
Evan Swensen
- Author, Book Publisher, and Developer of Author Masterminds
- Author Masterminds Charter Member
- Host of Alaska Outdoors Magazine Podcast
Articles
Writing on the Edge: The Craft of Tension and Momentum
How Do I Effectively Build Tension and Suspense? The moment before something happens is often more gripping than the event itself. Think of a storm …

How Peter Rabbit Outsmarted Publishers
Every reader knows The Tale of Peter Rabbit. That mischievous little bunny in his iconic blue jacket has been sneaking into Mr. McGregor’s garden for …

Write Like Your Life Depends on It
“Life can’t defeat a writer who is in love with writing,” Edna Ferber once declared. These words, spoken by a Pulitzer Prize-winning author who built …

The Dame of Dictation
Agatha Christie, the queen of mystery, never actually wrote most of her books—at least not by hand. While many imagine her scribbling away in a …

The 120-Foot First Draft
Jack Kerouac’s 120-Foot First Draft: The Wildest Writing Method Ever Some authors draft their books in leather-bound journals. Others hammer away at keyboards in dimly …

Writing Books That Never Fade
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” Italo Calvino understood something fundamental about storytelling. Great books don’t …

Steal This Strategy
A reader picks up a book with the same anticipation as opening a wrapped gift. The cover’s weight, the pages’ texture, and, most importantly, the …

Gin and Genius
Great authors are known for their remarkable storytelling, but sometimes, their quirks and habits are just as intriguing as their literary masterpieces. F. Scott Fitzgerald, …

What Does Your Toilet Paper Say About You
The Three Kinds of People: A Lighthearted Reflection on Success, Faith, and Toilet Paper Success gurus, religious leaders, and even ancient scriptures agree that humanity …

Most Authors Get It Wrong Online
In a world where stories unfold on the page and across screens, building an online presence is no longer optional for authors—it’s essential. Whether you’re …

500 Books and Counting
If there’s one name synonymous with prolific writing, it’s Isaac Asimov. Known as much for his inquisitive mind as for his glasses and friendly demeanor, …

The Price of Respectability
“Writers should never be too respectable; I think it may be their undoing.” Sherwood Anderson’s words cut straight to the heart of what it means …

Podcasts

Evan, who lives in Anchorage, has 9 children, 25 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. As a pilot, he has logged more than 4,000 hours of flight time in Alaska, in both wheel and float planes. He is a serious recreation hunter and fisherman, equally comfortable casting a flyrod or using bait, or lures. He has been published in many national magazines and is the author of four books.