The third writing retreat has been set up. We planned to return to East Texas (a different state park than last year's retreat), but it was full (and last year's site is booked into later May and currently flooded in spots). So this year is a … [Continue reading]
So there is this, a piece of The Stranger that has enraged many writers online. Many of the writers are the same writers that tell other writers, "Grow a thick skin," but, instead, they take part in Rage du Jour, giving the very thing they hate … [Continue reading]
I love Kickstarter and Indiegogo. I think it's so cool that someone can come up with an idea and, possibly, see it funded. (Hell, I even took a try myself a couple years ago.) I've helped fund tiny projects, things I was really happy to fund, and … [Continue reading]
I've mentioned before that I am not the best at promoting the things I do. Because of this, after releasing a new e-book or doing something else online that can make money, things fall off to a trickle. I'm fine with that; there are usually newer and … [Continue reading]
Every week, I load a new podcast to meningorillasuits.com. (Sometimes [most times] I load episodes before the Thursday deadline Shawn Kupfer and I decided on when we started.) In 106 weeks since starting, we have never missed a deadline. In these … [Continue reading]
It's always seemed to me that some people either feel uncomfortable about discussing the effect of luck when it comes to "making it" as a writer (or with any creative endeavor), or that people really do believe that hard work and talent is all it … [Continue reading]
[A bit of a disclaimer. This post was mostly meant to be a little tongue-in-cheek. It is meant to tease those who try taking an easy route toward becoming a "thought leader" or "influencer" by way of memes -- not action. In short, it's a jokey … [Continue reading]
Earlier this week, I mentioned that my printer died while printing the first draft of the latest novel. Here's the rest of the story... Twenty-One Years Ago Twenty-one years ago, a laser printer in the home was a big deal. I can't remember if … [Continue reading]
I've been meaning to read if for the last week, but last night I finally got around to reading this Jeff VanderMeer piece in The Atlantic about writing the Southern Reach trilogy. I'm currently reading the trilogy (I recently wrote about the first … [Continue reading]
I love social media. I love that Twitter serves just as much as a micro news feed for me as it does a way to stay in touch with people. While I'm not much of a fan of Facebook (it's where I see the most angry politics, Buzzfeed link shares, and … [Continue reading]
I didn't write this past weekend. Well, I didn't work on the novel-in-progress this past weekend...because I'm calling it a done draft! Sure, there are some rough edges and parts where crude notes like MAKE BETTER! and DESCRIBE MORE SHIT! linger. … [Continue reading]
Ask someone who wants to write (but isn't writing) why they aren't producing, and you almost always get this answer: I don't have time. When I hear someone say, "I don't have time," I ask them what their favorite TV shows are. They usually rattle … [Continue reading]
Worldbuilding. For some writers, it's everything. Before characters, plot, or anything else, it's all about creating a big world...even going to great lengths to spend time making up things that are never even seen in the story, for "greater … [Continue reading]