Every story opens in its own way, with the slow lead-in or the sudden drop into action, the burst of dialogue or a detailed description of the setting.  But when I write that first line, the very first time I open a file, and type “chapter one?† I always (okay, 98% of the time) start […]
In The Beginning: Begin, and then Begin Again. Read More »
This week I’ve been head-down on the final push to get GIN & TONIC #3 into submission draft shape (aka “where I don’t flinch at the thought of my editor reading it and telling me what STILL needs to be fixed”). The problem with reading your draft out loud: by the time I get to
State of the Meerkat, revision edition Read More »
As I started last week:  every Tuesday I’ll take a small chunk of something I’m working on – fantasy, mystery, mainstream, whatever… and post it.  No titles, no other info, utterly random. Y’all can give feedback or not, as you wish.  Or even try to guess what it’s from, if you’re so inclined.  There may or
Tease Tuesday for September 3 Read More »
So I’m going to try something new, and we’ll see how this goes: every Tuesday I’ll take a small chunk of something I’m working on – fantasy, mystery, mainstream, whatever… and post it. Â No titles, no other info, utterly random. Y’all can give feedback or not, as you wish. Â Or even try to guess what
It’s always odd to see the transcript of a video interview…. I really AM that random. But for your amusement and eddification (and possibly your delectation):Â Cooking the Books, with Yrs Trly.
We’ve Cooked the Books! Read More »
We’re working on getting the first two Sylvan Investigation stories ready for their general release (October, for those of you waiting), and part of that is proofing the digital formats (ALL the digital formats. Â Dear Universe, all we want for our birthdays is One Universal e-Format, please?). Â Which means I’m skimming for obvious typos and
The semi-illicit thrill of discovery…. Read More »
Have you heard of Clarion, or Clarion West? They’re nonprofit literary organizations committed to equal opportunity. Although there are fine science fiction and fantasy writers of all ethnicities, races, and genders, historically the field has reflected the same prejudices found in the culture around it, leading to proportionately fewer successful writers of color and women
Clarion West Write-A-Thon! Read More »
A bit of what’s currently in production… One of the things that she liked most about Mary’s, besides the staff, was that they didn’t have a jukebox, or live music, ever. There was a radio at the bar that sometimes played jazz, just softly enough to be soothing, but you could always hear who
Because I promised…. (for the snippet hounds!) Read More »
When I first started out in this biz, I heard a lot of writers talking about “casting” their books, and researching for visuals (typically actors, but not always) as part of their research prep. And this struck me as strange (then again, I don’t create playlists for projects, either. Â So I may be an outlier.)
On “casting” while you write. Or not. Read More »
Yesterday, someone asked me what the on-spec manuscript I’ve been working on, was. My answer: a story. No, they said, what kind of story? With words, and characters, and Stuff Happening and their world changing, even if The World doesn’t change for them. But what genre? they insisted. Is it fantasy? SF? YA? Mainstream? Is
Don’t Know, Can’t Care Read More »