I get to choose if I should work in a familiar or unfamiliar setting. For a long time, I really, really wanted to write a sci-fi epic. Nothing stuck in my mind to drive it. As a pantser (one who writes by the seat of their pants), I never had that flash of, “yes, this!”…
That’s the question – fall or fly? One of my favorite sayings, usually attributed to Zen but said by John Burroughs, is, “Leap and the net will appear.” If you are unfamiliar with this phrase – it basically means that sometimes you need to just leap into the project, the idea, or what-have-you – and…
Sadly, step three (Profit) requires more steps – and some other intangibles. Since 2013, I have self-published 17 books in total on Amazon. Five of them are nonfiction and published under Murray “MJ” Blehart, while the other 12 are fiction under MJ Blehart. From the outside, it looks like there are 3 steps to the…
Of course I am! Life is all about reevaluating, rebranding, and resolving. Today I made an unintended statement that resonates with me quite a lot. Self-awareness is not a constant. Because it shifts so readily and frequently – it requires regular check-ins. It doesn’t matter what you do – doctor, lawyer, merchant-chief, artist, teacher, whatever….
What I do might be unique – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be helpful to/for you. I love to help people. This manifests in a multitude of ways. For example, in my medieval reenactment group, I teach new people how to fence regularly. I love teaching and getting new people enthusiastic about the game….
I only reread a very small selection of books. I own a lot of books. Most, if not all of them, I’ve read at some time or other. And most of them I will never read again. This is why, a few years ago, I donated several large boxes of books to my local library….
Sometimes it feels like the work to keep writing really is akin to combat. I do not suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), or any other diagnosable of that nature. Yet I still often must fight to keep my attention. I stole this from a friend many years ago –…
Web 3.0 and the Metaverse will impact everyone – but how could take lots of forms. For many people, the notion of Web 3.0 and the Metaverse are abstracts. Chances are you’ve heard of them by now. But for most people, they’re ideas in the ethers that they are not familiar with. Yet. You see,…
Because even as niche genres – inclusivity literally includes everyone. Lots of the “fanboys” love to whine and/or moan about all the ways how newer takes on older sci-fi and fantasy properties are ruining them. How many people are unhappy over gay, transgendered, and non-binary characters in Star Trek: Discovery? What about all the people…
No genres are so set that they cannot be blended, altered, and mixed. Both of my recent sci-fi series are not entirely sci-fi. Mostly sci-fi, yes. But not completely. Forgotten Fodder crosses into police procedural, mystery, and conspiracy. Sure, it’s about clones and takes place in spaceships, space stations, and colonies within 30 light-years of…
