A writing update can show the real behind-the-scenes work of an indie author trying to grow their audience. In “SEO to Rank Higher,” Greg Luti discusses his recent push to improve the site’s Google rankings — from requesting indexing on dozens of pages and adding meta descriptions to every post, to learning the hard way about Google’s daily indexing limits. Working on SEO for the Site I have been really working on getting the SEO for the site down, and as much as I like to fo

A key piece of writing and editing advice is to focus on what works strongest in your story. In “Know What Works,” Greg Luti explains why you should identify and strengthen your best scenes, characters, and lines instead of trying to make every single part of your manuscript equally good. Not Every Part of a Story is Equally Great When I am editing someone’s novel or writing my own, there are parts of the novel that are a little bit better than others. I mean, let’s be real h

A flash fiction story can explore the difference between celebrity and true greatness. In “Being Like,” Greg Luti follows a high school student who chooses Michael Jackson as his role model for fame and talent — until his teacher introduces him to the ancient Roman hero Cincinnatus, who chose a very different path. A high school student stood at the door of the classroom waiting to see where his teacher was in the room. The teacher was helping two other students in extra help

A writing update gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at an author’s creative decisions and process. In “New Site Design - Writing Update,” Greg Luti explains his decision to simplify the entire website, launch a free editing workbook, adopt a consistent four-day publishing schedule, and stay true to his authentic voice while growing his audience. New Site Design I am happy to say I got some help from my assistant to redesign the site. We made the entire thing much simpler

An ironic poem reveals a contradiction in human behavior. In “The Lonely Man,” Greg Luti shows a man who openly admits his loneliness to two women offering help, yet twice rejects them with the same smirk: “I’m lonely… but I’m not that lonely.” This self-aware refusal to change is the heart of the poem’s irony. A man walked down a street one night when a woman whom he had never met approached him. All the men in town knew of this woman, but would never dare say such a thing i

An ironic poem often highlights the gap between what we say and what we actually feel. In “Why I Didn’t Open Your Email,” Greg Luti captures a chaotic morning spiral of overthinking, existential questions, and everyday procrastination that leads to a hilariously relatable decision not to open an email. I didn’t open your email right away because I was busy. No, I was not working late hours in the office. I try to leave as early as I can every day. Nor was I spending time with

An ordinary errand can become a moment of unexpected philosophy. In “Math Equation,” Greg Luti turns a simple trip to CVS into a deep conversation with a stranger who explains how life itself is one giant, ever-changing math equation. After my shift, I went to my local CVS to get something to drink and a snack or two. I was not in the mood for any actual food, just something to tie me over as I drove home, so I thought I would quickly go into the CVS and get something, a habi

A writing update lets readers follow an author’s creative journey in real time. In “Coming Together - Writing Update,” Greg Luti shares how several parts of his writing life are finally aligning — a consistent schedule for poetry and flash fiction, the new preview of Hit of Henry now live, $3/month subscriptions, site redesign, and upcoming editing services. Current Writing Schedule I am glad to report that the writing schedule I have is getting a little bit more consistent,

A man’s true worth is often judged by society’s standards of success. In “Judgement of a Man,” Greg Luti reveals that real value lies not in wealth, strength, or achievements, but in the simple, profound way a man respects and honors his mother. Judge a man not on his accomplishments in his field of study nor by the fleeting greatness that the world bestows upon his mortal head. Don’t judge a man by his wealth, for the stocks he buys, or the gold he accumulates. Not by his st

A flash fiction story can turn an ordinary conversation into something memorable and surprising. In “The Happy Man,” Greg Luti follows an office worker who has a strange encounter with a stranger mourning the death of the happiest man he ever knew — a man who found genuine joy in something as ordinary as paying his taxes on time. As I was busy running around the office, filling papers and typing up reports, I realized I had not gotten to the bathroom all morning. For some rea

