Welcome to Daniel Howard’s blog, a place where we talk about reading, writing, and everything in between. Expect a healthy does of cynicism and a less-healthy dose of foul language. There may even be the occasional sprinkle of new releases and other fun content.
How to FINISH Your First Novel: Plan It Out
I've known lots of folks who started novels (or screenplays, memoirs, or nonfiction book). As you can imagine from my over-arching missions here, not many of them finish. They all had passion, great ideas, and all the necessary skills to write something... Anything....
How to FINISH Your First Novel: Manage Your Expectations
You've got an idea for a novel, I know that. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here. And it's going to be big. It's going to be Harry Potter all over again. It's going to be Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, and The DaVinci Code all rolled into one. You're going to be an...
Trigger Warning: This Is About Trigger Warnings
So I recently gave my first trigger warning to someone interested in Taken in the Dark of Night. For context, this was a writer I've spoken to on Twitter who expressed interest in supporting my work by buying a copy of the book. I was flattered and pleased to have at...
4 Amazing Writing Tools (That I Actually Use)
Full disclosure: I've totally sold out to the man. Please assume that any product links here are affiliate links (i.e. I get a commission for referring people). While this will not affect the price in any way for you, if me making a few bucks offends you then I...
Pretentious Sh*t That Works: Coffee
So in my list of Pretentious Sh*t That Works, there is little that is as cliche - or as essential - as my favorite socially acceptable chemical dependency: coffee. There's a lot to love about this magical, bitter beverage. It's cheap, abundant, and has myriad physical...
Writers Need to Stop Using This Word Immediately
There are a lot of words that offend, anger, or just irk me, but each and every one has a place in an author's work. Their appropriateness may be up for debate, but that's a contextual argument. It's very possible that the words are there to offend, anger, or irk the...
How to FINISH Your First Novel – Financial Wiggle Room
This article is part of my series How to FINISH Your First Novel. They are the basis of a book by the same name, which will include expanded versions of the blog posts along with contributions from fellow writers. So if you have something you'd like to add to the...
How to FINISH Your First Novel – Space in Your Schedule
This article is part of my series How to FINISH Your First Novel. They are the basis of a book by the same name, which will include expanded versions of the blog posts along with contributions from fellow writers. So if you have something you'd like to add to the...
How to FINISH Your First Novel: Mental/Emotional Space
This article is part of my series How to FINISH Your First Novel. They are the basis of a book by the same name, which will include expanded versions of the blog posts along with contributions from fellow writers. So if you have something you'd like to add to the...
How to FINISH Your First Novel – A Physical Space
This article is part of my series How to FINISH Your First Novel. They are the basis of a book by the same name, which will include expanded versions of the blog posts along with contributions from fellow writers. So if you have something you’d like to add to the...
About Me
I'm a writer, editor, nerd, and foul-mouthed cheerleader of creative people everywhere. When not trying to force words to do my bidding, I'm a husband and father. Subscribe
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