by G. Robert Frazier

The name of this blog has been something of a misnomer, I realize that.

Most of what I post here are my book reviews or the occasional Around the Web column, wherein I include links to cool reads and resources either reading or writing related. I don’t actually post a lot about my own writing adventures, but I plan to change that.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not going to abandon my book reviews and my web roundups. I have good reasons for keeping those a part of this blog. (Or, at least I tell myself I do.)

For starters, writers are always told to read, read, read. Everything and anything. The more you read, the more it rubs off on your own writing. I sincerely believe that. What better way to study story structure, character arcs, effective description and dialogue than by learning from published authors?

It doesn’t hurt that I’ve always loved to read, whether it’s a mystery, a fantasy epic, or a cool sci-fi story. Put a book or a magazine in front of me and I’ll read it. My book review gigs – I currently read for Blogging for Books, Killer Nashville and BookPage – are a natural extension of that. They give me a chance to discover new authors I would not otherwise hear about. And, I don’t have to pay for the books. Win-win, as they say.

My web roundups are another extension of my reading habit. I scroll around various websites or web feeds each day for articles about the craft. Admittedly, I sometimes get carried away and spend too much time on the web. I’ve amassed a huge collection of bookmarked sites to read later when I have more time (as if!).

But, if I read something and am entertained or learn something useful, then I figure I may as well share it with my fellow writers. If nothing else, maybe it will save you time in searching for good reads and resources.

See what a great guy I am?

So, all of that said, it’s time to get to the gist of this post. (About time, right?). And that is, I plan to write more posts about my writing life: what I’m working on, what I’m struggling with, what’s working, etc.

Now, I’m not saying I’m going to turn this blog into another how-to site by any means. There are plenty of sites that already do that and do it quite well. However, if I come across a rule, if I learn a new technique that I can apply to my writing, then I’ll share. In some cases, I may disagree with said rule or piece of advice and I’ll wax not so eloquent about that. I may also occasionally dramatize said adventure in the form of a story, because, hey, it’ll be more fun that way.

I’m not going to pledge to post on certain days, either. Sorry. Such promises are too hard to keep when I’m already trying to meet my own self-imposed writing deadlines. I will post more often, but just don’t hold me to a schedule because, you know, life.

Bottom line: This blog is going to get a lot more interesting. Thanks for following and I hope you enjoy what’s to come.