I just read something this week from somebody who said their goal this year was to write something that would “win some kind of award” next year. See my head explode. If you are writing books to get awards, you may want to rethink your priorities. I hate awards seasons. I hated awards season even […]
What It’ll Be if You Listen to Them All Read More »
Jeff VanderMeer had an interesting post up awhile back that got me to thinking. I don’t remember if it was on his blog or Facebook, and I can’t find it now, but it had to do with how, over time, writers tend to fall by the wayside, overcome by the biz, by personal tragedy, by
Because unless you get hit by a bus, life goes on Read More »
This is just what I picked up today, and doesn’t include my existing TBR pile. Note that some of these will end up being crap. That’s what the first pass is for.
The Library: Where the Worldbuilding Comes From Read More »
When I first started writing violent, feminist-y things, people told me, “Nobody’s going to buy that. People won’t read that. You won’t ever sell a million copies. You’re a niche writer. You’ll just be a marginalized writer. So long as you know that, it’s cool. Maybe you should write some YA instead.” And, you know,
The Self-Sabotaging Writer Read More »
This time of year, folks in the U.S. get a sobering picture of exactly how much it was they made the year before. For writers, this can be even more humbling. Though I can’t share my actual day job income numbers due to policies and all that, I can share exactly what percentage of my
Why you should never quit your day jobs, kids…. Read More »
I’m leaving tomorrow for ConFusion. I don’t actually “know” a lot of people there, which makes this very unlike Wiscon, which was my regular con there for a few years. That means I am very likely to be unscheduled for most of this con, so here’s where you can find me and – more importantly
Epic ConFusion Programming: WHY YOU SHOULD COME Read More »
Since I’m heading to my first con as a “real writer” next week, I thought it was time I put up a post about my take on fan fiction written in my worlds/featuring my characters, since there is, uh, rumor that some may be floating around. That way I can refer back to it whenever
My Stance on Fan Fiction Read More »
For some bizarre reason, I agreed to attend a con this year – my first actual attendance (instead of a drive-by) as somebody who actually, you know, wrote some books. It’s been a long time since I’ve been social, so I’m looking forward to meeting and re-connecting with folks I haven’t seen in years. If you’d
My Epic Confusion Schedule – Jan 20-22 Read More »
We’ve all experienced it: you’re reading along and you find a scene in a book that you could swear you’ve read a hundred times before – in some other book, or in some other show. There’s a formula to much traditional storytelling, especially the stuff that’s written and/or produced very quickly. Formulas are great for
Trope Avoidance: How to Stop Writing What Everyone Else is Writing Read More »
I’m not much of a year-end wrap-up person. A lot of shit went down in 2011. After a whole lot of years of writing, my first two books – GOD’S WAR and INFIDEL – were published. I blogged most weeks over at The Night Bazaar with some great debut authors. I settled into a great
Typing into 2012: What’s Happening This Year in the Writing Life Read More »