Last week I began a series about the year I participated in NaNoWrimo. I posted a short excerpt from my blog and the novel I began. I hope that participating writers find inspiration in my brief commentary, and that readers enjoy a peek at the lump of clay before it’s thrown into a beautiful vase. [...]
I’ve followed writing and indie author networks long enough to see several recurring themes. Branding, social media, cover art, professional editing—some days it feels like my Twitter stream is stuck on repeat! Browsing Amazon’s Kindle forum this morning brought these themes into sharp focus when I noticed a thread titled “How to avoid Indie authors”. [...]
Time organization is important to everyone, but especially to those who share a full-time job with their creative muse. If you blog, it’s typical to create posts within your blog’s admin panel. However, that requires an internet connection. Even with today’s wi-fi saturation, it’s not always possible to go online. For simple posts it’s feasible [...]
I’m not participating in NaNoWrimo this year, but I did take part a few years ago. I didn’t reach the 50,000 word finish line, but the experience taught me a lot about the perseverance and humility needed to be a writer. In what I hope will be inspirational to Wrimos everywhere, and especially my newly [...]
Thumbing through Information Week magazine I noticed three or four QR-coded ads in the first 10 pages. You know QR codes, those square, bar code looking thingies you scan with your phone, and they teleport you to a webpage or application. You can actually store more information than web addresses in them, a resume for [...]
I’m the happy new owner of an Amazon Kindle 4 SO (Special Offers). This is my first eReader. The recent design refresh and lower prices finally swayed me. Although there are probably more Kindles in the wild than Toyota Corollas, I thought some brief observations may benefit those contemplating their first eReader purchase. If you [...]
Good afternoon writers! Nicole Pyles of The World of My Imagination is hosting a blog hop for writers today. Please visit her blog, follow her, and find a few more writers’ blogs to follow. I’ll do my hopping after work this evening.
It’s Friday and today I’m posting my first contribution to the Friday Flash craze. The story, Surround Sound Morning, has a theme. Think about the Missed Connections section in the personals. Only extend the idea beyond its obvious relationship connotations. It’s about all the moments you’ve glimpsed some life-altering truth or essential beauty. Maybe you [...]
As ebooks and self-published authors continue to increase, news about the competition to define the dominant ebook format will proliferate. Based on an article about B&N pulling DC graphic novels after Amazon gained excluside e-publishing rights, I just defined #ebookwars as a proposed hashtag on WhatTheTrend.com. With the battlefield heating up, this tag can make [...]
I confess. Until now I’ve been a pantser. Long after giving up the romantic notion of the writer who, possessed by inspiration, channels creativity from on high until the keyboard letters melt off in a blinding flash, I continue to start stories with no clear path to the finish line. For me, this is the [...]
