On Writing
On Writing “This isn’t the Ouija board or the spirit-world we’re talking about here, but just another job like laying pipe or driving long-haul trucks.” – Stephen King
Category: Writing
The View From the Old Lunch Line – An Author Revisits His Alma Mater
Those of you who have been reading “McCullough Writes” for a while may remember my tale of guest-speaking at a local high school. Well, I recently had the privilege of embarking on yet another adventure as visiting author; this time, at Cranberry Junior-Senior High School–my old Alma Mater! With a visitor’s badge and a briefcase […]
I Quit My Job For This – Lessons Not Learned
One year ago, I quit my job as a field archaeologist to board the self-publishing bandwagon and pursue my dream of writing stories. So much has happened in the past year that I can hardly believe it’s only been twelve months since I took the plunge. March 25th, 2013 saw the release of The Fallen Odyssey, […]
I Was A Weird Kid – Confessions From That Curly-Haired Boy In The Overalls
Now, let me be clear about the above title… I don’t want anyone thinking for a second that the word “weird” is there as a pejorative modifier for “kid”. It’s just not that simple. I’m not telling you I was a kid who was weird. I’m telling you that I—and many others like me—belonged to a very […]
Chandler’s Three
“I have made three rules of writing for myself that are absolutes: Never take advice. Never show or discuss a work in progress. Never answer a critic.” – Raymond Chandler
Why Do Sequels Suck? Comparing and Contrasting the Good, the Bad, and the Barf-tastic
Picture this. A great movie is released and gains critical acclaim. It dominates the box office and leaves audiences clamoring for more. Giddy with their own success, creators comply, announcing that the next chapter is on its way! Yeah, baby! A sequel: more of what you loved—bigger, better, faster, and stronger. But somewhere along the way, […]
Wind, Tide, Squall and Foe: New Worlds in Fantasy Fiction
Kings and queens in stone-walled castles. Armies engaging on sweeping fields of battle, and armored knights leading infantrymen to victory. It’s incredible how many titles in the Fantasy genre the above blurb could be describing, begging the question: What if all that changed? Whether in books, movies, graphic novels, or video games, the tried-and-true system […]
The Central Mountain: Anthropology in Fantasy and the Creation of Fictional Cultures
In the Fantasy genre, fictional people are in abundance. But what about fictional peoples? I’m referring, of course, to societies; to culture. In previous posts, I outlined some of the methods that I’ve used to transplant real-world wildlife into Fantasy settings in new and original ways. In this post, I explore the human element of […]
Goodreads Book Giveaways – To Give or Not To Give?
20 million members. 570 million books. No doubt about it: Goodreads is the premier website for book-lovers, turning reading– a normally solitary action– into a community-based, social media experience. But Goodreads has also become an important destination for authors looking to promote their work and connect with readers. With the Goodreads author program, writers are given […]
Write Boldly
“Some, dreading that awareness of how they do what they do would cripple their spontaneity, never study the craft. Instead, they march along in a lockstep of unconscious habit, thinking it’s instinct. Their dreams of creating unique works of power and wonder are seldom, if ever, realized. They put in long, tough days, for no […]
C.B. McCullough Editing & Proofreading 