Writing Is Hard
Writing Well Is Harder
Writing Is Heart-Wrenching
Writing Is Soul-Destroying
Writing is Time-Consuming
Writing Is Lonely
Writing Is A Self-Inflicted Injury
Writing Is Wallowing In Misery
Act I: The Mindset of A Writer
Battling your own mind can be the diagnosis of a good story, but that's just the beginning. Solid story structure and some loose ends are just what you'll need to gain confidence back.
Act II: The Invisible Layer
Dive into what's said without saying anything at all. Drake explores all of it: Genre, Setting, Themes, Subjects, and Endings. Yes, that's the magic of storytelling without words.
Act III: The Physical Layer
Drake doubles down on theories, essential questions, and structure in action.
Fear of Rejection
Fear of Not Being Good Enough
Fear of Being Too Young, Or Too Old
Fear of Embarrassment
Fear of Criticism
Fear of Success
Fear of Inadequacy
Over 10,000 Hours Of Teaching Creative Writing
Over 15 Years Of Seminars, Panels, and Talks
(e.g. ComicCon's, LTUE, 20 Books Vegas, etc.)
Taught Over 50,000 "Student" Writers
Impacted Over A Million Writers (give or take) World-Wide
Award-Winning Author and Over 30 Years of Writing
Marine.
Cancer Survivor.
Husband and Father.
I WOULD LOVE TO SAY that I am no longer a struggling writer. But the truth is, being a writer is always a struggle.
A guide, a teacher, a mentor, coach, family, friends, and the DrakeU community can help you when the struggle becomes unbearable.
Turning to my book, as so many others have, is where you can find new answers for becoming a stronger writer.
I wrote Drakes Brutal Writing Advice, Dynamic Story Creation In Plain English for you, the struggling writer.
Learning a new perspective on things you know so well already can free your writing and help you grow - this book will guide you for years to come.
Director - Gen Con Writer's Symposium“
Maxwell Alexander Drake's educational seminars for writers are exceptional. As the director of the Gen Con Writer's Symposium, I've received significant positive feedback from guests about the value of his programming. Even without that direct feedback, I have ample evidence from the fact that Mr. Drake achieves attendance figures every year that are on par with events featuring our biggest name guests. I believe that the secret to Mr. Drake's success are his well-planned, carefully thought out presentations that focus on practical advice but delivered in an easily consumable format. Guests leave his events energized and educated—the perfect combination to help an author achieve success.”
Director - Authors Combat Academy“
Working with Drake was a great experience. He’s responsive, open to students, and fun, too. After seeing him teach at several different conferences, we invited him to be an expert at Authors Combat Academy. He was one of our highest ranked presenters (from our student survey.) He’s always professional. Drake clearly enjoys teaching and he has so much to offer. We’ve invited him back for a second year and are looking forward to having him again. If you get the opportunity to have him at your conference or to take one of his classes, grab it. You don’t want to miss out on this fantastic presenter.”
Coordinator - KABAM! Fest“
Each year that Mr. Drake has participated in our book festival, he has been a delight to work with and attendees very much enjoyed his presentations. “Drake,” as we call him, has always been a great asset to our festival.”
"I never truly understood what a Theme was until I read this book. Drake breaks it down in a way that's simple for anyone to understand."
"Drake explains how to use your theme to write your story in such an easy way, I finally understand how to thread it in without ever mentioning my theme."
"This book showing me how to use the theme to connect the elements of my story has been invaluable to my ability to create compelling stories."
"Understanding Theme the way Drake breaks it down has meant I can consistently create compelling stories one after the other."
"Understanding how I need to think as a professional storyteller has really helped me focus on getting to the end of my story."
