• Challenge,  Fun Stuff,  On Writing

    Creative Process

    I Was Paying Attention Today… For a moment, at the beginning of the new story, because I was tired. Only lasted a paragraph or two before I went down into the story, but figured this might be interesting to a few of you. I started off with my half-title sheets like normal. Saw the phrase “The Last” and then a couple of pages later, keeping the phrase “The Last” in my mind, my creative voice spotted “Summer Girl.” “The Last Summer Girl” Depending on how the story went, I could hyphenate Last-Summer to change the meaning. Fun title. No idea of a series jumped to mind, so I just started…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Story #19 in 19 Days…

    Yes, It Is Getting Easier… Belief system in the creative voice is back solidly. Like I tell others, after life rolls, the writing is still there and sometimes a little stronger. Working out that way for me. Today I started off by spell-checking three of the earlier stories so I am about 7 stories ahead of Kris reading now. She liked the first two. Yay. But if she doesn’t, I will still publish them as is. But nice she is liking them. We walked to lunch. Beautiful winter day. I then watched some football, had a nap, cooked dinner, then after recording a workshop I spent far, far too much…

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Bryant Street Surveys Are Out…

    Thank You to All Backers… Surveys are out and I hope you backers get them back in quickly. That way everyone can get books and workshops and such. And the chance to write for Pulphouse directions will be sent at the beginning of each month as an update for backers only. Speaking of reading for Pulphouse, I only have a few of the Holiday ones left to read, a few more of the Fall and the Light themed ones. The last two themes I have not started reading for yet, but making good progress overall. By the end of March I should be all caught up, barring crazy things happening.…

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Editor and Reading Observations… Part 12…

    Rejections Mean Nothing… Sending stories to editors is a game, one worth winning if editors start buying your work. It is fantastic free advertising for your overall work and you actually get paid for it, and then can republish the story later. All win-win-win… But so many writers take rejections from editors personally. I hear it all the time. And that is just flat wrong. No editor I know rejects a story and remembers the writer and puts some sort of blame on the writer. We can barely remember the writers we buy. Stories we reject we don’t care about in the slightest. Let me give you some help hints…

  • Challenge,  Fun Stuff,  On Writing

    Getting Back In The Chair…

    Can’t Count the Words for the Challenges… But figured since my writing has been so off and on for the last five months because of the eye issues, I had better spend time back in my writing chair kicking off the dust. Feels great, let me tell you. Can not believe how much I have missed being in that chair over the last five months. I sat down tonight and said, “I’m home!” Couple things I noticed. I am not typing as clean as I used to because the eye is not totally back, so getting letters mixed up when my fingers get off the keys or in the wrong…