Jack Hight

Finding a story is not hard.  There are thousands upon thousands of them.  In fact, I have far more stories that I want to write than I have time to write them.  I found most of these stories without looking.  I’m an historian, so when I read about an historical event or person that might…

“Write what you know.”  I haven’t been to a lot of writers’ workshops or taken a lot (or any) courses on writing, but that is one piece of advice that I have heard plenty of times.  “Write what you know” makes sense.  You can best tap into your characters’ emotions and states of mind when…

Last weekend my wife and I went to the Crystal City mall to return some clothes.  (I love the name “Crystal City.”  It’s evocative of The Wizard of Oz or maybe Superman’s fortress of solitude.  In fact, it’s an ugly, concrete, soulless suburb, filled with hotels for business travelers.  The mall is nice, though.)  We…

After weeks of gloomy days and bitter cold, D.C. is once again sunny and (relatively) warm.  It’s a great day to be outside—a not so great day to be sitting in a coffee shop.  Today is one of those days where the last thing I want to do is to write.  (Well, maybe not the…

On the weekend before Christmas, Washington, DC was hit by a blizzard that dropped sixteen inches of snow on the city in twenty-four hours.  DC is not equipped to deal with that kind of weather.  Cars were buried.  The roads were impassible.  Even the subway ground to a near standstill.  At the end of the…

Google analytics is a wonderful thing.  It provides statistics on how my website is used, including letting me see what search terms have led people to my site.  One browser got here after entering “Under Siege 3” and was no doubt disappointed to find that, no, Steven Seagal has not begun filming the long-awaited third…

Just a few minutes ago, as I was sitting at the window of my local coffee shop, a twenty-something in a Georgetown Law sweatshirt entered, complaining loudly to her friend.  “So he texts me saying that he wants to have sex with me and all that,” she says in a brassy tone that can be…

I am frequently asked—especially by other, as of yet agent-less writers—how I got my agent.  And, as a young writer living in Los Angeles and working on screenplays, I remember being somewhat befuddled when it came to the subject of literary agents.  Even after I worked for one, I was still not quite sure what…

I was planning to write about literary agents this week, but I found myself drawn, despite myself, to another topic that has been on my mind a lot lately: breasts. Allow me to explain. My agent—Ian—gave me four basic tips for writing, and they are good ones: 1) avoid adverbs if possible; 2) show emotion,…

I spent most of last weekend refinishing furniture; or, I should say, starting to refinish furniture.  My wife instructed me to refinish a buffet and bookshelf to match our new couch, and I envisioned finishing on Saturday morning in time to do some editing and watch some football.  But the process, as I learned, is…