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Daniel Clausen

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Daniel Clausen

Goodreads Author


Born
in The United States
Website

Genre

Influences
Haruki Murakami, Douglas Adams, Toni Morrison, J.D. Salinger, Kurt Von ...more

Member Since
March 2008


Daniel has wanted to be a writer ever since he was in elementary school. He has published stories and articles in such magazines as Slipstream, Black Petals, Ken*Again, Aphelion, Spindrift, Zygote in my Coffee, BlazeVox, Euphony Journal, and Leading Edge Science Fiction (among many others).

He has written many books: The Sage and the Scarecrow (a novel), the Lexical Funk (a short story collection), Reejecttion (short story/ essay collection), ReejecttIIon -- A Number Two, (short story /essay collection collaboration with Harry Whitewolf), Something to Stem the Diminishing (short story / essay collection), The Underground Novel (a novel / self-help book), Pure Writerly Moments (a Wattpad collection of essays and stories), They're Making it U
...more

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Popular Answered Questions

Daniel Clausen I don't have writer's block! I have re-writer's block! I love starting new projects, creating new characters, and imagining plots. But re-writing stor…moreI don't have writer's block! I have re-writer's block! I love starting new projects, creating new characters, and imagining plots. But re-writing stories--smoothing out dialogue, re-imagining characters, doing research to fill in holes--this can be as tedious as any job. In fact most day jobs are less tedious and more rewarding than this part of writing. And yet, this kind of work is the difference between so-so writers and great writers. (less)
Daniel Clausen Rumors that I am working on a sequel to my anti-best-selling book "Reejecttion" can neither be confirmed nor denied at this time. If such a book were …moreRumors that I am working on a sequel to my anti-best-selling book "Reejecttion" can neither be confirmed nor denied at this time. If such a book were in the works, I can assure you that 1) I will write each story while chain-smoking cigarettes and threatening literary revolution and death to all heretics! 2) Coolio and Vanilla Ice will collaborate on the title track to the soundtrack (pending a suitable deal with their agents involving payment in Combo snacks) 3) the word "swaga" will make an appearance in Act III Scene ii 4) the girl from Twilight will die at the end of the book somehow, even if it has no logical consistency with the narrative. (less)
Average rating: 3.86 · 546 ratings · 351 reviews · 10 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Ghosts of Nagasaki

3.90 avg rating — 242 ratings — published 2012 — 5 editions
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The Lexical Funk

3.63 avg rating — 100 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions
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The Sage and the Scarecrow

3.75 avg rating — 51 ratings — published 2003 — 4 editions
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ReejecttIIon - a number two

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3.84 avg rating — 45 ratings — published 2016 — 2 editions
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Something to Stem the Dimin...

3.74 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 2015 — 3 editions
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Reejecttion

3.92 avg rating — 24 ratings — published 2014 — 3 editions
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Statues in the Cloud

4.25 avg rating — 20 ratings2 editions
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They're Making It Up As The...

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4.42 avg rating — 12 ratings2 editions
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The Underground Novel: An A...

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4.45 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2017
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The Fast-Changing Arctic: R...

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4.14 avg rating — 7 ratings — published 2012 — 5 editions
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More books by Daniel Clausen…

Epilogue to a long, long story about writing a Short Story Collection

*This short essay was written in 2008 for a book called "The Lexical Funk," which was a collection of short stories I had been writing since high school. Many of these stories were some of my very best; some originated in Las Cruces, New Mexico, during high school, others in Miami, Florida, during university, and some in Japan during my early working years. You can still feel a raw edge to these s Read more of this blog post »
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Published on May 31, 2026 14:00
Reejecttion ReejecttIIon - a number two
(2 books)
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3.87 avg rating — 69 ratings

Daniel’s Recent Updates

Daniel Clausen wrote a new blog post

Epilogue to a long, long story about writing a Short Story Collection

*This short essay was written in 2008 for a book called "The Lexical Funk," which was a collection of short stories I had been writing since high scho Read more of this blog post »
Daniel Clausen rated a book it was amazing
Batman (2016-2026) #163 by Jeph Loeb
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Finally, Jim Lee is back drawing Batman!
Daniel Clausen rated a book it was amazing
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
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I came to this book at a strange time in my life. At the age of forty-four, it had been on my reading list for quite some time. It was a book I had read as a college student and always meant to return to.

Last year, a colleague retired. Among the book
...more
Statues in the Cloud by Daniel Clausen
"Loved it!!! Highly recommend "
Daniel Clausen rated a book it was amazing
Batman (2016-) #145 by Chip Zdarsky
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At this point, it seems like the Fail-Safe, Zur-En-Arrh story line has been going on for many, many issues. However, like a tasty onion, I am enjoying going through the many layers. My only worry is that this many-layered story line won't have the dy ...more
Daniel Clausen rated a book it was amazing
Batman (2016-) #140 by Chip Zdarsky
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The return of the amazing cameos! Also, wonderful art.
Daniel Clausen rated a book it was amazing
Batman (2016-) #137 by Chip Zdarsky
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The art for this issue was next level!
Daniel Clausen rated a book it was amazing
Batman (2016-) #135 by Chip Zdarsky
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This issue is multiversally amazing! Be prepared for some epic cameos, chums.
Daniel Clausen rated a book it was amazing
Batman (2016-) #126 by Chip Zdarsky
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I am very...very...intrigued. I hope this has a good payoff.
Statues in the Cloud by Daniel Clausen
"It was a good book"
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Quotes by Daniel Clausen  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“Let the bullshitters have their bullshit. You and me, we have lives to live. And once you open your mouth to respond to their bullshit--well, that's when you're knee-deep in it.”
Daniel Clausen, The Ghosts of Nagasaki

“Sometimes I think if we didn’t have these problems the whole world would stop spinning on her axis, we’d all stop spinning on our axises, axes, or whatever you want to call them, and then we’d have to settle into the nasty business of finding a way to be happy.”
Daniel Clausen, Ghosts of Nagasaki: Silence

“You gotta beware of the utopian train of thought, mate. That's usually the first step towards fascism.”
daniel clausen, The Ghosts of Nagasaki

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
The Life of a Boo...: The Lexical Funk 5 16 Mar 07, 2011 09:50PM  
The Life of a Boo...: EllieNYC 200 Books to Love! 389 300 Dec 29, 2011 12:43PM  
2026 Reading Chal...: Kai - 52 Books 16 101 Jul 07, 2013 08:26PM  
Making Connections: 3490. - THE GHOSTS OF NAGASAKI by Daniel Clausen 11 46 Jan 20, 2015 03:06AM  
A Million More Pages: The 1,000,000 Page Challenge 645 276 Apr 08, 2015 03:37PM  
WACKY READING CHA...: 4X4/4X14 Challenge 72 124 Apr 22, 2015 01:12PM  
Indie Revolution ...: REEJECTTIION - Free Copies Available. 1 10 Mar 09, 2016 08:16AM  
WACKY READING CHA...: A Harry Potter/Hogwarts Challenge - Take 2 271 312 Dec 24, 2021 12:44PM  
“Sometimes I think if we didn’t have these problems the whole world would stop spinning on her axis, we’d all stop spinning on our axises, axes, or whatever you want to call them, and then we’d have to settle into the nasty business of finding a way to be happy.”
Daniel Clausen, Ghosts of Nagasaki: Silence

“It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane.”
Philip K. Dick, VALIS

“Somewhere, far, far away, there's a shitty island. An island without a name. An island not worth giving a name. A shitty island with a shitty shape. On this shitty island grow palm trees that also have shitty shapes. And the palm trees produce coconuts that give off a shitty smell. Shitty monkeys live in the trees, and they love to eat these shitty-smelling coconuts, after which they shit the world's foulest shit. The shit falls on the ground and builds up shitty mounds, making the shitty palm trees that grown on them even shittier. It's an endless cycle.”
Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

“Listen, three eyes," he said, "don't you try to outweird me, I get stranger things than you free with my breakfast cereal.”
Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

“They warn us when we're kids that we're going to have to suffer, but they neglect to mention the indignity. What self-respecting fetus, if shown its future as a proctology patient, boot-camp recruit, or game show contestant, would still elect to be born?”
Tom Robbins, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas

71 Haruki Murakami Book Group — 5912 members — last activity May 30, 2026 04:07PM
Discuss all things Haruki Murakami: novels, short stories, non-fiction, books about HM, translation projects, related music/film, interviews, symbolis ...more
178426 Indie Revolution Group — 236 members — last activity May 28, 2026 03:23PM
A place for anyone and everyone especially interested in promoting and discussing the work of indie authors and/or whatever else you like!
105786 Goodreads Reviewers' Group — 13588 members — last activity 23 hours, 45 min ago
This group helps to bring Reviewers and Authors together! Reviewers can make their own thread to post their reviews in, or post their reviews in the r ...more
60696 Making Connections — 14875 members — last activity 13 hours, 8 min ago
Read, Review, and Make Connections
26989 Goodreads Authors/Readers — 56751 members — last activity 37 minutes ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more
1114037 Kurt Vonnegut Fan Club — 84 members — last activity Feb 06, 2025 10:31PM
A place to discuss the works, philosophies, and life of Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. "Kurt is up in heaven now." ...more
More of Daniel’s groups…
Comments (showing 30-79)    post a comment »

message 79: by Eric

Eric Jay Sonnenschein Hi Daniel,
I've noticed from your reviews that you and I share an interest in philosophy and speculative ideas, fictions and essays.

I would like to discuss books with you in more detail. Here is my email address:

Ericsonnenschein@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Eric


message 78: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Donna wrote: "Thank you Daniel for becoming a friend on Goodreads. I am glad to meet you here."

Thanks Donna. I can't wait to check out some of your reviews.


message 77: by Donna

Donna Thank you Daniel for becoming a friend on Goodreads. I am glad to meet you here.


message 76: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Mehsi wrote: "Thank you for the friend request. As for what book I would bring with me? Either Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell or a book by Gina Damico or Lemony Snicket (can't decide)."

Cool! I might also like to bring Don Quixote with me -- just because it's such a long story and I can read many of the adventures over and over again.


message 75: by Mehsi

Mehsi Thank you for the friend request. As for what book I would bring with me? Either Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell or a book by Gina Damico or Lemony Snicket (can't decide).


message 74: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Luís wrote: "Thanks for the invite, Daniel!"

You're welcome, Luis.


message 73: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen cindy wrote: "Thankyou for the friend request! Haha, Harry Potter is very close to my heart so I think it definitely deserves 5 stars :))) And the other book you mentioned seems really interesting too

Happy rea..."


Nice Cindy! I try to put a little extra into my book reviews, so check them out if you like. You might also want to try out a blog post entitled - Mr. Clausen and the Half-Explained Harry Potter Addiction.

https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...


message 72: by cindy

cindy ♕ Thankyou for the friend request! Haha, Harry Potter is very close to my heart so I think it definitely deserves 5 stars :))) And the other book you mentioned seems really interesting too

Happy reading!!


message 71: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Thomas wrote: "Thank you for your friend request, Daniel! Looking forward to sharing thoughts on books with you in the future. :)"

Hey Thomas, great! And the future is now!

I'm reading a great book called "Seeing Like a State" -- the message is fantastic, and it's a great book for budding thinkers. But I recommend only reading the first two chapters if you want to get the idea. Otherwise, things get a bit repetitive. What are you reading?


message 70: by Thomas

Thomas Thank you for your friend request, Daniel! Looking forward to sharing thoughts on books with you in the future. :)


message 69: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Erin wrote: "Thanks for the friend request."

Thanks for accepting, Erin. I look forward to reading your reviews.


message 68: by Erin

Erin Thanks for the friend request.


message 67: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Henz wrote: " "I believe in the myth of Sisyphus -- we are doomed to keep rolling the same boulder up the same hill and hope that it doesn't come rolling back down. The question is -- can we find meaning in the..."

Thanks Henz...it has applications to writing, life, love...


message 66: by Henz

Henz "I believe in the myth of Sisyphus -- we are doomed to keep rolling the same boulder up the same hill and hope that it doesn't come rolling back down. The question is -- can we find meaning in the labor? "

oh man this is deep! I love your answer! ^^


message 65: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Majenta wrote: "Hello, Daniel! I just wanted to let you know that I finished GHOSTS OF NAGASAKI, but by no means has it finished with me. Review to follow...at some point. Just can't put the words together. Have y..."

Hey Majenta, no, I've never ready the book. I'll check it out on goodreads. Thank you so much for reading the book. It means a great deal to me. To think that just four short years ago I didn't think anyone would ever read the book. So, yes, every reader is a triumph!


message 64: by Majenta

Majenta Hello, Daniel! I just wanted to let you know that I finished GHOSTS OF NAGASAKI, but by no means has it finished with me. Review to follow...at some point. Just can't put the words together. Have you ever read MR. WAS by Pete Hautman? (it's a YA)
Have a good day and weekend. Thank you so much for GHOSTS OF NAGASAKI and everything that went into it! A triumph for you.
Best wishes from Majenta


message 63: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Majenta wrote: "Good evening, Daniel! I'm at 67%! It is reeeeeaaaaallllly something else--something WOWWW! I thank you much for inviting me to read it!

Have a good weekend. Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Peace and B..."


Thanks Majenta. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Have a great weekend too.


message 62: by Majenta

Majenta Good evening, Daniel! I'm at 67%! It is reeeeeaaaaallllly something else--something WOWWW! I thank you much for inviting me to read it!

Have a good weekend. Happy Memorial Day Weekend. Peace and Best Wishes from Majenta


message 61: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Majenta wrote: "Good evening, Daniel! Just wanted to let you know I'm 21% through GHOSTS OF NAGASAKI. Loving your way with words!

Best wishes from Majenta"


Thanks Majenta!


message 60: by Majenta

Majenta Good evening, Daniel! Just wanted to let you know I'm 21% through GHOSTS OF NAGASAKI. Loving your way with words!

Best wishes from Majenta


message 59: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Melki wrote: "Love the new profile photo!"

Thanks. That's me back when I lived in Edo period Japan. Those were some wacky times.


message 58: by Melki

Melki Love the new profile photo!


message 57: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Carol wrote: "Thank you for the offer, I am very interested in reading your collection of stories "Something to Stem the Diminishing". It sounds perfect (life has been a bit bizarre the past two years).
Now ..."


Carol, message coming your way soon.


message 56: by Carol

Carol Thank you for the offer, I am very interested in reading your collection of stories "Something to Stem the Diminishing". It sounds perfect (life has been a bit bizarre the past two years).
Now I can pick up whatever I want to read whenever I want!
I will write an honest review here on goodreads ASAP. I feel like a little kid - "pick me!" "pick me!" And even if you don't, I still want to thank you for the offer.


message 55: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Kenzom wrote: "Thanks for the add up, Daniel! I suppose you meant "Seven Years in Tibet" although I wish Harrier would have been lucky enough to spend ten years in Tibet.:D

I found the title of your book, "The ..."


Nice, Kenzom! You can check out the free sample "Red Shoes" right here: https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...

If you like it, please let me know.


message 54: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Ann-Marie wrote: "Thanks for the friend request and for liking my review. Always glad to meet new friends."

Thank you, Ann-Marie. I love talking with other comic book lovers on Goodreads.


Ann-Marie Thanks for the friend request and for liking my review. Always glad to meet new friends.


message 52: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Katrina (Kindred Dreamheart) wrote: "Thanks so much for friending me! *checking out that "Lexical Funk" preview now*"

That makes me happy.


message 51: by Kat

Kat Thanks so much for friending me! *checking out that "Lexical Funk" preview now*


message 50: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Thanks James. If for some reason you don't win a copy, there is an extensive preview of the book on GR.

James wrote: "Thank you for the friend request.

You're book 'The Lexical Funk' looks very intriguing! I can't wait to read through it all, keep up the good work! After that I'll have definitely have to be on ..."



message 49: by James

James Thank you for the friend request.

You're book 'The Lexical Funk' looks very intriguing! I can't wait to read through it all, keep up the good work! After that I'll have definitely have to be on the lookout for 'Ghosts of Nagasaki'.


message 48: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Amanda wrote: "Thanks for the friend request.
i am posting to let you know that you've successfully answered my challenge question :D"


Arrrr, there be pieces of eight to be had through digital friendship, arrrrghhhh.

How was that?
:)


 Amanda Thanks for the friend request.
i am posting to let you know that you've successfully answered my challenge question :D


message 46: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Aerin wrote: "Thanks for the add, it's nice to meet you - we've got the same birthday. :)"

Hey Aerin, I love it. It's these happy coincidences that make me think life is not as random as it first appears. If you know of any indy GR writers that are deserving of exposure, let me know. I love finding new authors, especially if they are active on GR.


message 45: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Ajeng wrote: "We're friends! Hello from an Indonesian living in The Netherlands :)"

Ajeng, Hello from an American living in Japan. I've always wanted to visit Indonesia some day. I can't to see more of your reviews and chat with you more on GR.


message 44: by Ajeng

Ajeng We're friends! Hello from an Indonesian living in The Netherlands :)


message 43: by Aerin

Aerin Thanks for the add, it's nice to meet you - we've got the same birthday. :)


message 42: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Shawnee wrote: "Hi Daniel,
You asked my opinion on You Shall Know Our Velocity. First you should know I listened to it on audio- which can sometimes have an affect on the experience. However, my opinion is that i..."


