If you expect to be able to retire off your first contracted novel, you might want to stop reading right now.  I don’t want to be the one to dash your hopes and dreams. Still with me?  Maybe your expectations for your writing aren’t so crazy then.  Notice I said ‘Maybe’. Let me begin by saying that it does happen that first authors sometimes get a massive advance on their first books.  People also win the lottery all the time.  Unfortunately, it always seems to be the other guy (or girl) who does it. There’s a reason for it too.  It’s called the media.  What do I mean by that, you may ask?  Simply this:  the media doesn’t report on […]

For me, writing is an enjoyable thing.  I love developing stories and characters and I really enjoy getting the story down on paper.  Every once in a while I’m able to write a scene that really touches me and I know it’s all worth it. It’s not always like that, though.  There are days when I’ve had a hard day at work or I’m not feeling particularly well or… well, any of a hundred things happen and I just don’t wanna write (picture grown man jumping up and down in a tantrum).  Those are the days that I take a pass and do something else (preferably something I enjoy). Happily, that only happens occasionally. I have found that some writing […]

Writing is a solitary gig and it’s easy to be discouraged sometimes.  Maybe you’ve had a hard day at work or you’re sick or perhaps you just feel down.  Those can be the times that make or break a writer.  I’ve been there. It’s when you are at your lowest that you need to step back and look at why you write.  Find something about your writing that makes you happy.  This can be a tough thing to do.  It’s really easy to see the things that aren’t working or haven’t worked.  Avoid thinking about them.  They won’t help you.  Remember, you’re trying to build yourself up. Why is this important?  In a nutshell, sticking to your writing and continuing […]

I attended ConVersion 24 last weekend and I’m pleased to say it was well-worth the $60 I spent to go. What was ConVersion 24 you might ask?  Simply put, it is a Science Fiction and Fantasy convention held in Calgary every fall.  This year it was August, next year it will be in October (as I understand it). The guests were Timothy Zahn, KA Bedford and Jennie Breeden.  My friend Simon Rose was also there speaking at the Children’s Programming section and participating in a panel on Marketing oneself. I sat in on both Timothy Zahn’s and KA Bedford’s panels and I was very happy to hear about their daily writing routines.  They both said that they write between 1 […]