• Challenge,  publishing,  Recommended Reading,  Topic of the Night

    Massive Numbers of Writing Things To Do

    Way Too Much To Do An amazing thing has happened to writers in this new world of publishing. We are all busy. Extremely busy, with to-do lists that stretch beyond any reality at times. I love this new aspect of writing and publishing. Completely love it. Why? Because it means I am in control. I have the control over all aspects of my writing and publishing. And I have accepted that control. (Amazing how many writers don’t accept the control.) Have you ever noticed in the real world that the person in control of something is usually the busiest person? I personally would rather be the person in control of…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    November Workshops Update

    November Workshop Update All letters have been sent out to those signed up for the November Online workshops. So if you think you are signed up for a November workshop, or would like to be, fire me a letter. Lots of room in all of them. And also at the moment the Coast Anthology workshop group list is starting up. The workshop starts February 25th and because the list has started, we have had a few drop out, so there are some spots open. If interested, write me. The coast workshops are for those writers really powering toward making a living with their fiction in one fashion or another. It…

  • Fun Stuff,  On Writing,  publishing,  Recommended Reading

    Joanna Penn Blog

    Joanna Penn Blog About the Master Business Class Joanna Penn was here at the coast last week along with forty or so other professional writers. It was wonderful meeting her for the first time. So if you want to know a few things Joanna took away from the Master Business Class last week (and see a picture of her and Kris and me), she did a great blog about a few of the things. Worth the read for writing thinking. http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2016/10/28/coast-masterclass-2016/ ——– You can support this ongoing blog at Patreon on a monthly basis. Not per post. Just click on the Patreon image. Thanks for your support.

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    Not Much Sleep

    Not Much Sleep So this post will be a placeholder mostly here on this crazy Friday. There are lots and lots of good things with living on the west coast and having a normal schedule that doesn’t have me going to bed until 5 or 6 a.m. Very quiet at night and as I get back to solidly writing in the next day or so, that really quite time from midnight to 6 a.m. is very nice. But occasionally, I have to work, on deadline (not a publishing project) with someone in New York who goes to work at 8:30 a.m. So today I was up to my normal time, then…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    One Topic Per Post

    One Topic Per Post Mostly. Making the changes here to this web site so I can then start working on the book side of this place. This is a lot cleaner, that’s for sure. Still a few changes to be made, but getting closer. And one topic per post will allow me to do more writing and craft posts and allow those to be forwarded. I will also be able to collect them easier. The long line of 37 Issues of Smith’s Monthly that were down the side are now down on three footer widgets. You can click on them and go to the Smith’s Monthly web site, but that site…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    A Really Nifty Podcast

    A Really Nifty Podcast About Podcasting This last week was the Master Business Class here at the coast with forty-some professional fiction writers. At one point, for one session. Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Joanna Penn, J. Daniel Sawyer, and Mark Lefebvre (from Kobo) discussed podcasting. (Kris in the silver hair, Dan in the hat.) And Mark recorded it for the Kobo Life podcast. (Realize learning like this went on for hours and hours every day for seven days. All brains fried. I learned a ton and I was helping pilot the ship.) This podcast of this one session is great fun and very informative. Kris interviewed the other three. Worth the listen folks,…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing

    A Really Cool Reason for the Bundle

    A Cool Reason for the Bundle Most of you I’m sure sort of scan past any push I make for a bundle here. I am lucky enough to get my books into bundles regularly. They are a great way to find new readers and I enjoy trying to help other writers find new readers as well. And I make a little money on them as well, which is always cool. But today Kevin J. Anderson, who moderated this Pulse Pounder Thriller Bundle I am in at the moment revealed one of the main reasons he pesters his fans about the bundles he’s in. And as I read his blog it…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  running

    Adjust A Goal

    Adjust a Goal On July 1st, without saying much to anyone but Kris, I started a push to run a marathon in November. But as I detailed out the first of September, I had to hit one major benchmark before I would even start that marathon. Some background: I will be 66 before the race starts. I have bad knees from my years in sports. And I was far overweight on July 1st. Benchmark: To protect my knees, I needed to be under 180 pounds to start the race. I would be better served to be around 170, but I was willing to go at 180. On July 1st I weighed…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    Information Overload

    Information Overload Spent most of the day just sleeping, resting, doing very little. As I thought of things, I wrote them down. But mostly the brain just sort of shut down from a very intense week of learning and fun. The form of these posts and this site will change very, very shortly. Got a huge list of things I want to do here and with my writing. So stay tuned. This will be one of the last combined posts. Going to clear the clutter. (grin) ——– Kickstarter Update Got more of the surveys out, including all the workshop surveys out. So we are about halfway through the surveys now…

  • Challenge,  On Writing,  publishing,  workshops

    Business Master Class Finishing Up

    Business Master Class Finishing Up Here on the coast we are just tomorrow finishing up the really fun business master class. Forty professional fiction writers, all in one meeting room, talking nothing but business morning, afternoon, and night, and into the night, actually. Great fun. Exhausted but I have a long list of things I want to do. So tomorrow night it will be done and things will be back to normal here on Sunday. And I will start making some of the changes to this site at that point. ——– Kickstarter Update: We have finally figured out a few tricks on the surveys we send out to supporters to give…