Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, with more than 30 million books sold, writer Dean Wesley Smith published far more than a hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds of short stories across many genres.

At the moment he produces novels in several major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the Old West, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, a superhero series starring Poker Boy, a mystery series featuring the retired detectives of the Cold Poker Gang, and the Mary Jo Assassin series.

His monthly magazine, Smith's Monthly, which consists of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and offers readers more than 70,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month.

During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, he wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.

He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of almost a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown.

Dean also worked as a fiction editor off and on, starting at Pulphouse Publishing, then at VB Tech Journal, then Pocket Books, and now at WMG Publishing, where he and Kristine Kathryn Rusch serve as series editors for the acclaimed Fiction River anthology series.

For more information about Dean's books and ongoing projects, please visit his website at www.deanwesleysmith.com.

WMG Publishing Presents: Heinlen's Rules Writing Lecture by Dean Wesley Smith

Robert A. Heinlein, in 1947, in an effort to help new writers coming in, gave what he termed as his "business habits." He basically said that if followed, his rules will make a want-to-be writer into a professional writer.

But Heinlein acknowledged that the simple five rules are almost impossible to follow. Heinlein said, "…they are amazingly hard to follow–which is why there are so few professional writers and so many aspirants…"

USA Today bestselling writer Dean Wesley Smith talks about each of the five rules, why they seem so difficult, why they work for writers when followed, and how to follow them even in this new world of indie publishing. Dean started following all five of Heinlein's Rules in 1982 and since 1987 worked as a full-time professional fiction writer. He still follows the rules to this day.

You may not end up following Heinlein's Rules, but you will learn a vast amount about writing from these 15 videos.

CURATOR'S NOTE

One of the most famous science fiction writers who ever lived, Robert A. Heinlein, wrote up a list of business rules for writers, guaranteed to turn them from wannabes into professionals. The rules are simple to read and oh, so, difficult to do. Dean Wesley Smith used them as inspiration for his writing career when he started, and in this 15-video lecture, he will inspire you as well. Challenge yourself to follow Heinlein's rules. You might just end up with a decades-long writing career, like Dean. – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

 
 

PREVIEW