Writing Perseverance by Mark W. Danielson, Guest Blogger

Today I'm welcoming Mark W. Danielson, author of Writer's Block and other novels. According to his bio:

"Writing fiction allowed his imagination to run wild. Using real events as a base makes his writing both believable and enthralling. An actual FedEx DC-10 fire inspired Danger Within. Likewise, the suspicious crash that claimed the life of US Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown inspired The Innocent Never Knew. Both novels provide fast-moving reality-based suspense, and have received excellent reviews. His third novel, Diablo's Shadow, based on a child disappearance was released in 2008 to critical acclaim."

Mark, I'm so pleased to introduce you and your books on my blog.

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Writing Perseverance by Mark W. Danielson, Guest Blogger


Rarely do authors become overnight successes. Even the most successful ones toiled for years, and many died before their work was recognized. My writing history dates back to 1977 when Sport Aerobatics published an article of mine. Prior to that, I dabbled with letters to editors, and never considered professional writing because it was too cumbersome. I didn’t care much for long hand, and because my typewriting skills weren’t the best, I kept running out of correction tape. (For those unfamiliar, Wikipedia “typewriter”.) Still, I persisted in crafting articles by hammering the keys on this mechanical device and throwing the lever to get to the next line.

When the word processor came along, writing became fun again because the computer could keep up with my thoughts. Since then, over one hundred of my non-non-fiction articles have been published in a variety of periodicals. I have also written seventeen novels, but of those seventeen, have chosen to seek publication on four. Writer’s Block, the most recent, will be released in November, 2011. Set in Fort Worth, it is the first in the Maxx Watts detective series.

It is logical to ask, “If you’ve written seventeen novels, why publish only four?” In truth, I don’t want the others published. In one case, the story seemed too close to the movie Swordfish, even though I had written it long before John Travolta’s movie was released. I am holding onto two firefighting stories for a time when publishers will accept Mother Nature as an evil antagonist. Other stories are no longer topical, so chalk them up to experience. And because it takes such an enormous effort to get a book published, I prefer moving ahead to looking behind.

My first three published novels were written for specific reasons, but Writer’s Block was just plain fun. This who-done-it mystery offers a unique look inside the publishing world. I’m at a good place in my writing, and I expect Maxx Watts will be around a long time. We may share elements, but Maxx is hardly my alter ego. Having said that, my characters do stem from people I’ve met and experiences I’ve had over the years. Even the guy who aimed his .38 revolver at me and a grocery store teller in 1981 left his mark. Thankfully, no one got hurt, but such memories help create believable situations for my fictional characters.



Because writing is such a solitary act, it is important to make it fun. Allowing my characters a sense of humor makes it fun for me and my readers. Taking yourself too seriously can lead to an early grave. Mel Blanc, Warner Brother’s “man of a thousand voices” cartoon actor, realized he was just another cog in the wheel of life and had the last laugh by having “That’s All Folks” inscribed on his tombstone; the same words he channeled as Porky Pig at the end of each cartoon. Three simple words said it all for Mel. Now, that’s good writing.

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Thanks again, Mark. I hope you'll drop by to visit us again soon.

To read more about Mark and his books, visit his website. He is also a contributor at Murderous Musings, a blog about murder and mayhem and more.