I wrote a book

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 13:08:08 +0000

A novel. My third.

The first one was about five years ago. It has every problem you’d expect from someone who’d never written fiction. Flat dialogue, scenes that wander, characters that exist to serve the plot instead of the other way around. The bones are good, though. There’s a real story in there. I just didn’t know how to tell it yet.

The second was last November. Twenty-nine days, start to finish. Better, but the middle act drags, the villain is a cardboard cutout, and the romantic thread pays off too early, robbing the ending of the tension it needs. I learned more about pacing from writing that book than from anything I’ve read about writing.

Project Hail Mary Review

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:32:43 +0000

Andy Weir wrote two of my favorite books. I read Project Hail Mary when it came out, and then again about six months ago. I’ve seen The Martian probably eight or nine times. I’ve read that book three times. I could watch it again today. The movie, while different from the book, is an excellent adaptation.

I just walked out of Project Hail Mary, and I don’t feel like I need to see it again.

Books on Michael Doornbos

I wrote a book

Project Hail Mary Review