• Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    A Busy Monday

    Turned in Smith’s Monthly #40… That just messes with my mind when I realize, actually understand, that I have done 40 issues now of my own magazine. 60,000 to 70,000 words per month. One of the reason for the new challenge, to get four more issues out, since I have the short stories for them already. Today was busy. I ended up talking with our accountant about some needed changes going forward with corporations and structures. Then I met a guy to get an estimate on repaving our driveway. Then did some challenge reading and online assignments. Then spent the rest of the evening putting together Smith’s Monthly #40. My…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Finished a Novel and Did Some Picking

    A Novel Done… Spent the entire day out picking for collectables. Had a blast. Found some fun stuff and about 40 hardbacks for the store. Then home around 8:30 to cook dinner and then did some reading for the challenges, then went to my writing computer and got the novel finished. It clocked in at 44,000 words. So tomorrow night, with luck, I will turn in another volume of Smith’s Monthly. Patreon supporters and Smith’s Monthly subscribers, a bunch of stuff will be headed your way starting in a week or so. ——————— JULY ONLINE WORKSHOPS All have openings at the moment. Information at www.wmgpublishingworkshops.com Any questions at all, feel…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Challenge Thinking

    Some Thoughts on Challenges… I’m reading stories for the short story challenge and also starting to get the first novels in for the June part of the novel challenge. Everyone seems to be doing fine. In fact, so far, I am impressed. And the challenge is doing what it was intended to do, which was get writers to the keyboard in a rough time of year. And I’m having fun reading. For me, I seem to be working toward the July challenge in bits and pieces. I should finish this one novel by Sunday or Monday nights, and get other things worked out, including another issue of Smith’s Monthly turned…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Just a Friday Post

    Mostly to Keep the Streak of Posting Alive… Spent the day working on collectables, also finishing up a lecture, cooked dinner (a production that was fun and turned out well), did some writing on finishing up the novel, and then read stories for the challenge. So a pretty standard day for my activities around here and tomorrow I hope will be another. Every day I feel damn lucky to just have another standard day, to be honest. Lost a distant friend today due to illness. So standard, regular old days are pretty damn good in my opinion. I’m also a little closer to deciding to go for the crazy challenge.…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    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…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    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…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    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…

  • On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    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…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    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.  

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    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…