My least favorite part of being a writer and creator is self-promotion. It makes me uncomfortable. I’m one of those people who finds it hard to brag and sell myself. I have no problem in selling other people’s work, promoting them and their endeavors, but for myself, well, it’s awkward. I feel that my writing…
Category: Publishing
Bradbury Challenge Update 4 [Writing]
I’m still going strong with my personal challenge. I’ve written four short story drafts in nine weeks. Not bad. At this rate, I’ll have my next short story collection written much quicker than I expected. This most recent story, “Alone in the City”, was another one that started in a dream. In fact, when I…
Banned Books Week [Books]
The last week of September is Banned Books Week here in the U.S. Sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the purpose is to draw attention to censorship and to celebrate the freedom to read. From September 26th through October 2nd, the ALA sponsors events at libraries and schools around the country. There are talks…
Do You Re-Read Books? [Books]
I own a lot of books. Hundreds of them. Earlier this year, my partner strongly suggested I do one of two things: either get them all organized in one place or get rid of them. I went with organization. Sure, it would be easier to simply get rid of them, donate them to a local…
Review – The Demon-Haunted World [Books]
There are good books and there are great books. In the realm of non-fiction, I’d place Carl Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, to be in the latter category. Sagan, without argument, was one of our great minds. If you grew up in the 1970s or 1980s, you knew who…
An Author Shout-Out [Writing]
I was incredibly lucky to get an early read of Mackenzie Littledale’s upcoming mini-short story collection last week. It’s well-written, passionate, and stuck with me long after I finished the last page. I’ll be buying a copy once it’s published September 1, 2021, and I’ll write an official review then. Don’t want to spoil anything!…
What if it Sucks? [Creativity]
We all wonder this. Anyone who creates anything has this thought every once in a while. I do, as well. I have an idea that I’m excited about, I work on it, maybe a first draft, maybe two. Then that self-doubt creeps in. Is this any good? Will anyone read it? Like it? Tell their…
Book Review – The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch [Books]
Philip K. Dick is one of the founders of modern science fiction. I see him as a writer who straddled the line between the old guard – Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein – and the new school. He, along with writers like Harlan Ellison, ushered in a deeper and more surreal aspect to the genre. If you…
What’s the Best Writing Tool? [Writing]
This is one of those topics that can be contentious. There are so many tools available to the modern writer that it can be overwhelming. I can’t promise you that I’ll answer all your questions. However, I think I can provide you with some valid options and, hopefully, help you make an informed decision. First,…
Book Review – Testing the Ties That Bind [Books]
I always enjoy reading stories by writers I’m unfamiliar with, especially when they exceed my expectations. Mackenzie Littledale’s Testing the Ties That Bind: A Mini Collection of Short Stories is one of those rare collections that does just that. There are only five stories here, but what it lacks in numbers it makes up for…