• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Fell Asleep

    Guess I Must Be Tired… I was going to do this article about why some long-time professional writers tell beginning writers completely bad advice for the right reasons. But alas, I sat down for a short time in my reading chair to rest my eyes and woke up over an hour later. So that article will have to wait for another night. And thanks for the feedback both here and in emails on the new webinar-based workshops. I think they will be fun and we’re trying to work out how they would work exactly. A couple of the former coast workshops we have had to cancel might work in that…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Great Fun and a Nifty New Idea

    Some Fun and Fantastic Stories At The Workshop This last week fifty professional writers were here on the Oregon coast sitting in front of seven editors listening to us talk about short stories they had written. And maybe some of the editors even bought some of the stories, but that was not the point of the workshop. Just a nifty side affect. I learned a ton, read some fantastic fiction, and had a lot of fun. Thank you, everyone! Also, what was fun was all the networking. And on Friday evening I was talking with Loren Coleman (owner of Catalyst Games) and Chuck Heitzelman (owner of Bundlerabbit) and a few…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Nifty Bundle

    Yes, I Sometimes Write Young Adult… My novel, the Adventures of Hawk reads like a young Indiana Jones fighting for his life on the Nile and discovering all sorts of nifty treasures along the way. Great fun to write and people tell me it is a great read. It’s in a bundle right now of young adult novels by some top young adult writers. I feel lucky to be a part of it, actually. So you can get my novel and some other great ones on https://storybundle.com/ya If you like young-adult adventure fiction of all types, this bundle is for you or give it as a gift to a student who…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Cold Poker Gang Novels

    Amazing Video For My Cold Poker Gang Novels… I love writing this series and have a new one in the works called Side Pot that I will track the writing for everyone here once I finish the book I am working on. This short video really catches the flavor of the series. If you love mystery and cold cases, give the series a try if you haven’t already. You can see the entire series and get links to purchase here. —————- REGULAR WORKSHOPS… This weekend I will be sending out the information to those signed up on the March regular workshops. All workshops have openings. Sign up directly through Teachable…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Buying Stories For Pulphouse Fiction Magazine

    I Have Been Having a Blast This Week… Over the last month or more I read over 1.2 million words of really amazingly good short fiction across all genres. And I got to talk in some fashion or another about every story this week. Tomorrow is the next-to-last day and again I get a chance to buy more stories for Pulphouse Fiction Magazine. I actually almost have what I wanted for the second full year of the magazine. Wonderful stuff! (And no, the magazine is not open for submissions. This is the anthology workshop I am talking about.) So if I have seemed a little scattered this week, that was…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Got To Be Quick Again Tonight

    First Things First… I want to thank everyone who supported our North by Northwest Bookstore Kickstarter. Wonderful success and we are already started on the remodeling. It will take a few weeks for Kickstarter to do its thing, then we will send out surveys to all the wonderful backers. If you backed a workshop, and would like to take one in March, write me. Thank you, everyone! —————- This weekend I will be sending out the information to those signed up on the March regular workshops. All workshops have openings. Sign up directly through Teachable or if you have a credit, write me. https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com Class #25… Mar 6th … Depth #3:…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Last 20 Hours!!

    Thank you, Everyone!… North By Northwest Kickstarter… Where you can get discounted workshops and lectures or give books to your local library or school system anywhere in the country. REMEMBER…  if you get a regular workshop through the Kickstarter, you also get a classic workshop for free. $450 value for only $250. (And yes, you can get more than one. Get as many as you want, actually. Just increase the pledge by $250 per workshop.) And you can also get a discounted lifetime subscription to all of the WMG Lectures now available and any new ones coming. But what I love about this project is the ability to help out…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Gaining On The Second Stretch Goal. 44 Hours Left!!

    Thank you, Everyone! We Are Gaining On It…  North By Northwest Kickstarter… Where you can get discounted workshops and lectures or give books to your local library or school system anywhere in the country. We made our first stretch goal. So cool! And on the way toward the second one. REMEMBER…  if you get a regular workshop through the Kickstarter, you also get a classic workshop for free. $450 value for only $250. (And yes, you can get more than one. Get as many as you want, actually. Just increase the pledge by $250 per workshop.) And you can also get a discounted lifetime subscription to all of the WMG…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Two Days Left… We Made the First Stretch Goal!!

    Thank you, Everyone!  North By Northwest Kickstarter… Where you can get discounted workshops and lectures or give books to your local library or school system anywhere in the country. We made our first stretch goal. So cool! And if you get a regular workshop through the Kickstarter, you also get a classic workshop for free. But what I love about this project is the ability to help out your local school or library. So Two Days!! Don’t miss this one. Check it out right here… ————- And yes, I am still working on my 67 challenge. Slow at the moment which was completely expected when I set this up. I…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Three Days Left

    North By Northwest Kickstarter… Where you can get discounted workshops and lectures or give books to your local library or school system anywhere in the country. We are within $200 of our stretch goal. And if you get a regular workshop through the Kickstarter, you also get a classic workshop for free. But what I love about this project is the ability to help out your local school or library. So Three Days!! Don’t miss this one. Check it out right here… And on that note, one more time…how about the nifty video we have on the site about the project and our bookstore. I was in there a lot…