This section contains new books and reviews of books I’ve read.
First Draft – Telling Yourself the Story There is a quote attributed to Terry Pratchett that says, “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” Being a huge fan of Terry Pratchett (and wanting to be Terry Pratchett when I grow up), that gives me hope as a writer. I mean, if you have ever read his work, you will find such a collection or wit, insight and sheer snark, you would wonder how anyone could possibly live up to the example he has set. I know, I certainly feel inadequate to meet the example he set; that is I did when I assumed his work came onto the page fully formed from his brain. Now, I’m not so […]
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Managing Priorities Our lives are filled with often-conflicting events. Prioritizing those things is the only way to survive (and succeed). In my case, my daughter was getting married AND I have a book to edit for publication (there are a couple more AND’s in there as well, but those are the two biggies). If you’ve never had a book published before you might lean in that direction. It was never a question for me; my daughter did and always will take precedence over my writing. So, being the father of the bride, I spent my time supporting her and my wife as well as I could and prepared for the wedding. The book sat waiting for my attention. Back to […]
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Learnings from the 2018 Calgary Horror Con I went into the Horror Con unsure what to expect. I’ve almost gone as a vendor twice only to have things fall through at the last minute. This year I was committed and I’m glad I was because I learned a couple things while there. I did not make the same mistake here that I did at the Comic Expo; I didn’t bring six cases of books. Instead, I brought one and bit, reasoning I could always bring more if I ran out. As it turned out, I brought enough having a few copies of most books left to sell when I went home. That wasn’t the important learning. What was can […]
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I think we have all seen books covers that make us say, “Wow!” I also know we have all seen book covers that make us shake our heads. The former make us pick up the book while the later make us move away from the shelf. Both are pretty extreme reactions. In some cases, our interest is piqued, while in others, we simply pass by without much thought. Ideally we want the “Wow”, not the, “What were they thinking,” reaction. That brings me to some tips you should probably follow when you decide on a cover. Tip #1 Knowing how to use Photoshop (or any comparable graphics software) does not mean you are going to be able to create a […]
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