As a creative, the non-creative aspects of the business of writing can be overwhelming. I am passionate about my art. More than that, though, I have taken my art and turned it into my business. My brand is the writing I do on all the various levels where I get to do it. Though my…
Spending money in the interest of making money is never comfortable. I recently wrote about art and money, and my realization that I need to hire someone to do marketing because I am not very good at selling myself and my work. This, of course, causes a walk outside of my comfort zone. To increase…
Learning not to be afraid of money and its relationship to your art. When you do a hobby, it is entirely for your own edification. You do the thing you do for fun, because it makes you feel good, and because it stirs creative juices and produces life-affirming endorphins and so on. There are almost…
I can’t do it all. But that just means I need to delegate. When it comes to my brand as an artist, I am a creator. I’m a writer, editor, photographer, intermediate website builder, and ideas person. When it comes to creating new ideas and building worlds, I am damned good at what I do….
I had no idea working from a plan could so drastically increase my productivity. For most of my life as a writer, I have been a pantser. My friend and fellow author Val Griswold-Ford introduced me to the notion of planners vs panters. Though I have defined this before, let me clarify – a pantser…
Defining quality and quantity and the balance between them. When it comes to producing anything at all, the argument has always existed about quality and quantity. Normally these are placed in opposition to one another. But does this need to be the way it is? I say no, it doesn’t. You can have quality and…
Making time for both writing and editing requires some balancing acts. I love to write. Getting the words out of my head and onto the page and screen is exciting. But while the process tends to go fairly quickly for me, there is another step that is less fun – but necessary. Editing. I need…
As a self-published author, I am my own business. That presents numerous challenges. The business end of being an artist comes with a lot of complex needs and issues. I, for example, am three different writers in one. First, I am a writer of fiction. My primary focus has been fantasy, sci-fi, and Steampunk. I…
Word count lets me better quantify how much writing I am doing. What does a writer do? They write, of course. Over the years, I have played with being a writer. For a time, it was a hobby. Then it was an obsession. Finally, I began to move the pieces to make it into my…
This question of inspiration applies to many aspects of life. Different things inspire different people. You could watch a Food Network program and be inspired to cook. Maybe reading a book inspires you to write your own. Watching a star athlete perform could inspire you to get into better shape. And maybe inspiration hits you…
