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Brian Yansky

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Brian Yansky

Goodreads Author


Born
I live in Austin, Texas, The United States
Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Christopher Moore

Member Since
November 2009


I write supernatural horror suspense comedy (a mix of dark humor, quirky, silly humor and satire.), .

I love many kinds of stories. I especially love off-beat, quirky stories with unusual characters and settings that have a sense of wonder and humor.…Falling in love with stories saved me from a life of crime (I’m only sort of kidding; they did save me from something). A lot of my main characters are adopted. Like them, I was adopted. I seem to write often about identity. I live in Austin, Texas. I have no horses or cowboy hats. I do have a 125 pound sheep dog. I’ve taught college, been a bartender and waiter and am now a full-time writer.

I've had five novels traditionally published and something like fifteen independently published. My ind
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Brian Yansky When people ask what my one piece of advice would be to new writers, I always say get a dog. A dog makes you take walks. And walks are excellent place…moreWhen people ask what my one piece of advice would be to new writers, I always say get a dog. A dog makes you take walks. And walks are excellent places to think. And what you will think about it is often what you're working on--the first draft and many subsequent drafts and revisions and so on. The problems, the different kinds, encountered at all stages of writing will be worked on when you walk. So that would be my number one piece of advice. Get a dog. Very important.

My number two would be the tried and true-- which lives up to its billing both as tried (you can't be writer if you can't write--a pretty photo won't do it) and true--it just is--write and also read, which sounds kind of uninspired except that it is REALLY the best advice. Writers become writers by writing. They learn by writing. They learn by their mistakes and they figure out things and they become better. Reading helps. You have to read, but writing is #1 way to get better.

I wrote five novels before I was published. I wrote five novels where I was learning how to write. I thought they were good at the time. I loved writing them. But they weren't really very good. When I figured out why, little by little, I got better. I'm still working on getting better with everything I write.

I was looking at this youtube by Brandon Sanderson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pLdI...
Check it out for inspiration. He wrote 12 novels and hadn't made a penny off of them. He thought the first five were practice but he thought the sixth was very good and he felt like he knew what he was doing. He felt that way about the subsequent novels he wrote, too. But none of them were published. Finally, though, someone did agree to publish #6 which was called Elantris and it became a big hit. Now he's a bestseller.

We've all heard these stories. They're rare but what I like about Sanderson's is that he just kept writing. Twelve books. Whether you traditionally publish or publish independently, you still have to deal with finding an audience. That can be hard. A lot of it is random. A lot of it is luck. What you can control though is your work, your writing, your learning how to write better each book. So the simplest advice---keep writing--is still the best as far as I'm concerned. Write what you love and what you really want to write. Be aware that your writing isn't perfect and keep looking for ways to improve. You'll find your way and you'll love what you're doing.(less)
Brian Yansky He was pushed down the stairs and he died. As his spirit was pulled out of his body, he looked up and at the top of the stairs and saw the very last p…moreHe was pushed down the stairs and he died. As his spirit was pulled out of his body, he looked up and at the top of the stairs and saw the very last person in the world he would expect to see.(less)
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How To Become A Better Writer: READ. Read anything you want, anything you enjoy. Just Read.

 How To Become A Better Writer: Read. 

I read for pleasure first--because the experience of reading is one of the things I love about this world. But I'm a writer so I also read with an eye to how another writer does something well.  I try to learn. 

 

For example, I look at this sentence that opens A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving and I think WOW. And then I think--what makes it so good? It do

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Published on November 17, 2025 12:44
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Quotes by Brian Yansky  (?)
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“It takes less time for them to conquer the world than it takes for me to brush my teeth. That's pretty disappointing." Jesse from ALIEN INVASION & OTHER INCONVENIENCES.”
Brian Yansky

“You don’t mess with someone’s dog. You just don’t.”
Brian Yansky, The Librarian of the Haunted Library

“I’m pretty sure heroes don’t whine. They quietly endure cold, fireless nights. Further proof I’m no hero.”
Brian Yansky, Homicidal Aliens and Other Disappointments

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