Book Chop: Drawing Out The Dragons

Title: Drawing out the Dragons
Author: James A. Owen
Genre: Autobiography/inspirational
Verdict: One of the most useful books of its kind.

Three summers ago I read my first James A. Owen novel, HERE THERE BE DRAGONS. It featured three well-known British authors as protagonists who protected a map of fantasy lands. The whole thing was loaded with inside jokes, and had a brilliant mish-mash of mythology that struck me as quite clever.

Every book since then has been on the same level.

Only recently have I learned just how amazing Mr. Owen's story really is.

DRAWING OUT THE DRAGONS is the story of how he became to be the writer he is today. In a sense it's like Stephen King's writing book (which I haven't Chopped), and John Scalzi's writing book (which I have.)

It's only 100 pages, and that's in eBook form, so if I tell you much of anything, I run the risk of ruining the whole thing. So I'll keep it brief:

1) As a kid, Owen was marked for death in a hospital. (True.)

2) Superman saved him. (Legit.)

3) For a long time, everything sucked. (It happens.)

4) Then he said, in a polite way, "Screw you, Life. I'm driving the rest of the way." (Inspiring.)

5) Now he has a fan base. (The dream.)

6) It's a pleasure to be part of it. (Fact.)

I've rubbed shoulders with a bunch of people who are successful in the way I'd like to be. One thing they all have in common is that they work their @$$es off through years and years of career suckage, and they really put it all on the line for the craft they love. In this book, Owen details how to make it work.

For $4.99, this book is a steal. Buy it here. Take two hours to read it. And get back on top of your life.

Especially if you're a writer.