Category Archives: Thoughts

The MacGuffin: Apparently It’s Not a Breakfast Pastry

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

I’ll admit that I never really knew what a MacGuffin was.  I’d heard the term, but always managed to stay in the conversation without revealing my ignorance.  Honestly, I kept thinking of food and puffins whenever I heard the term.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 36 Comments

Middle Book Syndrome?

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

Legends of Windemere: Allure of the Gypsies–  ‘The New Baby’ Doing well and on a few Hot New Release lists.  Great debut and it should improve as the blog tour commences and the promo sites go live.  Will have a … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

Introducing the New Guy

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

A risk of writing a series is that the story and characters can become stale if it goes on for too long.  One of the ways to combat this is the introduction of new characters throughout the series.  This can … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Villain with a Soft Spot? Is that Legal?

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

Harley Quinn is a favorite character of mine even though I’m not up on my comics, cartoons, and video games.  I think one of the reasons I like her is that she started in the Batman Animated Series and ‘broke … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Books Growing Out of Control?

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

Did you know that Lord of the Rings: Return of the King is the shortest book of the series?  At least it was when I checked my copies today.  It looks big because of all the appendices, but it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 55 Comments

The Shape Changing Author

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

First, I put the above clip in because I feel bad that I forgot to mention Mystique on Wednesday.  Totally slipped my mind, which is shameful.  How can anyone forget a naked blue woman who’s also a redhead?  If that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

The Post that I Forgot . . . or Shape-Shifters.

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

I’ve been preparing my posts in advance and trying to go by themes, but that’s not the point here.  Over the weekend, I gathered pictures for all my posts and then got called away before I could write them.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Indie Author Tips: Marketing Your Book Without Crying

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

This is the second part of the Indie Author Tips duet.  This morning I discussed formatting, which is rather simple.  This afternoon I speak of marketing, which is a terrifying challenge.  If you’re an out-going person and have a skill … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Indie Author Tips: Formatting Requires Patience

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

A few people have released books recently and I’ve been asked by a few people to talk about formatting and marketing.  Not sure why me, but I’ll be using today to touch on both topics.  We’re going to start with … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

The Randomness of Random Encounters

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Charles Yallowitz

In games, monsters are used to gain Experience Points and increase the level of the characters.  Some are story central, but most are things you randomly run into when moving from Point A to Point B.  It creates a vast … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments