Michael Scott Bertrand

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Michael Scott Bertrand

Goodreads Author


Born
in Virginia, The United States
Website

Genre

Influences
Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, H. Rider Haggard ...more

Member Since
March 2017


Michael Scott Bertrand lived a hundred lives before becoming a storyteller. After a successful career in government and politics, he tore off his tie to become a full-time novelist and never looked back. Mike was born in Virginia, raised in Vermont and currently resides in Florida. He is a graduate of Penn State and Fordham Law. He is the author of Flying Conquistadors and Sword of the Spaniard. He is currently working on the final book in his Treasure of Tenochtitlan trilogy.

Popular Answered Questions

Michael Scott Bertrand I jump around when I'm writing - a LOT. If I'm stuck somewhere, I'll take a break, then come back and work on an entirely different section. Maybe I'l…moreI jump around when I'm writing - a LOT. If I'm stuck somewhere, I'll take a break, then come back and work on an entirely different section. Maybe I'll skip to another chapter, or some action scene that is more fun to work on, or even to the final chapter. I find that forces me to focus on my entire story, not just "what comes next."

Think of how a filmmaker works: she/he breaks the story down into components, then figures out how best to film those individual scenes. Rarely does a filmmaker shoot scenes in sequential order (yes, there are some very famous exceptions), and it is only in editing and post-production that the big picture comes together.

I'll add that there are times (too many!) when the gods of prose abandon me altogether. When that happens, and you can't come up with a good sentence to save your life, don't force it. Do some research, make some notes in your manuscript, and pat yourself on the back for moving the ball forward. Live to write another day.(less)
Michael Scott Bertrand That's easy: write.

Think of it as your job, and your writing station as the office you work at. Do you think your boss wants to see you reading yet-an…more
That's easy: write.

Think of it as your job, and your writing station as the office you work at. Do you think your boss wants to see you reading yet-another book on writing, or see you watching "Masterclass" when you are supposed to be working? Of course not. She/he wants you to write. You will be judged by how much you write, and how well you write. So stop putting it off, and write.

One way I try to crack the whip on myself (esp. during the early phase of "raw material development") is to "grade" myself each day on how many words I write. I need to write a minimum 750 words a day for a "D", 1500 words for a "C", 2250 for a "B" and 3000 for an "A". I keep a calendar next to my writing desk and give myself a grade at the end of each day. At the end of the working week (5 or 6 days) I average my daily scores, and my goal is a "B" or an "A". That gets me anywhere from 11,000 to 18,000 words in a week, which I think is pretty darn good.(less)
Average rating: 4.0 · 12 ratings · 5 reviews · 6 distinct works
Flying Conquistadors

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You = Happy: A Formula for ...

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Sword of the Spaniard

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From Novice to Novelist: Qu...

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From Memories to Masterpiec...

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Flying Conquistadors: Colle...

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99 cents for Sword of the Spaniard?

Yes, it's true ... for a limited time the ebook version of my new novel SWORD OF THE SPANIARD is only 99 cents!

Get the ebook now by clicking the link below. Please rate and review your purchase, it helps raise the book's visibility!

https://books2read.com/u/3krJXn

Thanks!
MSB Read more of this blog post »
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Published on November 27, 2018 08:11
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