenter. These are artisans. They are workers and hand-crafters. Their livelihoods depend on the quality of what they make.

So what about writers? Can we be artisans, too? Absolutely.

Our tools are different, but the meaning is the same. Every time our fingers touch the keyboard, we have an opportunity to create something special. It requires great care and attention to detail. The sweat may be slight. The blood may be figurative. But the effort is no less intense. 

We have to give everything we have to produce quality writing.

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Writing the Future: Real Technology in Fiction

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Writing the Future: Real Technology in Fiction

My upcoming trilogy takes place in 2066. As in, over fifty years from now, when no one knows what the world will look like. I have good reasons for picking 2066, but none of those reasons involve a desire to write science fiction. So what does a non-science-fiction writer do when writing about the future?

It boils down to this: the further a story gets from reality, the harder it is to care about it. 

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