Category Archives: Writing and Publishing

Uncategorized, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

In addition to posting current events in the writing and publishing community, I’m still catching up with highlights from last year, during this feature’s hiatus.

One item in particular caught my attention: the decision of the World Fantasy committee to discontinue using the bust of HP Lovecraft as their award statue.  This was reported in November 2015, but I had not heard about it until this week and decided to share it here, objectively. I have no opinion on this matter one way or another.

From the Kill Zone, P.J. Parrish advises us to write every day while Joe Moore offers editing tips for independent writers. Think your characters are clever? Oren Ashkenazi has some questions for them. From Writer Unboxed, Kim Bullock provides a handy checklist on how to kill your darlings, and Dan Blank discusses distractions. Miranda Beverly-Whittemore reveals a bit of hindsight from her arduous journey to success.  All that, and a little more. Enjoy!

World Fantasy Award Drops HP Lovecraft as Prize Image and HP Lovecraft Biographer Rages Against Ditching of Author as Fantasy Prize Emblem by Alison Flood

Freedom of Expression? by Barry Eisler via Joe Konrath

I Was Wrong…You DO Need to Write Every Day by P.J. Parrish

Editing Tips for the Indie Author by Joe Moore

Desperately Seeking Darlings by Kim Bullock

Four Questions to Ask when a Character is Clever by Oren Ashkenazi

Don’t Worry, It Only Gets Harder by Dan Blank

Five Things I Wish I’d Known Five Months Before I Published My First Novel by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

10 Women Who Changed Sci-Fi by BBC America

 

Uncategorized, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Steven H. Wilson and David Gaughran discuss copyright and potential violations of such. At Writer Unboxed, David King warns against the pitfalls of self-publishing while Sophie Masson dishes on author interviews, and Susan Spann reviews rights reversions (say that 5 times fast!).

Delilah S. Dawson sees no value in self-promotion…or does she? Meanwhile, the mayor of Baltimore declares January 19 “Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Day.”

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Do Star Trek Fans Just Not Understand Copyright? by Steven H. Wilson

The One Where an Author Steals Text from My Book to Sell Pirated Software by David Gaughran

Obtaining Reversions of Publishing Rights: the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly by Susan Spann

The Art and Craft of Author Interviews by Sophie Masson

Please Shut Up: Why Self-Promotion as an Author Doesn’t Work and Wait, Keep Talking: Author Self-Promo that Actually Works by Delilah S. Dawson

The Perils of Self-Publishing by Dave King

Defying the Odds, Local Bookstore Reaches First Birthday by Pete Mazzaccaro

Revising Your Novel: Playground, Not Torture Chamber by Grant Faulkner

Baltimore Mayor Declares City-Wide Edgar Allan Poe Appreciation Day via The Baltimore Sun

Blog, Uncategorized, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

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This week, the Kill Zone’s Kathryn Lilley warns us about zombies while Ron Vitale offers advice to forge lasting connections with readers. Anne R. Allen lists the telltale signs of a newbie novelist while Kristen Lamb challenges us to rise above the stigma of self-publishing.

Lately, there has been great concern and debate about the lack of equitable pay for writers. As Alison Flood reports, the problem is manifest in the UK as well.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Sorry, Grammar Nerds. The Singular ‘They’ Has Been Declared Word of the Year by Jeff Guo

10 Industry Predictions for 2016 by Tom Chalmers

Writing Note #1: Avoid Creating “Zombie” Characters by Kathryn Lilley

Building a Relationship with Readers by Ron Vitale via Veronica Sicoe

10 Things that Red-Flag a Newbie Novelist by Anne R. Allen

Episodic Storytelling is a Problem by Mooderino

Selling Books in the Digital Age-We ALL Have an Image Problem & Here’s What To Do by Kristen Lamb

Philip Pullman Resigns as Oxford Literary Patron over Lack of Pay for Authors and Professional Writers Set to Become an Endangered Species by Alison Flood

Author Newsletters: 6 Tips for Smart Strategies by Jami Gold

Blog, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, award-winning writer Steven H. Wilson imparts his experiences as a self-publisher and small-press founder. David Gaughran and Victoria Strauss discuss the Penguin Random House sale of the nefarious Author Solutions.  Over at Writer Unboxed, they talk about tension, energy, and choosing the right path.  The Mythcreants, a site replete with helpful articles and perspectives, offers tips on character development and clichés to avoid.

All that, and a little more. Enjoy!

Lessons Learned: Self-Publishing – Part One and Part Two by Steven H. Wilson

FYI: Penguin Random House is Still in the Vanity Publishing Business by David Gaughran

Author Solutions Sold to Private Equity Firm by Victoria Strauss

2016 Opens with a World Author Challenge to Publishing Contracts by Porter Anderson

Tension vs. Energy by Donald Maass

The Storyteller and the Roads Not Traveled in the WIP by Julianna Baggott

19 Tips on Writing Memoir from The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith

Six Cliches to Watch Out For by Oren Ashkenazi

The Six Traits of Strong Characters and Five Signs Your Character Is Fully Developed by Chris Winkle

 

 

Blog, Writing and Publishing

About This Writing Stuff…

As 2016 approaches, one of my resolutions is to resurrect a popular, semi-regular feature here on my blog that went dark in April 2015 as my life just became too hectic to maintain it.

“About This Writing Stuff” is a collection of interesting articles from the writing and publishing world. Most are instructional, meant to provide helpful tools for writers. Some are merely news or updates, but all are meant to inform with no bias on my part. In other words, I don’t always agree with every article, but I welcome your feedback and opinions.

I thought I’d start on New Year’s Eve, especially since I recently discovered a fantastic website for fantasy and SF writers called Mythcreants, from which came three of the articles below touching on creating memorable character moments and riveting fight scenes as well as unrealistic tropes to avoid.

From Writer Unboxed, Lisa Cron delves into backstory, while SF author Veronica Sicoe is completely out of order. Jami Gold breaks down the characteristics of a strong story. We also talk Facebook for writers and the renaissance of used book stores. The latter sparked quite a debate recently on social media over the fact that writers receive no payment for the sale of used books.  How do you feel about this?

Enjoy the articles and have a wonderful, healthy, and productive New Year!

What We’ve Been Taught About Backstory…and Why It’s Wrong by Lisa  Cron

Writing Out of Sequence – The Best Way to Write by Veronica Sicoe

How to Best Use Facebook as an Author by Teymour Shahabi

The Critical Importance of Crafting a Strong Opening and 8 Tips for Picking Meaningful Character Names by Jody Hedlund

Does Our Story Have Everything it Needs? by Jami Gold

Six Unrealistic Tropes and How to Avoid Them by Oren Ashkenazi

Six Tricks for Memorable Character Moments and How to Narrate a Riveting Fight Scene by Chris Winkle

In the Age of Amazon, Used Bookstores Are Making an Unlikely Comeback by Michael S. Rosenwald