Prefer to watch? Check out the video version.

Salutations Ya’ll,

It’s April! The smell of grassoline will soon fill our nostrils. Green Writers will give way to Lawn Choppers and we’ll be mowing and growing into spring. Seriously, as Holy Week approaches, we have so much to reflect on and be grateful for. I do. I’m thankful for you, and I’m thankful to the Lord, who invites us into a better story than any we could ever concoct on our own. I love sharing this newsletter with you. Thanks for reading it and for being on our side! 

Mark Your Calendars

Prince Lander and the Dragon War OFFICIALLY launches April 19th. It will be available in eBook, Audiobook, and print form at Amazon and lots of other awesome retailers!

We’re celebrating the official launch with a LIVE Launch Party at 7:30 PM ET. More details later.

Green Means GO!

What makes for a great beginning of a story?

The beginning is more than the first chapter, or the first few lines. It’s the first section of the story. The first lines are very important, as is the first chapter, but we have a handful of chapters to accomplish what we need to in beginning our story. But what do we want to achieve?

1. Introduce a character we care about.
2. Introduce a problem we want solved.
3. Introduce the force(s) who are going to make solving that problem hard/impossible.

And remember, the most important thing about the beginning of the story is…

BEGINNING THE STORY.

“This is a terrific writing course. Smith’s winningly idiosyncratic style introduces storytelling skills that are universally valuable, even foundational. The exercises are well-conceived to turn the ideas into practice.”

James D. Witmer, Author and Managing Editor

Speaking of a great story… check out this book recommendation from my daughter, Anne.

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

Our story begins with a poor blind boy named Peter Nimble. He is clever, quick-witted, and can easily make a living by stealing anything he needs. But Peter has no real home, and no friends to call his own. There is no lock, box, or pocket he cannot get into. There is no coveted item he can’t sniff out, no place he cannot sneak into. He is, in fact, the greatest thief who ever lived. But he works for Mr. Seamus, a cruel master who lives off of Peter’s pilfering. It isn’t a good life, or one he wants, but all that changes when he encounters a curious Haberdasher. The Haberdasher possesses, along with many other peculiar curiosities, a mysterious box. Peter is unexplainably drawn to the box, and when he gets his hands on it, his life changes forever.

This is a gripping tale that is an instant classic in my book. I was so refreshed when I read it for the first time. It was just the sort of thing I wanted—an epic adventure with lovable characters, humor, danger, magic, wonder, and a hint of fairytale charm. The voice of the book is also really great. It effortlessly narrates Peter’s adventure in a dashing and familiar way. The audiobook is really good as well! Jonathan Auxier is one of the few authors that I trust so much that I will buy whatever he puts out, even before I read it. I’m that confident it will be good, and equally as confident recommending Peter Nimble to you.

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier
Anne-Girl Reviews

---

That’s all for now. Be on the lookout for the next newsletter that has the details about the LIVE celebration for Prince Lander and the Dragon War’s official release!

I’m on your side,

Sam