The Whisper Project

A Blog for Writers, Storytellers, and Other Creatives

My Whisper Project Year in Review

February 16, 2016 / / 0 Comments

I began 2015 as a completely unknown writer. I’m a high school English teacher, which I love, but I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Actually, by now, I realize it’s a little more than that. I want to create for a living. I want to create stories that resonate with people, entertain people, and inspire people with the hope that good exists and that it’s within reach.

My Journey Away from Writing

The thing is, I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer, but when I graduated high school, instead of chasing after this intrinsic longing to create stories, I did something else entirely. I graduated with a degree in music that’s only been minimally helpful and then I became a youth minister in a church, a job I loved because I love working with students but in the midst of church politics that became too much to endure. Continue reading

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Why You Should Read Star Wars: Lost Stars by Claudia Gray

February 16, 2016 / / 0 Comments

lost starsThough Lost Stars by Claudia Gray is a Star Wars novel marketed as a young adult novel and the classification has probably turned away many long-time Star Wars  fans from reading it, Lost Stars is neither a young adult novel nor a story to be taken lightly. I’ve been a fan of Star Wars since I was little and I almost didn’t read Lost Stars because I figured it was a kids book, but after I read the description about a couple on two sides of the Galactic Civil War, I decided to give it a try. I couldn’t put the book down. It’s the perfect Star Wars book if you’re looking for a different perspective of the events of the original trilogy, and it sets up the interim time between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. Continue reading

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The Force Awakens Novelization by Alan Dean Foster – A Review

January 22, 2016 / / 0 Comments

I went to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens a total of three times after it released, and as a long-time Star Wars fan, I have to say it was one of the best movie experiences I’ve had. I don’t read novelizations of movies a lot, but like many fans, I thought The Force Awakens Novelization was worth checking out.

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The Force Awakens and J.J. Abrams’ Mystery Box

January 8, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Warning: Below contains several spoilers of The Force Awakens

Almost everyone is talking about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and J.J. Abrams, writer and director of the latest film, is living the dream of many Star Wars fans, shaping the future of a story that so many people have grown up with. There are, of course, opinions on both sides. Many people have been critical of the movie, but the majority of fans seem to love what Abrams and the now Disney-owned Lucasfilm have done with the continuing story of Luke Skywalker and the never-ending battle between the light and dark sides of the force.

the force awakens

Personally, I loved The Force Awakens. I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was a little boy. Return of the Jedi came out when I was one, and I’m pretty sure I saw A New Hope by the time I was four, sparking my love for Star Wars and for stories in general. I’ve also been a fan of J.J. Abrams ever since LOST began, so when I heard Abrams was writing and directing Episode VII of Star Wars, I saw it as the perfect combination.

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Review of The Game of Lives by James Dashner

December 18, 2015 / / 0 Comments

game of livesJames Dashner is known for novels that are wide in scope and feature young protagonists. His Maze Runner trilogy has become popular among readers and movie goers alike with the first two books having been adapted to the big screen. His latest novel The Game of Lives is the third book in his Mortality Doctrine trilogy, and it’s a fast-paced ride to the end of a plot to turn the world into a place filled with humans controlled by artificial intelligence. Continue reading

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Please Vote “The Scar” as Best of Wordhaus Horror Story 2015

December 7, 2015 / / 0 Comments

I wrote a short horror story called “The Scar” that was featured on a Wordhaus, an online literary magazine, in November. Every year Wordhaus does a Best of anthology, and my story is eligible for their Best of 2015 anthology. Voting is open now, and if you’re a regular follower of The Whisper Project, I’d love it if you’d take a moment to check out the story and click this link or on the image below to cast your vote if you feel so inclined.

Thanks for reading!

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Why I’m Okay With Losing NaNoWriMo

November 30, 2015 / / 2 Comments

It’s November 30, the last day of NaNoWriMo, and I’ve written 40,000 words. Since the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days, unless I can crank out 10,000 words today, then I’m going to have to concede defeat. I was doing well the first two weeks, but I’m a high school English teacher, and the end of the grading period fell right in the middle of November. Then during Thanksgiving break, which should’ve allowed me to catch up, I had a major plumbing issue come about in my house. At 40,000 words and with four days left, I finally had to throw in the towel and admit losing NaNoWriMo.

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The Key to Winning NaNoWriMo

November 3, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Like many people, I’m participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It’s a grueling challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. With NaNoWriMo, the word count is king. And that’s part of the problem. When you’re writing, story should be king, but when you’re challenge with writing 50,000 words in thirty days, you have to push yourself hard to make sure you meet the challenge.

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3 Guiding Questions for Building Your Novel’s Story World

October 29, 2015 / / 1 Comment

World building can be one of most exciting parts of creating a story because what’s more creative than imagining an entire world? When done well, world building can help readers feel like the story they’re engaged in is more immersive and authentic.

If you want to build a truly authentic story world, here are three questions you need to wrestle through.

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Story Questions to Jump Start Your Writing

October 21, 2015 / / 1 Comment

When you’re writing a story, there are moments when it seems like the words just flow from your mind, and then there are moments when trying to get any words feels like you’re trying to draw blood from yourself.

I teach high school English Language Arts to 12th graders, and they are no strangers to the two experiences above, but what I won’t let them fall back on is the concept of “writer’s block.”

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