• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Day Job Thinking

    DAY-JOB THINKING VS LONG-TERM THINKING (I first published this post back in 2015 or so. Had a couple of conversations that reminded me of it, so I went looking, updated it, and put it here on this fine Friday evening.) Day-Job Thinking goes like this: I need a certain amount of money to make my bills this month and a day job gives it to me in a “secure” fashion. Nothing at all wrong with that thinking. Nothing. We all have to live and make bills and eat and all those sorts of things. This is survival thinking, folks, plain and simple. So again, nothing wrong with that kind of…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Challenge Stories Headed Back to Writers

    Some of You Already Know This… Some of you will find out more in the next three or four days. But the reason I didn’t respond to stories in the challenge over the last three or four weeks was because I wanted to read three or four stories from the same author at the same time. I figured what that would do was give me a real sense of any strengths and weaknesses and I would be able to tell the writer if I saw anything. Plus there are few enough signed up and still going in the Great Challenge for me to be able to do this. (And yes,…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Bunch of Stuff

    But Nothing Finished… Worked on finding some art for a few projects, worked on some experiments on learning InDesign, worked on the next chapter of the Trademark For Fiction Writers book. (Have about three chapters done now, so will start posting soon.) Recorded another week of the Writing Westerns workshop. Will start recording the new Attitude Workshop soon. And I worked on this nifty thing on fiction writing myths that got triggered by a number of events. A couple of questions while in Colorado, a few letters the last few nights, and then me bringing back up Pulp Speed. All those and a few other things (I can’t remember right…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Sorcery and Steam Storybundle…

    Now Live!!!… And folks, I have a brand new, never seen before, Poker Boy collection in it. And Kris has a brand new, never seen novella in it. And on top of that, Annie Reed has a brand new collection in the bundle and Fiction River Presents: Sorcery and Steam is also new. Plus Laura Anne Gillman’s nifty novella “From Whence You Came had very little distribution before this bundle. So this bundle is chalk full of original-to-the-bundle books. And I put it all together. And had a blast doing so. This is only available for a very short time. So grab it quickly. Here is my blog from the…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Pulp Speed Back Once Again

    Third or Fourth Time… (I wrote this post in 2014, then brought it forward again in 2015, and I think one other time, but wanted to bring it forward once again, update it a little, because people ask me about it.) PULP SPEED… Not at all sure why this idea sort of hits me right. I think because it flies in the face of all the myths. A writer has to have all myths under control to even attempt this. So this post might just make you angry because it hits at belief systems I’m afraid. The second reason I can’t shake this idea is because for all of my…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    Got Attitude

    Attitude Online Workshop Starting… August 6th. ——- ATTITUDE IN WRITING FICTION Attitude is everything in fiction writing. From beating back fears, to taking the courage to try something new, to believing your work is worth publishing. Attitude can help you overcome doubts, believe in yourself on the outside while you doubt everything on the inside. A good attitude in fiction writing can be learned. There are also some really bad attitudes in fiction writing, ones that will quickly or eventually kill your writing. This workshop will deal with those as well, give you warning signs. Mostly this workshop teaches attitude and the confidence it takes to believe in yourself, in…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Silly Busy

    So Not Much Tonight… Working on the Trademark for Fiction Writers chapters to post here, on some copyright stuff, and having a wonderful dinner with other writers. And not least of all, doing some writing. So all good. Almost afraid to glance at another movie after that ugliness in endings yesterday. That movie really is a prime example why writers need to understand what their readers are expecting and answer the expectation in some fashion. And tonight had a fun discussion about one of the best ending writers to ever write, Zane Grey. My Thunder Mountain series is named after a Zane Grey novel. And I visit the same setting…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Licensing Transition and August Workshops

    Some New Stuff Up… Including a Pop-Up on how to make publishing and submitting short fiction fun. All the Pop-Ups are still available, without the short story, in the Pop-Up bundles. But first I wanted to say that in the Licensing Transition, which will be going on all year, there are two new videos tonight, making it five so far, and that is just gaining speed. A bunch more by the end of the first month. Also, on the Las Vegas front, the Business Master Class still has some openings. It will be in October here in Las Vegas and you can write me for information. Going to be a…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Trademark Book

    About Three Chapters Done… I wanted to make sure I was going in the right direction before I posted them here. Less confusing to all of you if I don’t have to back up. (grin) So I will do one more chapter, then start posting the chapters will moving forward. Stay tuned. Trademark law is such a strange beast. But while you are waiting, keep learning copyright. Off to start the Business Master Class group list. If you are signed up, expect an invite tonight or tomorrow. And check your spam filter on Sunday before you email me saying you didn’t get the invite. (grin)  

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Space Travelers Bundle Going Away

    Last Few Hours…  Today (Thursday) is it!!! Sector Justice: A Seeders Universe novel is in this one. It stands completely alone. Basically a Star Trek like sf novel with a focus on cool space adventure, romance and some sex. Go figure. (grin) And it is a little longer than my normal novel these days. Kristine Kathryn Rusch put this bundle together and it’s a great bundle with some great books, stories, and writers. You can get it on Storybundle. All these books and anthologies full of stories are worth the read, folks. Just hours left. ————-