I’ve put a lot of time into my writing, podcasting and networking. But what will I do when I actually get that elusive publishing contract? I have some ideas, but nothing concrete. For example, I know I want to do signings, interviews (written, video and audio). I want to do readings at the local libraries, online, at schools and practically anywhere else I can think of. What I don’t have a plan for or really understand is how these various activities will benefit the sales of my book(s) and that is where I think the plan falls way short. Without some sort of idea what will and will not work, how do I know where to put my energy? For […]
Read moreTag: writing
When Not to Write
For those of you who feel that writers must write always, don’t get up in arms thinking I’m espousing (how’s that for a $50-word?) a movement away from writing. What I’m talking about is only writing what’s relevant to the story. This question came up from friend Dan Absalonson via voicemail for ‘Get Published’ and the more I think about it, the more important it feels to me personally. Dan’s question, in a nutshell, was when should I be changing scenes and POV and how do I explain all that nitty gritty stuff that happens in between? Before I answer that, let me stage a bit of an example. The story is a typical fantasy quest story. Our heros have just […]
Read moreI think I’m finally growing up
My wife might argue with me about this, but I’m specifically talking about growing up as a writer. When I first started down the writing path I can honestly say I had visions of fame and glory. Mind you, those visions didn’t last very long as I started to research the entire writing life. All the research I did served to make me more paranoid about my own writing’s quality and the actual chances any of it would ever see the light of day. I (somehow) managed to get past the paranoia and self-doubt and kept writing. It wasn’t great, but it continued to get better. I began to submit the occasional piece. When I did so, I waited and […]
Read moreShould I Order the Steak or the Salad?
Have you ever gone out to a nice restaurant, looked at the menu and seen the most delectable dish that calls your name? You look at it, decide it’s too much to eat, move on and, invariably, come back to it and, somehow, despite your best intentions to behave and not overeat you order it anyway? You have? Me too. That’s actually what my writing and podcasting workload has felt like lately. There’s all these great things to work on, but if I try to do them all I’ll be overextending myself. I’ve got ‘Get Published’, ‘GalaxyBillies’, my YA novel rewrite, my short fiction. They all take time and I want to do them up right. Then there’s preparing for […]
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