The Writer’s Playbook

Articles published in Killer Nashville

Interview Your Characters

To start, calculators down. Now answer the following:
What is three times three? Ten times seven? Nine times two?
And, to finish this little exercise, what is eighty-five times forty-six? Take your time.
Hopefully you nailed the final answer. You may be asking what this has to do with being an author? Read on.
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A Lesson in Spray Hitting

One of the benefits of my previous career in professional sports was the opportunity to form relationships with the people on the “sports side” of the teams where I was employed. I learned, many times by osmosis, the workings of the game from the professional’s point of view.
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When Your Journey Collapses

On March 3, 1985, a severe winter storm of heavy, wet snow blasted Pontiac, Michigan causing the air-pressured roof of the Pontiac Silverdome, home to the Detroit Pistons and Detroit Lions, to concave.
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The Drummer Boy

As a contributing writer to Killer Nashville Magazine, I’ve been tapping into my career as a professional sports executive to showcase some very personal stories and observations from my time in the business. Each one has been filtered through the lens of utilizing those moments to correlate topics to discuss in the world of writing.
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Michael Jordan, Me, and a Poster

To all aspiring authors, this one’s for you.
I’m fortunate to have two published books with a third taking shape on my computer, but aspiring I am. To be sure, my journey has had its share of bumps and bruises. For new and aspiring authors, the headwinds of the publishing industry are not only real but magnified. One big hurdle is securing a literary agent if you’re inclined to go the traditional route...
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A Ripe Kumquat

“Fumble at the thirty-two-yard line! Rod Smith jumped on that ball like it was a ripe kumquat!”
That line was uttered during a radio broadcast of a Detroit Lions home football game. And I’d bet my life savings that “kumquat” hadn’t been used in an NFL broadcast prior and would never be again...
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Fan Favorites

If you’ve followed any sport—pro, college, or youth—and whether that be a team sport (i.e., basketball) or solo (i.e., golf), there’s usually a consensus player who earns the term “fan favorite.” It’s the individual who captures the hearts of the fans, someone who isn’t necessarily the star player. In fact, I’d argue the moniker is reserved for a role player who rises above his or her perceived limitations to perform at a high level while organically baring their human side on or off the field of play.
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