Well, I think that's about all you could ask for from a Dave Eggers book, I suppose. I'll add the book to my to-read list. But I think I may consider reading What is the What first. Cheers on the recommendation Shawnee.


message 41: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Aloha wrote: "Hi Daniel, thank you for the friending! I heard a lot about PKD's VALIS, which is supposed to be autobiographical."

Aloha, I read VALIS at a time when I needed a novel to be earth-shaking. The book did not disappoint. I don't want to give anything away, but yes, PKD puts himself in the book. I think if you read the first chapter, you'll be hooked like I was. Alas, I have not ready much PKD lately. For some reason, I've been hooked on reading business management books--I'm not sure how that came about.


message 40: by Aloha

Aloha Hi Daniel, thank you for the friending! I heard a lot about PKD's VALIS, which is supposed to be autobiographical.


message 39: by Shawnee

Shawnee Hi Daniel,
You asked my opinion on You Shall Know Our Velocity. First you should know I listened to it on audio- which can sometimes have an affect on the experience. However, my opinion is that in this case it probably wouldn't. I enjoy Eggers because of his quirkyness and I found myself laughing out loud a few times while listening to this book. However, there were times that I was a bit lost when the main character would have an internal conversation with himself- they tended to come up randomly and out of the blue. I also found the ending to be quite strange. Of course I have to remember this is Eggers,right? My conclusion, I think it is worth the read, it's just to funny and wierd to pass up. I enjoyed Heartbreaking Work more but if you enjoy Eggers then give Velocity a try.


message 38: by Cheryl

Cheryl Landmark Daniel wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Thanks for the friend request, Daniel."

You're welcome. I'd love to exchange notes on book promotion sometime if you're up for it. I'm in the middle of writing a marketing plan for ..."


That would be great. I'm still relatively new at this publishing game so I'm not sure how much help I can be at giving promotion tips. But, we can certainly exchange notes.


message 37: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Cheryl wrote: "Thanks for the friend request, Daniel."

You're welcome. I'd love to exchange notes on book promotion sometime if you're up for it. I'm in the middle of writing a marketing plan for my next book right now.


message 36: by Cheryl

Cheryl Landmark Thanks for the friend request, Daniel.


message 35: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Southern Fried Britt wrote: "Yes, it is a picture of Daria! I love her to pieces. Hi, Daniel! For some reason, your name sounds so familiar."

Entirely possible that we've met either in this universe or in another. Maybe another discussion board, or perhaps on Librarything.


Brittomart Yes, it is a picture of Daria! I love her to pieces. Hi, Daniel! For some reason, your name sounds so familiar.


message 33: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Travis wrote: "In response to your question, I've been meaning to read Valis for an eternity now. I currently have a huge book pile to tackle once I'm done writing something, and Valis is among it. So soon, very ..."

From what I can tell, it's not one of the obvious Dick classics. But when I read it, it absolutely knocked my socks off.


message 32: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Thanks Lukacs, that sounds like an interesting volume. Edward Newman has some interesting ideas about the Critical Security Studies versus Human Security debate that he wrote down in his ISA summary on the topic. You can find it on the ISA website if you're a member.


message 31: by Lukáš

Lukáš Yeah, I still have to update a lot of fiction / easy-reading non-fiction stuff and list some more reviews when there's time. I see you are now reading Booth's Theory of World Security. What I like is that it is a kind of an intellectual reflection of a person that's academically been "through it all", although I am not fully convinced with his "grand" security-as-emancipation vision. There will be some interesting debates on this in the recent volume on critical approaches to Human Security edited by Chandler and Hynek, since I know both of those guys, recommended for later...


message 30: by Daniel

Daniel Clausen Milly wrote: "Daniel wrote: " What motivated you to start this project? ..."

I think that it was mostly the idea that I love to write, and I love to read, so why not mix the two together, and get my ideas and m..."


That's fantastic. In a lot of ways, I still see myself as a "young" writer, even though I'll soon be in my thirties. I think I still need to go through that phase where I read a lot of books (sometimes twice) to learn from the methods of the masters. There are a lot of great books I have yet to read.

What writing project are you working on now?


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