I Hope You Noticed
What are the ways writers get noticed? Good hair, great covers, blind luck? Of course, there’s more to it than that and our posts this month were excellent at showing us the best ways to get our works...
View ArticleWinner!
Connie Williamson is the winner of our Terry Odell audiobook giveaway! Stay tuned for our upcoming 1000th post celebration, full of book giveaways and prizes. Share on Facebook
View ArticleThe Gift of Gratitude
Sitting in my gilded cage, my chicks chattering discontent gave me peace. I held them close while I frowned at the bars surrounding me… This was the beginning of a story I wrote for my eldest daughter...
View ArticleGrowing Community
Evan’s 1000th post yesterday made me nostalgic. When my son showed me the Superstars Seminar advert, I never imagined how much that event would affect my life. But, of course, that could be said of...
View ArticleSexy Monsters
I first realized I was in love with monsters when I watched “Love at First Bite” in the late 70’s. Maybe it was George Hamilton, maybe it was Disco, yet that fascination has remained. And yep, just...
View ArticleMy Best Sale
I’ve sold a number of short stories. Most of them have gone through a few rejections before getting picked up by a magazine or anthology. Some have even become the cover story. I used to hear others...
View ArticleThe Portability of Google Docs
As you might guess by the title, I’m using google docs to write this post. I’m also manning the phones where I work and eating lunch. I have half an hour. So, why am I adding this to my busy afternoon?...
View ArticleThe Fantasy Librarian
The year was…well, never mind that. Let’s just say that it was Jr. High and whenever the word “fantasy” was spoken among the pre-adolescents in this particular community, nobody thought of books. But,...
View ArticleFinding Your Cheerleader
Considering the subject of this post, I’m pretty sure to earn myself some flack so let’s just cover the “role” biases right off. For over fifteen years of my marriage, I chose to be a stay-at-home mom....
View ArticleDashti of a Thousand Days
The Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale is one of my absolute favorites. I’ve spotlighted it before, because of Hale’s amazing prose and ability to turn what might be considered a mundane story...
View ArticleCaptain America: Civil War. Great Art?
*Warning: Spoilers in the form of 2 pictures, but that’s all* They say that great art invokes emotion. If that’s the case then Captain America: Civil War must qualify. It invoked emotion for me, much...
View ArticleTwo to Three Novels per Year…Yeah, Right.
I didn’t think I had anything to write about for Misconceptions, but then i realized that I had a common misconception staring me in the face. I’d planned on putting three books out in 2016. I’ll be...
View ArticleGenre Mish-Mash
This month is all about genre: What is it? Why do we have genres? When does it frustrate us, excite us? How does an author write in multiple disparate genres? How do we merge genres successfully? Who...
View ArticleIsn’t it Time to Re-brand Space Opera?
I’ve harped on this before. Where in the middle ages did we come up with the term “space opera” to refer to soft science fiction? Is it a derogatory term? Did it make sense at the time? What were they...
View ArticleThe Day Job
Everyone’s heard it, especially if you have aspirations in a creative field. “Don’t quit your day job.” In November, right before Christmas, I discarded the age-old advice and I quit my day job. Am I...
View ArticleHook and Carry
I’ve heard Brandon Sanderson say it, I’ve gone to multiple David Farland workshops and heard him say it, and all the best authors know it: escalate! The problem is, we often think of this only in terms...
View ArticleStab Them in the Back
For all of you “Agents of Shield” fans, I think you’ll remember that wrench in your gut when you realized, but didn’t want to admit, that Grant Ward was Hydra. Not only was he Hydra, but he was also...
View ArticleThe Wizard Behind the Curtain
As a child watching The Wizard of Oz, I never suspected a bumbling old man hiding behind a curtain to be the “great and terrible Oz.” I was completely taken aback when Toto pulled back the drapes and...
View ArticleUsing Whole Foods in your Characters’ Diets.
Since the month seems to be focusing on the food aspects of writing, I thought I’d be trendy and go in the organic direction. When I think of organic or whole foods, I think of simple, the way nature...
View ArticleAwesome Releases
When my new publisher, Brick Cave Media, said we would be releasing my new book, Moon Shadows, at Phoenix Comicon, I didn’t want to hope. Now, in two days, the hope will become a reality. It’s been a...
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