What message does your choice send to the reader? I just finished a military sci-fi book, the first in a series. The story had a great protagonist, an excellent example of Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey”. The action, the adventure, the other characters, and the world the author created were intriguing. It was great hard sci-fi, and…
There’s more than enough room for all of our books. I am not a well-known, traditionally published sci-fi author like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, or NK Jemisin. I’m not any of the indie authors I admire like M.R. Forbes, Kate Sheeran Swed, or Jessie Kwak. Neither am I any other sci-fi or fantasy author…
Making art, like playing a sport, is all about passion. I’ve met many people who find writing to be nothing but a chore. It’s not fun, it causes discomfort, and there are lots of other things they’d rather do than write. I feel the same about fiber arts. My wife can crochet anything she sets…
The self-publishing process in action. As an indie-author/authorpreneur, I’m not just the writer of my books. I also handle the layout, coordination of cover art and editing, and all the steps that go into the publishing process. With the various and sundry tools available to the authorpreneur/self-publisher, there are questions of timing. Put it all…
There’s only creating or not creating. My writing style has changed in multiple ways over the years. Some of this reflects things I’ve learned along the way, some is influenced by other authors I’ve read or conversed with. My first editor didn’t just edit my first finished fantasy novel but taught me how to approach…
It feels as though I’m procrastinating. Am I? Or am I expecting too much of myself? This has been an ongoing issue for most of my adult life. It’s been especially problematic in my desire to establish a stable career and make real money along the way. There are multiple reasons behind this, of course….
You write it, you edit it, then you cut it. In Hollywood, there’s a phrase I think most people are familiar with. It’s “Left on the cutting room floor.” Not only do scenes get cut and then not seen when the film reaches the theatre, but sometimes whole roles are left behind. Actors can spend…
Despite politics, climate change, economic insanity, and more, art is necessary. Can you imagine what the world would be like, in the middle of any crisis you can think of, without the arts? If there was no TV (or various and sundry streaming services), no film, no music, no books, no theatre, no paintings, no…
I prefer this term to jack-of-all-trades. First and foremost, I’m a storyteller. That’s my art. For the most part, this gets manifested in my writing. However, that’s not my only art and skill. Over the past few years, I’ve developed an increasing ability to create websites. While I’m still primarily about site layout over graphic…
What is a book trailer? A book trailer, like a movie trailer, is a preview created to generate excitement. This is something I’ve not really made use of before but decided to try my hand at now. My new trilogy, Savagespace, will be published this Fall (2024). The current plan is Book 1 in September,…
