Tips and Tricks Thursday: What do I write about?

So you're supposed to write something? First, you do a little happy dance (hey, you get to WRITE). 

Then you start to panic. What on earth are you supposed to write about?

The short answer: anything.

Does that make your head spin? I mean anything could mean something as big as the universe or as small as the dust bunnies under your bed. So, how do you pick a topic?

For starters, try these three tips:

1. Make a list of the things that interest you: Basketball. Music. Art. Science. Space. Cars. Chocolate. If you pick a topic that doesn't interest you, it's going to be a chore to write about, and you probably already have enough chores.
2. Okay, now think about what, specifically, you'd like to know about those topics. How does a car engine work? Could people ever live on the moon? Who discovered the deliciousness that is chocolate?
3. Don't forget to consider your audience and your assignment. If you've been assigned to write about the Civil War, make sure that your topic has something to do with the Civil War. But that doesn't mean you can't tie it in with other topics that interest you. The role of music on the battlefield. The art of the Civil War. Wartime transportation. 

If you could write about anything, what would you choose to research? Why? Leave a comment with your idea of a perfect topic, and you'll be entered into a drawing for a free copy of one of my books (your choice!).* Be sure to include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win!

*Drawing to be held May 29, 2015.

Tidbit Tuesday: John F. Kennedy

One of my favorite parts of being an author is learning new things every day. Some of those things make it into my books, but, unfortunately, there isn't room for everything. So here's where I'll share with you the fun things I've learned recently that may or may not make the final cut.

Right now, I'm researching the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Of course, I already knew some things about that day, but since I wasn't born until 17 years later (uh-oh, now you can guess my age!), there are plenty of things I didn't know, like:

1. Authors C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia) and Aldous Huxley (Brave New World) also died on November 22, 1963. Their deaths were barely noted by the media, which focused almost exclusively on coverage of the president's assassination.
2. After her husband's death Jacqueline Kennedy arranged for the White House to look just as it had after Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Kennedy's casket was even placed on top of the same catafalque (platform) as Lincoln's had been.
3. Although Kennedy's goal of sending a man to the moon by the end of the 1960s was meant to demonstrate American superiority over the Soviet Union, the president later began to explore the possibility of partnering with the Soviet Union on the venture. He died before plans could be made.

So, what have you learned today? Leave a comment about something new you've learned, and you'll be entered into a drawing for a free copy of one of my books (your choice!).* Be sure to include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win!

*Drawing to be held May 29, 2015.