• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    If You Want To Watch My Talk

    It Seems It Has Been Posted to YouTube… Kris’s talk is not there yet that we could find, but a friend sent me the link to my 45 minute talk for the 20Books Conference. Seems being under the bright lights had a reason. So if you want to actually spend 45 minutes watching or listening to it, here it is. It is about attitude and those nine points I posted yesterday. Start at the beginning. For some reason this link starts in the middle.    

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    A Book I Am Very Proud Of

    The Idanha Hotel: A Thunder Mountain Novel Here is the blurb: 1902: Boise, Idaho. Megan Taber loves her job baking at the Idanha Hotel. Widowed young, she knows the rest of her life revolves around her baking. Carol Kogan, a doctor and researcher from the future, eats breakfast every morning at the Idanha Hotel just for Megan’s fresh breads. Until one fine May morning in 1902, when Carol meets Megan outside the hotel. Before they finish their conversation, Megan collapses from a massive heart attack. Carol knows saving Megan with 1902 medicine would prove impossible. But saving her with future medicine might prove even more dangerous—for both of them. A…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Interesting Summary

    A Writer Sent Me This Today… This writer was putting together a business plan and a way of approaching the writing business. And, of course, I liked it, since it is almost exactly what I teach, scattered across a lot of workshops and lectures. He said that he had boiled it down from an erotic writer’s nonfiction book very nicely. So I thought I would put his checklist here because I agree with it and add to it for clarity. — Learn and study basic story structure, then write into the dark. Understanding basic story structure is all the outline you need. — Don’t rewrite; do the best you can…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Have Fun!

    That Is What I Am Always Telling Writers… Having fun with the writing experience and publishing experience is the secret to being a long-term fiction writer. It really is that simple. But what is fun? So many writers think that when I say that, they have to be happy, smiling, laughing while they write. Well, some are. I am seldom that way, unless writing comedy, and then I am laughing at how silly and stupid what I am writing is. But mostly the fun I have is with the challenge of writing a story. And there is nothing consistent or straight-line about writing stories, especially if you write into the…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    How I Count Years…

    Resetting and Focusing Ahead… I actually have three times in a year I really reset and focus. First of the year, of course. July 1st (halfway), of course. And around my birthday. Now I am not sure why I use three, since my birthday is in early November (don’t ask) and I just sort of use it for starting challenges and other things over the years. Or if nothing else, spend the two months before the end of the year to get ready for the new year. In January 2018, Kris was so sick, I was only thinking of that. In July of 2018 I was still in the middle…

  • Challenge,  publishing

    The Power of Having Inventory

    Not Only Does It Help for Discoverability… But wow is having inventory important to saving time and making money in fiction writing. And a bunch of it. First off, in publishing, what is inventory? What you might assume, in many respects. Basically inventory is made up of books and stories and collections and other kinds of books in print, available around the world. In other words, all your IP. I try to get writers to keep track of their inventory, keep a list at hand. A spreadsheet. And this is very, very easy when you are starting out. You got three novels and seven short stories, your inventory is pretty…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Some Workshop Stuff

    Letters Out to Pulphouse Story Workshop… If you supported the Pulphouse Kickstarter with the Pulphouse Story Workshop level and have not gotten a letter from me with the log-in information, write me. This is the last time this workshop will be offered, and it is not offered for anyone but those who signed up on the Kickstarter, so don’t delay. I have gotten letters out to everyone that we know of. Workshop starts on Tuesday, the 5th. Also, November Regular Workshops start next week. Some good ones. List below. And after this last week, the Licensing Transition is going to have a ton of new stuff shortly. A mind-altering week…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Back to Normal

    Back to Writing and Eating Well and Exercising… Although there wasn’t a day during the Master Business Class that I was under 13,000 steps. So I at least maintained that. And I ended up with about thirty pages of notes and information and cool details and helpful hints and major things. (Remember, Kris and I were putting this on and I still got thirty pages of notes.) Wonderful writers, great discussions, and I feel both energized and exhausted at the same time. So going to feel good being back in schedule. Real good. I will be caught up on missed email shortly and then will start into the challenge stories…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Corporations, Taxes, Copyright, and Trademarks…

    Oh, My… Finishing up my notes tonight for those two lectures tomorrow that I will give to the Business Master Class. We are halfway through the licensing stuff and that has been fantastic so far. So more tomorrow, then I get to talk way down into the weeds on how to set up a licensing business and save a ton of money doing so. Going to be a blast. So off to finish up my notes and get some sleep. And try to digest the far, far too much food I ate today. Wonderful food, but still far, far too much.  

  • Challenge,  On Writing

    Nothing to See Here

    Saturday Night and Up Too Late Talking with Writers… And I left my car at the hotel and walked back to the condo because I am used to walking and not driving and I was thinking about some writing stuff and just flat forgot. Oh, well, it will be there tomorrow. But I am having fun, learning a bunch, and excited as this class moves forward. Fun conversations at lunch as well, and fun conversation with Kevin and Rebecca at dinner, which is why I had the car in the first place. So now going to go shut my mind off, get some rest, and do it again tomorrow, all…