• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    We Got Crazy

    Well, Kris Did… Our new Pop-Up Series was intended  to do a few a month tops. When a fun idea for one struck us. But Kris handed me three nifty ideas in the Pop-Up Series and I liked them as much as she did, so all three are coming in December. The third one in the first batch we did about writing short romance is now up, and the second one has a week left before it vanishes. (The first one is gone, but you can still get it in the bundles.) These are from 10 to 20 videos per Pop-Up on a certain topic we find fun and interesting,…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    I’m Back Home In Vegas

    Spent the Last Three Days on the Oregon Coast… Business meetings, finishing up a bit of the last of the move, and having great dinners with old friends. A good, but quick trip. I started a short story on the plane on the way down, didn’t have time to write anything while there, then finished the short story in the lounge at the airport and on the plane back. So that was fun. About 5,000 words. The idea (that I posted last night) of offering free Master Class tuition if you have or buy a lifetime online workshop came about in a meeting in Allyson’s office at WMG, with Kris…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Too Much and Too Little

    There is a Line To Walk Between the Two… I got a great question the other day about what I have been trying to do with my exercise and losing weight. And I realized the question also applied to my getting back solidly to writing. The question was: “Why are you pushing so hard to get back to exercise and running?” As those who follow here regularly know, since I got to Vegas in August, I have been working to add distance to my walking and running while at the same time losing weight. Two weeks ago, in a 5K run, I was down 20 pounds and had gained lung…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    I Wrote Romance

    I Always Use Romance Team Structure… At least for the last 30 or 40 plus novels or so. I love the structure. But I seldom commit actual romance. The character focus is on other things, like solving mysteries in my mystery novels, or time-travel in my sf series or fighting aliens in my Seeders Universe. The one key element of a romance is that the focus must be on the relationship the entire way. The other plot stuff is just why they can’t be together instantly. So today it dawned on me that the new Thunder Mountain novella (Warm Springs Meadow) that I just finished is a complete romance. The focus…

  • Challenge,  publishing

    A Trip to the Past

    All We Did Was Walk Into a Store… As we climbed out of the car this evening, Kris asked me, “Are you ready for a trip to the 1990s?” And wow was she right. The Barnes&Noble bookstore was in a late 1990’s strip mall. Modern, but still dated in architecture. And when we walked through the door, we really did step back in time. Decorations, layout, everything. 1990s. And even more frightening, the authors on the front fiction display table were the same authors that would have been there in the late 1990s. So we roamed around for a time and honestly it was fun to explore in shelves of…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    All Kinds of Fun Stuff, So A Summary

    Before A Lot of It Goes Away… — Last Day to Buy Workshop Credits for the discounted rate of $250 each. Contact me if interested. Closes today. — Pop-Up #1 is now live and available. Basically a talk about Julie Schwartz, Len Wein, and Stan Lee, three of the great writer/editors in comic books. We were friends with Julie and Len, so these videos are stories about the people, as well as a few lessons involved. Plus you can write a short story to an assignment and Kris and I will read it and give you comments. This will only be up for under two weeks. Cost is $150.00. Get…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Recovered Enough

    For a 5K Fun Run… Some of you may have missed that last Saturday during a 5K run at the Rock&Roll even here in Las Vegas, I had a really bad fall in the dark while moving fairly fast. Turned out I cracked a couple ribs and a shoulder and bruised a hip when I hit the concrete and rolled. I finished the 5K, blood and all. So what did I do then? I ran/walked a half marathon the next day (13.1 miles). I had been aiming at that run along The Strip for a long time and wasn’t going to miss it, no matter how injured. And I finished…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Pop-Up Series Is Great Fun

    The First One Goes Up Sunday Evening… Kris and I put together a bunch of stories about our friends Julius Schwartz and Len Wein, and some thoughts about Stan Lee.  That is the first Pop-Up. Second one is about bookstores and the third about short romance fiction. We’re going to have a blast with the format because it allows us to do all kinds of things that don’t fit into a regular workshop or lecture format. Plus we get to read a bunch of short stories, which will be fun. Interested, details in the previous post and you can sign up on Teachable. We have deals that if you buy…

  • On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    Workshop Special Credit Sale Ending

    Workshop Credit Sale Ends Monday. Every year we do this for a week or so, giving those who did not get part of the Kickstarter in Setpember a chance to buy workshop credits for $250. (Same price as in the Kickstarter.) Normally $300. You can buy as many as you want and the credits never expire. You can use them when you want for any regular workshop or two classic workshops. To buy the credits, just write me directly and I will tell you how to go through Paypal. To use a purchased credit, you write me and tell me which workshop and I simply send you a code to…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    December Workshops Described

    Figured It Was Time… So below is the list of the 12 regular workshops offered in December and following that a description of each. They are all now available and you can sign up for any of these on Teachable.com or if you have a workshop credit, write me. This is a great list of workshops for December. And this is less than half of the regular workshops we offer, not counting the Classic and the Futures workshops and Strengths. That’s why we offer a lifetime subscription to all workshops. (grin) DECEMBER ONLINE WORKSHOPS NOW AVAILABLE Class #61… Dec 4th … How to Study Writing Class #62… Dec 4th … Endings…