2019 Roundup or I Got Sick Again, Have Some Links

I’ve not been feeling great the past couple of days. It happens. I was going to do this post at the beginning of the year, but decided to instead save it for a day just like today, when I wasn’t feeling well. So, instead of my normal post, here’s some of my favorite things I’ve …

Coffee and Books – Write to Market Deconstructed 2, Electric Boogaloo

Almost exactly a year ago, I wrote a post about why the “Write to market” advice so many people get is...not as simple as it seems. I suggest you check it out, because - as the title indicates - this is a sequel to that. And, like that post, this one is going to reference …

Book Launch Parties are the Best – Here’s Why

After my off-the-cuff Friday post being nostaligic about old friends, I got to have a party with current friends. Laura, my editor and closest friend, threw me a book launch party. It was completely unexpected and an immensely fun - I even got a cake with Strange Cosmology’s cover on it. Look at it! And …

What to do when your Characters won’t Cooperate

One piece of writing advice I see fairly often is “let the characters do what they want.” On the whole, this is not bad advice - it tends to lead to a more organic story, and your characters will feel more believable. However, like most advice delivered in short, easy to remember phrases, the truth …

Sh*t my Editor Says

I love my editor. She is patient, understanding, and only kicks me in the ass when I absolutely need it.  She’s also hilarious. Since we’ve finished all but one final copy edit on Strange Cosmology, I thought it’d be fun to share some of her greatest quotes from the editing process. Enjoy. General Writing Quirks …

Ducks in a Row – what you need to know before publishing on Amazon

In case you missed me talking about it, I have a new book! Strange Cosmology, the sequel to Weird Theology, is on pre-order now. This has, obviously, gotten me thinking about the publishing process a lot. On top of that, I’ve had a lot of friends and random people ask me what they need to …

Hey Writers, Enough with the Gatekeeping

“You’re not a real writer unless…” How many times have you seen something like on your social media? Because, if your internet experience is anything like mine, it’s damn near everywhere. Writers trying to add criteria to the process, saying that if you don’t complete task X, Y, or Z, you don’t get to call …

(Bad) Ideas from my Dreams

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve woken up or half woken up with what I was certain was an absolutely amazing idea, only to have it evaporate into nothingness by the time I got to my computer to write it down. It’s the most frustrating sensation in the world, and I felt like …

Things to Ask Your Beta Readers Part 3 – Immersion

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but I’ve always thought that is grossly unfair to words. A picture might get details you’d need a thousand words to capture fully, but with well-chosen words you can do so much more. In a thousand words I could tell you the history of a world, …

Some of the Biggest Influences on my Writing (As a Child)

I am a human, at least until I find a way to upload my brain to the internet and reign immortal as a digital consciousness, grinding the remaining meatbags under my mechanical heel. As such, I am not immune to the influences of other creative works. With Strange Cosmology coming this summer - my second …