As a self-published author, I am my own business. That presents numerous challenges. The business end of being an artist comes with a lot of complex needs and issues. I, for example, am three different writers in one. First, I am a writer of fiction. My primary focus has been fantasy, sci-fi, and Steampunk. I…
Word count lets me better quantify how much writing I am doing. What does a writer do? They write, of course. Over the years, I have played with being a writer. For a time, it was a hobby. Then it was an obsession. Finally, I began to move the pieces to make it into my…
This question of inspiration applies to many aspects of life. Different things inspire different people. You could watch a Food Network program and be inspired to cook. Maybe reading a book inspires you to write your own. Watching a star athlete perform could inspire you to get into better shape. And maybe inspiration hits you…
Planning is part of my newest approach to my writing practice. I recently wrote about exploring my overall practice of writing. I asked how much writing is enough writing? In my analysis of my writing work ethic, it became clear that when it comes to guaging word count I could do more. I determined that…
This is one of the ultimate questions about writing practices. And it varies from writer to writer. I’ve asked myself this before. Do I write enough? This is a VERY subjective question. Enough writing for me might be too much for you and not enough for someone else. I am currently reading Craig Martelle’s Become…
How does someone who normally isn’t into plotting plot out a book? I have an idea. After watching The Clone Wars (finally) I had an intriguing thought. What if you have created hundreds of thousands of warrior clones – and then your war ends? What becomes of them? They were purpose-built to fight a war….
Do-it-yourself (DIY) is a great means to an end – but is not without many challenges. I am a writer. If you are looking to have words wrestled into submission in one form or another, I am your guy. Along the way, I have also become an editor. I’ve spent time doing so professionally, and…
There are things I don’t write for numerous reasons. What don’t you write? I have written many times about the variety of different things that I write about. But I never have addressed what I don’t write about. This can be applied to every genre that I work in. From fiction to non-fiction to business,…
I can see what I want on the other side – but still haven’t figured out how to get through the invisible door. When I was asked if I wanted to contribute a short story about pirates and magic back in 2010, I was ecstatic. Finally, I was going to have a work of fiction…
Coping with a topsy-turvy, uncertain world, it’s all too easy to have word fail you. Are you at a loss for how to approach the world right now? Oftentimes, I am. To say that we are living in “interesting” times is an understatement. What we are living in is perhaps one of the most bizarre,…
