• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Time Is Running Out on Moonscapes

    Just Over One Day Left… Ablegamers.com, the charity involved with this bundle could really use your help, folks. And you’ll get some great reading in the process. I am very proud, as I said earlier, of putting together this fantastic bunch of great science fiction novels. And of editing Fiction River: Moonscapes in the first place, which is also in the bundle. So I hope you will get this and try some great science fiction and while you are at it toss in a little for AbleGamers.com. And if you have already bought the bundle and are reading some of the great science fiction novels, do me a favor and…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Reading and Writing

    A Fun Evening… Got home early instead of staying at the auction and made a pot roast for dinner. Did a bunch of reading for the short story challenge which is going great. I’m lagging about a week behind everyone, which is as I planned. And then I spent the rest of the evening after watching some television working on putting together all the parts of the novel I want to finish. Might take three or four days to actually finish it since I have to write three or four chapters. So reading and writing tonight. Can’t beat that for a Saturday night.  

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Two Books Ready

    Patreon Supporters… Incoming!! I have turned in to WMG Publishing, as of this weekend, five books this last week. And my Patreon supporters will get them all over the next month or so. I have turned in Smith’s Monthly #38 and Smith’s Monthly #39 now. I have also turned in the novel The Deep Sunset: A Ghost of a Chance Novel. I have also turned in two writing nonfiction books. How to Write a Novel in Five Days While Traveling and The Magic Bakery.  Now I am working on finishing up another book (A chapter or so to go). With luck I’ll finish it this weekend and will get that…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    The Magic Bakery: An Epilog

    Epilog: A Comment Reminded Me… I used to wonder what rights I could sell to my fiction. What exactly those rights were all called. I thought for the longest time there were rules and I just couldn’t find the rules or the secret door to go through to discover where those rules were posted. I think all of us feel that way early on because we don’t understand the true nature of copyright when we start writing. In fact, most writers, even though they will spend years writing, don’t have a clue what they are trying to sell or license. And won’t spend one minute trying to learn it. Let…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Domain Collecting

    Might Be Called Hoarding… By nature, I am a collector. Actually, by nature, I am a picker. I buy things to resell and have a wonderful time in the search. Finding something for a buck and selling it for a hundred has a real thrill attached. I actually collect and hold very few things. I sort of collect marbles (although we sell many) and very old paperback books. Old meaning the first 500 or so of each publisher back in the late 1930s up through 1960. That’s it. Everything else I buy to resell. Except for one small exception: Domains. Now I don’t go out and try to grab domains…

  • Challenge,  Lecture Series,  On Writing,  publishing

    New Lecture Available

    Advanced Business Lecture: Taxes for Writers… This is the second lecture in the Advanced Business Lecture series. The first one was on corporations for writers. This one is about taxes for writers. It is not tax advice, but more of an awareness of the concepts of how writers can save vast amounts of money if they understand taxes in their states, countries, and around the world. Those who bought the full series on the subscription, I sent codes to earlier. If you didn’t get a code, write me. If anyone is interested in just taking the lecture, the cost is $50 and you can find it at: http://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/ ——————– A…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    A Couple of Fun Things

    Anyone Want to Listen to Me Talk About Writing? Kevin Tumlison, on his Wordslinger Podcast, talked to me about my book Writing into the Dark. And about writing in general. Fun conversation since Kevin and I think very much alike in this area. You can listen to it at: http://kevintumlinson.com/podcast-rss/2017/6/9/wpc-116-writing-into-the-dark-with-dean-wesley-smith Thanks, Kevin!!! Second… A study has come out about creative types.  You can find it at…  http://bit.ly/2t6KUfb Why I am pointing this out is because the conclusions (after 40 years of study) are that no writer knows their own work and the more you write, the better chance you have at success. Go figure. Here is a quote from the…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Writing a Novel In Five Days While Traveling Turned In

    Yup, Finally Put It Together… I’ve been meaning to since January. Turned out to be just under 10,000 words. It will be in the issue of Smith’s Monthly I am turning in tomorrow. And Ace High: A Cold Poker Gang Novel I wrote in those five days will be in the same issue. You want to read the novel and then read how I wrote it in five days, Smith’s Monthly #39 will be the place. Actually, you can sort of read both books right now. Ace High is already out for sale. And the chapters of the nonfiction book are all still here as blog posts. They start with…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    An Issue Turned In

    Finally Got Going Again with Smith’s Monthly… Took me a while to get going, but finally got the issue of Smith’s Monthly in to WMG. It has the novel I finished last night and four short stories and part of a nonfiction book. I will have the next issue turned in on Monday, since that has novel I wrote in January. Then to finish a book I started a long time back and get it turned in for another issue next week. Those of you who followed along in April know I started a new ghost of a chance series character called Marble Grant. That is the only story from that challenge in…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    How Long Does It Take Me to Write A Novel?

    I Get That Question… Honestly, most professional writers do all the time. Of course, the question comes from people who never read this blog. And without lying, I often tell them what they want to hear. (I never tell them I have written a full novel in five days while traveling.) For example, this book I just finished tonight I started back in late December. So to make those who believe in myths, I can safely say it takes me about six months to write a short novel. Let’s not mention that I did a novel in five days while in a hotel room in Las Vegas in January. Or have…