A couple days ago I received word from my publisher that my author’s copies were on their way. That was exciting enough, but yesterday the t-shirts and book cards I ordered arrived. Those two events made everything feel more real than ever. And to put a thick layer of icing on my cake, I got an email from my home town public library, inviting me to come back and do an author visit to promote the new book. Just for the record, it took me almost eighteen months after Mik Murdoch: Boy Superhero was published to get my first visit. Being invited before the sequel is released is a definite improvement (and in the spirit of full disclosure, the library […]
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Taking the Night Off
Last night I did something I haven’t done in a while: I went out for beer and ribs with a couple writer friends of mine to just…well to just talk. I’ve heard different people say that talking about writing is a lot like literary masturbation (yes, I just said that). Essentially, they are saying that it is fun to talk about writing but it doesn’t ultimately get any writing done. That is absolutely true, but what they fail to say in that rather disturbing turn-of-phrase is that sometimes it’s good to just talk shop. Take a break from the actual work and talk about what has us excited about our projects. That excitement is sometimes lost when we’re in the […]
Read moreGetting to the Next Level
I sent the final (?) edits for Mik Murdoch: The Power Within to my editor/publisher on Sunday. Since that time, I have been thinking of the things I have done and still need to do to move to the next level as an author. So, let’s start with what I’ve done: I blog regularly on my website; I have been working to build my Social Media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other places; I have my first novel out; I have my first edited anthology out; I have stories in several anthologies; I have stories up on Wattpad; I podcast regularly (Get Published, in case you didn’t know); I’ve done sessions at several conventions; I’ve collaborated on a novel […]
Read moreSubconscious – Friend or Foe?
I know my subconscious is always working in the background. It tends to show itself in the form of remembering obscure facts or names. I will try to think of something, draw a blank and an hour or so later it pops into my head. Either my internal data retrieval system is very slow or I have so much useless data in my head that the search algorithm takes some time to complete. It also is very good at helping me work through story ideas, plotting and story problems. I give some thought to whatever element is troubling me, set it process and go about my other daily tasks. Sometimes I go for a walk to really focus on the […]
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