[From the Archive] Keeping it Professional Part 2
Amazing how this comes up in rotation on the same day The New York Times insults women and fantasy. BTW… LOTS of women like fantasy. LOTS of women like George R. R. Martin and his books. Thanks for the sweeping generalizations. We appreciate them. — One of the things about writers is that we are […]
[From the Archive] Conventions
Seems appropriate after ConJour, to have this come up in rotation… — It’s Convention Season – at least for me. Or what I consider Convention around this part of the US. The “season” will always depend on the writer/artist and their location. For me, it’s June – October – with at least one “pre-season” convention. […]
[From the Archive] Of Deadlines and Parodies
This week’s column is early. Mostly because I have a deadline looming, and right now, I have an idea. So yay. It’s Monday, I’m taking what I can get. This week we’re talking about parodies and farces. April 2009 saw a huge cafuffle (that’s a technical term, you know) over a “tribute” sequel novel to […]
[From the Archive] Challenges
Okay, it’s Wednesday. It’s column day. This week, I’m sharing my challenge. This has nothing to do with Life. Every writer has Life. Or scheduling. Now that I’m busy all the time, I’m actually starting to accomplish more. Deadlines do that. The challenge lies with a freelance project I’m working on. I’m still deep in […]
[From the Archive] Breaking the Rut
Hey, look, I remembered… 😎 — Last week I talked about writer’s block. This week I think I’ll talk about getting back on track. It’s all well and good to mention things that combat writer’s block, but when you’re really good and discombobulated, it’s difficult to pull yourself out of the spiral and get back […]
[From the Archive] The Aliens Ate My Homework
This was from a while back… Enjoy the distraction. It’s the Holidays after all, and we all need a bit of distraction. You can thank Facebook for this week’s article. My friends there are responsible for this idea – mostly because I had none of my own. It’s been one of those weeks. The Plot […]
[From the Archive] Make ‘Em Laugh
Make ’em… Make ’em laugh Don’t you know everyone wants to laugh These are key words in one of my favorite Singing in the Rain songs done by Donald O’Connor. And it’s true with writing as well. Humor is one of the perennial favorites in literature. It’s also one of the hardest genres to write […]
[From the Archive] Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
“Where do you get your ideas?” Every writer down through history has been asked this question – many, countless times – throughout their careers. Each time the answer is both the same and different. Everywhere. Ideas for stories come in all shapes and forms. Many writers even have “pet” names for them like: Plot Bunnies, […]
[From the Archive] Playing Well With Others: Collaborations
In that vein… Frank Page of Bob The Squirrel has been SO RIGHT ON this week… And geez, I’ve got to be more consistent with this… This week’s archive post… Do you play well with others? Do you like symbiotic relationships which can lead to amazing new vistas of creative endeavors? Are you an inherent […]
[From the Archive] A New Star in Publishing
Originally published in 2009 – the books mentioned have been released and are available… The publishing industry felt a huge blow rock its foundations in December 2008. Many of the Big Houses felt a whole restructure which slashed staff, budgets, and acquisitions, sending many authors and other industry professionals into a tailspin. However, as the […]