Ten Short Essays on Writing

By: David Bain

Narrated by: Daniel Penz

Length: 1 hr and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

David Bain, author of Gray Lake, Death Sight and several short story collections, offers ten essays on writing, with an eye toward helping new writers gain their footing and keeping the more seasoned scribe motivated. It also includes his essay "Basic E-Book Self-Publishing Advice for Newbies" which has already helped hundreds of beginning indie authors.

A longtime college English prof and former newspaper bureau chief, Bain infuses these essays on the writing life with years of teaching, editing, and indie publishing experience, using an easygoing yet incisive style.

Also included are insights into Bain's own work, background into his fictional characters and settings, and two interviews with fellow authors working in the dark fantasy genre.

The table of contents include:

• Introduction by David Bain
• Essays on Writing
  • Time and the Non Full-Time Writer
  • The One Surefire Way to Beat Writer's Block
  • Basic E-Book Self-Publishing Advice for Newbies
  • On Revision: Love, Hate, and Saying "Good Enough"
  • The Writing Life Begins at 44
  • For Writers, Social Media Should Be Little More Than Playtime
  • When "Real Life" Encroaches on Writing Time
  • Your Assignment: To Be Truly Alive
  • On Genre, Music and Limitations
  • Don't Worry about Word Count - "The Bathroom Break Method"
• Essays Specifically About My Own Work
  • How the Will Castleton Stories Got Started...
  • Writing: Art, Business, and Jimi
  • Morbo the Clown Comes to Town: Audience Vs. Art
• Interviews
  • Interview with C. Dennis Moore: "On Reviewing"
  • Interview with Michael K. Rose

©2012 - 2014 David Bain (P)2014 A A Productions

A great start

David Bain seems to have a thorough grasp of his medium and is able to channel his energy into creating art. At least that's the impression I got from him. I think the biggest takeaway for me from this book is an implied premise: that mastery is possible, and that if you work hard at writing, you'll begin to understand how to take more liberties and acquire a sense for good and bad writing.

I'm a new writer, and this book inspired me further to write stories and poetry.