Category: Dubious Writing Advice
Which Is It? Criticism or Feedback?
As a writer, you hear the terms criticism and feedback a lot. The first carries a (sometimes undeserved) negative connotation, the other, a more positive and constructive one. The truth is, feedback and criticism are both necessary and helpful to a writer, as long… Continue Reading “Which Is It? Criticism or Feedback?”
Evolution of an Author Bio III
This is the third post I’ve done about my ever-changing author bio. The last post was in 2020, and a lot has changed in the intervening two years. So, I find myself once again in need of a new bio. In this post, we’ll… Continue Reading “Evolution of an Author Bio III”
Three Things I Learned from Writing RPG Adventures
Before I embarked on the perilous journey of speculative fiction author, my primary writing gig was in the tabletop RPG and tabletop miniature game industries. Though writing material for roleplaying games is a different animal than writing fiction, there are certainly parallels, and I… Continue Reading “Three Things I Learned from Writing RPG Adventures”
Novellas by the Numbers
I recently had a novella published by Grinning Skull Press called Effectively Wild, and I’m currently writing a follow-up novella. I’ve also written novellas for Privateer Press in their steampunk fantasy setting of the Iron Kingdoms. Since I’m focused on novellas right now, I… Continue Reading “Novellas by the Numbers”
The Accidental NaNoWriMo
November is on the horizon, and that means thousands of writers are preparing to jam out 50,000-word novels in a month as part of NaNoWriMo. I’ve never done an official NaNoWriMo, but I keep meticulous records of how much I write per day when… Continue Reading “The Accidental NaNoWriMo”
The Hook Up: Yet More Fun With First Lines
A blog topic I keep coming back to is analyzing the first lines of my flash and short stories. As before, all this comes from the essay written by Stephen King called “Great Hookers I Have Known” in his now sadly out-of-print collection Secret… Continue Reading “The Hook Up: Yet More Fun With First Lines”
Three Things I Learned About Writing Media Tie-In
Today, I’m going to talk about writing media tie-in fiction for tabletop gaming companies. I actually know a thing or two about that because I’ve worked both sides of that particular fence. My last position in the industry was as a managing editor for… Continue Reading “Three Things I Learned About Writing Media Tie-In”
Vampires and Zombies and Werewolves, Oh My!
I’ve touched on this before, but recent good news has me thinking about it again. There’s a sense in the genre-writing community that it’s exceedingly difficult to sell stories that feature classic monsters. I’m talking mostly about the big three: vampires, zombies, and werewolves.… Continue Reading “Vampires and Zombies and Werewolves, Oh My!”
Should You Read One-Star Reviews?
A common topic in writerly circles is whether or not authors should read bad reviews of their work on Amazon, Goodreads, and elsewhere. Just for clarification, when I say bad review, I mean a one- or -two-star review, though I know some might consider… Continue Reading “Should You Read One-Star Reviews?”
First Draft Finish Line: What’s Your Speed?
How long should it take you to write the first draft of a novel? There’s no right answer, really, but as both a writer of novels and a former editor of authors who write novels, I’ve identified three categories that most writers fall into… Continue Reading “First Draft Finish Line: What’s Your Speed?”
Effectively Wild – A Baseball Horror Story
Night Walk & Other Dark Paths
Acts of War: Flashpoint
Acts of War: Aftershock
Acts of War: Stormbreak
Aeryn Rudel's Rejectomancy 