I apologize for a rather extended absence. I haven’t felt well for the past month of flu season and my attention – what there was of it – went to my novel. All over a very nasty flu bug and attendant bout of bronchitis now though. I’m back with more Read more…
On a more personal topic: I got an email from my publisher, Swimming Kangaroo Books, last night letting me know that the Advance Reader Copies of Warrior’s Duty are off to Publisher’s Weekly and Library Journal. They also sent one to my local daily, The Oregonian. I’m both thrilled and Read more…
I to discuss an article in Baen’s Universe by writer/editor Mike Resnick about Slush Piles. He, after all, probably knows as much as there is to know about them. He got out of them; he used to read them; and he now has minions who read them on his behalf. Read more…
Outlining a novel. Put any two novelists together, bring up that subject and you’re likely to start an argument. Personally, I’m firmly in the non-outlining camp. I tried outlining which led to a horrible, stinking novel that got firmly trunked. It just didn’t work for me which is what I Read more…
One of the things that annoys me is when writers assume that the bigger the sword the more effective it is. This simply isn’t true and a writer concerned about realistically portraying sword fights should realize this. Swords are for cutting (and less often for thrusting) not for crushing so Read more…
Ok, now I am a fantasy writer. In my case, this means I write story that take place in worlds I make up and they mostly use “medieval” style weapons. I put medieval in quotes because the fact is swords, shields and bows have been used in many times other Read more…
I ran into a blog with comments from a lot of famous writers on this subject the other day. I’d point you toward it IF I could remember where I saw it! But I thought it was an interesting topic and thought I’d throw in my own experience–not that I’m Read more…
RANT WARNING! I get really tired of all of the people who treat aspiring writers like cash cows. Whether it’s people who write books and articles about how self-publishing is taking over the industry (Ha!), to the self-publishing companies that pretend they’ll actually help market or that it’s so easy Read more…
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is in serious trouble and I’m thoroughly disgusted. There is no excuse for a company to have been dragged into financial trouble the way HMH is. No, it isn’t that books aren’t selling. Book sales on Amazon are up substantially and while they were down at Barnes Read more…
A friend asked me this the other day. He’s always been an avid fantasy reader but now he’s starting on a novel. He loves it but he’s not quite sure that he’s doing it “right.” Should he start on page one and write to the end? Should he worry about Read more…