A tribute poem can honor a national tragedy with reverence and hope. In “9/11 Tribute Poem,” Greg Luti offers a heartfelt prayer remembering the heroes and victims of that day — those who ran into darkness so others could see light, and the enduring power of faith and love over hate. Dear Lord, Jesus Christ, that which conquered Death and forced open the door that was jammed for all time, look upon those souls who we lost on that fateful day 23 years ago. Those who ran into t

A writing update keeps readers informed about an author’s plans and progress. In “More On The Site - Writing Update,” Greg Luti discusses expanding his blog with more poetry, flash fiction, and short stories, moving all his Patreon content to his own site for full ownership, and establishing a consistent publishing schedule while finishing current projects. More Content Coming to the Site I have been working on getting more content on this site in the form of poems, flash fic

A flash fiction story can turn a simple prank into a funny meditation on aging and fame. In “Jeans,” Greg Luti follows an aging actor who is tricked by his agent into filming a quirky Levi’s commercial opposite Beyoncé, leading to witty reflections on Hollywood absurdity and getting older. I have a really weird relationship with my agent. I mean, I have known the guy for 20 years or whatever, but he doesn't talk to me like I am a client. That is how long it has been, I guess.

A poem about change can capture the painful gap between desperate hope and harsh reality. In “Change,” Greg Luti follows a boy who begs love to transform like the weather, the day, and the town around him — only to receive a heartbreakingly honest and final rejection. “People change, do they not?” A boy pleaded with a girl, who stood there physically but mentally left a while ago. “Surely people change… The day starts as morn and then becomes night. You don’t see the morning

A writing update often reveals an author’s current creative priorities and decisions. In “Writing for Blog - Writing Update,” Greg Luti explains his choice to focus on poetry and flash fiction for the blog as a way to build a consistent, sustainable routine while avoiding burnout and keeping his novels on hold for now. Focusing on Short Fiction Lately, I have been really focusing on writing my short pieces of fiction for my blog. These pieces include poetry and flash fiction

A flash fiction story can reveal true heroism in unexpected places. In “The Ovation,” Greg Luti follows an outsider at a high school football game who assumes Redman is a legendary athlete — only to discover a quiet hero who shaped countless lives as a dedicated teacher and coach. On a cool Friday night, the high school football game bleachers were filled with local people from town, there for the ceremony of the various individuals at halftime as much as the game itself. The

A poem can turn an ordinary late-night smoke break into a raw confession. In “A Smoke in the Cold Night,” Greg Luti listens in on two coworkers outside a yogurt shop as their conversation reveals deep frustration with hypocrisy, dead-end jobs, and the quiet desperation of doing what you’re “supposed” to do instead of what actually makes you happy. A disgruntled worker leaned up against the cement wall behind the yogurt shop, smoking his cigarettes as the new guy sat on the cu

A writing update often shows an author’s commitment to consistency. In “Same Plan - Writing Update,” Greg Luti explains his decision to stick with the same steady plan for the new year — moving all content off Patreon, launching previews of Hit of Henry, and focusing on regular poetry and flash fiction while keeping long-term projects on track. Same Plan for the New Year My actions for the new year and my writing have been consistent in that I am doing the same things I was d

A book project update keeps readers informed about an author’s progress on a novel. In “Book Project - Writing Update,” Greg Luti shares that he has completed the full outline for Hit of Henry, is preparing special edition mail-order books, and has slowed novel writing due to new editing clients while advertising his services in Writer’s Digest and Poets & Writers. The Special Edition Book Project I have been working on a project recently for my books, where those of you who

A writing update often shares an author’s hopes and plans for the new year. In “Blog Posts and Beginning the Year,” Greg Luti outlines his optimistic vision for more poetry, flash fiction, and Hit of Henry excerpts on the blog, along with plans for a shop, the Literary Club, and growing his editing services. More Content Coming to the Site I have been working on adding more content to this site to give the readers and new visitors a better experience when they stumble upon it