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Another Crazy Challenge For Myself
I Love Challenges… I tend to push myself with my writing at times. Anyone following this blog knows that, from writing 30 short stories in thirty days to writing a novel in five days while traveling. And that’s just in the last six months. I have a lot of things I like to do in this crazy life I lead, so challenges get me focused for short bursts of time on writing. So I’m thinking of a new challenge for July, one I’ve been thinking about for some time. And as many of my challenges do, it harks back to the old pulp writer days. And it sounds difficult if…
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I Get Startled At Times
Basic Publishing And Marketing… In Digital Book World today was an article by a writer by the name of Laurie Starkey. Now I do not know this Laurie Starkey that I remember, which means nothing considering my old brain. And Ms. Starkey was simply (very simply) pointing out to clearly flat beginning writers (her article was that basic) that a good way to get started was join together to do anthologies of novels. Yup, fine with that. I do that all the time. I started that way by selling to magazines. And she said that the main reason to do it is to get the power of authors together to…
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Time for a Cat Update
Here is the Gang… After the loss of our three major cats over the last year or so, with Galley going a week ago, we have a new crew. Our big three were Walter, Galley, and Ella. Galley was the center for 15 years of a number of crews and the core of this house, so he is really missed. But now our new crew is doing great. And are wonderful cats, being led by a five month old kitten with the personality the size of this place. First we have the old guy of the house now at 8 years. Cheeps is a beautiful pure-blood Red Point Berman we…
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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…
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Two New Online Workshops Announced
Starting In July… We have put together two great new online workshops. Depth #3: Research and Writing Fantasy. Both of these are going to be great fun for me and Kris. And I’m going to have fun recording these as well. I think the Research workshop might be one of the most important ones we will do, considering how many times we have been asked about it. And Writing Fantasy is a massive topic to cover, but I think we have roped it down to something we can do and that would be fun and help you learn how to write better fantasy that will sell more. And get it…
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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.
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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…
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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…
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The Magic Bakery: A Chapter in the Center
(Note: I forgot a major topic. The doors to the Magic Bakery. So this chapter will fit into the middle of the book somewhere.) Chapter (in the center)… Doors to the Bakery Any business must have a way to get into the business. For example, at our North collectable store here in town you can enter through an interior staircase and climb, or climb an exterior staircase. Both methods take some work for customers and we also have a special entrance in the back that comes in without stairs. Three entrances. We have the store full of enough cool stuff, we hope it is worth the customer’s climb. So how…
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Two Bundles With Two Novels
Two Major Bundles Happening Right Now… And I am lucky enough to have books in both of them. MOONSCAPES BUNDLE and DARK CRIMES BUNDLE Both can be found at www.storybundle.com Even more fun, both bundles support the fantastic AbleGamers.com charity. I’ve talked about AbleGamers.com a few times over the last week or so. They are stunning. Both bundles also have a volume of Fiction River for a selection of short stories. And the new Dark Crimes Bundle also has a Year’s Best Crime and Mystery volume in it. Talk about a lot of reading. Moonscapes Bundle has one anthology and nine science fiction novels. Dark Crimes Bundle has two anthologies and…