The Top Practical and Inspirational Writing Craft Books that I Read in 2024

I tend to read a lot of craft books. Last year I made a list of 20 craft books I had read giving just a one-line impression of each. It's here if you want to give that one a look. The best thing about doing that was I got a ton of messages from peopleContinue reading "The Top Practical and Inspirational Writing Craft Books that I Read in 2024"

Year In Review 2024

For the last two years in December, I have written a 'Year in Review' post, and here is this year's. The main purpose of the original post was to convince myself that although I had not published my first novel, nor even got an agent, I had achieved something in the sphere of writing. ThisContinue reading "Year In Review 2024"

Aspirational Bios

I often write about meeting writing goals: setting SMART goals, psychological tricks to make writing habits stick, and circumnavigating writer's block. But one thing essential in reaching your goals is knowing clearly what they are. Do you know clearly what you should be working on right now? One trick from the life-skills and coaching literatureContinue reading "Aspirational Bios"

Why have Beta-Readers if you’re Going to Ignore them?

The usual question is when do you listen to beta-readers and when do you not. The reasoning put forward for the latter action is usually that, beta-readers are human and sometimes they are wrong. And the advice on how to know? See if more than one beta-reader said the same thing. That may be reasonableContinue reading "Why have Beta-Readers if you’re Going to Ignore them?"

Should you Finish Your Stories?

Well, you definitely should finish some of them. If you don't you'll never have anything published. I also do think you should finish most things. In part because endings are critical to a solid story, and if you only finish the really good stories, you won't get in the practice on making the endings stick.Continue reading "Should you Finish Your Stories?"

View From the Other Side of the Slush Pile

So I slush read for two spec fiction magazines and have done so prior for one other. Without divulging anything sensitive or non-public, I thought it might be interesting to people to hear at least a little about what being a slush reader is like. Slush piles are different. Editors are different. Processes are different.Continue reading "View From the Other Side of the Slush Pile"

Personal Reflections on ReaderCon 33

I attended ReaderCon again this year and, other than a few missteps with the registration/online check-in process the con appeared to go smoothly this year. I thought I would give a few of my lasting thoughts from it here. I started off attending a workshop on writing physical action. I think the main take awayContinue reading "Personal Reflections on ReaderCon 33"

Video Game Psychology for Writers: Achieving Writing Goals through Gamification

I have been fortunate to write guest blog posts before for SFWA on science, and my latest one is on using the psychological science utilized in video games to help you meet your writing goals. The link to it is below. I hope you enjoy, and as always, please do reach out to me directlyContinue reading "Video Game Psychology for Writers: Achieving Writing Goals through Gamification"

Reading Like a Writer: Unveiling the Secrets of Craft

For writers especially, reading isn’t just about enjoyment; it's a powerful tool for us to refine our craft. But how do you do this? When you read like a writer, you should delve deeper into the mechanics of storytelling, character development, and language use. Here’s some tips people have shared with me, on how toContinue reading "Reading Like a Writer: Unveiling the Secrets of Craft"