This is always an interesting position to be in. Writing is, on the one hand, simple. Sit at the keyboard, let the ideas flow, and get the words on the screen. On the other hand, there’s often quite the process involved. This essay, for example, is being written by the seat of my pants. This…
Tag: sci-fi
Preparing for Another Farpoint
My third year attending the sci-fi con is here. Towards the end of 2021, after publishing 9 books in 2 years, I determined that I needed to start attending more conventions. Searching for cons a reasonable distance from home, I discovered Farpoint Con in Maryland. While one of the predominant themes of Farpoint is Star…
Can I Still Run with Half an Idea?
Half an idea is better than no idea. About 6 months ago, I had a vague story idea pop into my head. This would be a return to fantasy after working on a lot of sci-fi the past few years. The idea had to do with a world featuring humans and another sentient race (based…
Sharing My Book Happenings Over the Next Two Weeks
Indie-author self-promotion is utterly necessary. As I’m writing this, I have multiple things happening in my indie-author world. This is the result of a lot of work on a lot of different levels over the past couple of months. Let’s start with the immediate, most time-sensitive element: My standalone fantasy/Steampunk, rise of the villain novel,…
Let’s De-beta the Beta Reader
No debate, that just sounded funny in my head. What is a beta reader? A beta reader is someone who reads an unpublished work specifically to give feedback to the author. They are expected to comment on any plot issues, pacing, continuity, and other storytelling matters. Along the way, they might catch a few errors…
How Do I Navigate the Changing Landscape of Writing and Publishing?
There’s no right or wrong answer, just lots of options. When I finished my first sci-fi novel – 50 handwritten and illustrated pages – at the age of 9, I tried to get it published. For the creation of a 9-year-old, it wasn’t bad. But neither was it good. As I got older and (I…
Making Choices to Change My Business Model
Altering my path as an authorpreneur When I first began to self-publish, I used CreateSpace. Via this fantastic website, I could format both an eBook (Kindle) and paperback for publication – mostly to Amazon. I started slowly. It began with some of my nonfiction works. This, in time, would be moved to a separate name…
Taking a Risk and Expanding the Reach of My Work
A worthwhile risk is always worth taking, in my opinion. I’ve been writing since I was 9 years old. Over the years, I made a lot of attempts to go the traditional route with publishing. For a brief time, I had an agent – but he wasn’t the right fit for me (sci-fi fantasy wasn’t…
What Might the Future of Writing, Creativity, and the Reality of AI Look Like?
The future is here. AI is gaining prominence. What will that mean? I started my journey as a creative writer when I was 9 years old. While writing is my first love as a creator, it’s by far not my only love. In High School, I took vocal lessons. I was a trained, 4-octave baritone…
How I’m Maintaining Momentum – Sharing My Creative Process
I’m creating many things – and today I share how I’m maintaining momentum along the way. For the aspiring creators out there, I thought it might be worthwhile to share all that I have going on – and how I’m maintaining my momentum to do so. I’ve written here in vague, mostly general terms about…