I write best with music playing.  This has been true for creative work and even term papers I had to crank out during late-night sessions back in college.  I’ve spent

many times writing using

my iTunes collection but

then I discovered Pandora.

This free service creates

free online radio stations

based on the type of music you want to hear.  I was instantly hooked and all my writing is done with my custom stations playing away.

My writing has come in many forms throughout the years.  In high school I crafted science fiction stories published in the school’s creative writing magazine.  In college I spent two years as a staff member of the campus paper publishing editorials.  My creative time was mostly spent on class assignments but some poetry escaped me from time to time.

Here you will find my works in progress along with the tools and methods I use to get some writing done.

During my time in college my published writing was article-based.  Here are the publications where my articles have appeared:

-The Touchstone

-Delorean World

-DCS Magazine

Articles published online can be found in my portfolio.

Loopback

(Science Fiction)

Loopback was born out of two ideas I tossed around for most of 2010.  I wanted to write a Time Travel story focusing on the consequences from people’s conscious decision to alter time for their benefit. 

Part 24, part Back to the Future, Loopback is my most ambitious project to date.  My goal is to have the book completed by July, 2011.

My current novel (and all to follow) are written using Literature & Latte’s Scrivener.  This application is a writer’s dream.  It has full outlining capability and more organization than one could ever use.  Hands down, it’s the best writing program I’ve ever used and I will never go back to Word or Pages.

I’m not sure what most people use to write their fiction but I would guess Microsoft Word is the de facto winner since most people already own a copy.  If they only knew about Scrivener, that would all change. 

Sometimes my muse doesn’t cooperate and needs a kick in the pants.  Pressfield’s book serves as that drill sergeant.

My copy of Quick and Dirty Tips gets sporadic use while I write, while it’s practically fused to my hand during editing.  Fogarty’s use of simple explanations and examples make  word choice and punctuation that much easier.

This is one of the few books I have that is actually about writing.  Lamott’s anecdotes and tips are key for getting me into the right mindset and knowing that writing, while a challenge, is completely within my control.

Spirit Hackers

(Paranormal / Action)

Spirit Hackers is my longest novel to date.  It tells a story of action and courage while mixing in the latest science and a dash of hope.  Spirit Hackers is in the revision stage and I aim to submit it to agents in early 2011.

Untitled (AKA ‘Robert Book’)

(General Fiction, possibly mid-grade)

My first novel focuses on the social structures of schools and one boy’s fight to navigate those around him.  Dubbed ‘The Robert Book’ as that is the main character's first name, it has been edited and read by some but is currently on hold.  I plan to return to this work at some point to polish it to submission-ready status.