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Category Archives: Writing
What Are You Waiting For?
I’ve met a lot of people who say they that want to write stories. I know most of them will never get around to it for a variety of reasons. For most of these folks, it won’t matter. Whatever their … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration, Writing
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Gone But Not Idle
I only posted one update over the past couple of weeks because I was visiting family, and for at least a week of that time, I didn’t have an internet connection. Some people might find no internet liberating, but I’m … Continue reading
Inspiration: Last Night at the Café Renaissance
Back in July of last year, InterGalactic Medicine Show published my story “Last Night at the Café Renaissance” (complete with this great illustration by Larry Blamire). This is one of my all-time favorite stories, and I couldn’t be happier to … Continue reading
So You Want to be a (Science) Fiction Writer
I’m not one who generally dispenses advice to be people about how to break into the writing business or to assess their ability to “make” it. I’m happy to talk about market trends, what works for me (but may not … Continue reading
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The No-BS Rules For Writing Success
People like to talk about rules for writing, but I’ve found that almost all the rules people talk about are a bunch of BS. That especially applies to all the rules about how to construct a story, how to start … Continue reading
Posted in Goals, Inspiration, Writing
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The Good, the Bad, the—Let’s Just Do the Good
I’ve said several times now that 2015 was a bad writing year for me, and by all my usual measures, it was probably my worst year since I started publishing professionally. I sold only a few stories, finished probably even fewer than … Continue reading
The Year of Getting Back on Track
It’s 2016. It’s the Year of the Monkey (or will be in another month). For me it’s the year I get back on track with my writing. One of my failures last year was that I set no writing goals … Continue reading
What are those steps again?
I feel a little like I’m in a 12-step program today. What’s that first step? Oh, yeah, admitting you have a problem. The second? Accepting it? Hmmm . . . I don’t know. Maybe this is a lousy analogy. I … Continue reading
Posted in Inspiration, Writing
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Inspiration: Sinking Holes
It’s been a while since a new story of my has been published, so I haven’t had much opportunity to continue my series of inspiration posts. I often get asked what inspired a particular story. Sometimes I don’t know the answer—it’s … Continue reading
Editors Should Be Your Writing Ally
An editor should be your ally in writing, not your adversary. We’ve all heard stories of nightmare editors–folks who make substantial change without consulting writers (then say they were only minor tweaks), not being communicative, not upholding contractual obligations (of … Continue reading
