No one is an island, least of all creative people. All of us who are engaged in creative work need to have lives that support that work. But what does it mean to have a support system? What forms can that take? A major kind of support, and perhaps one of the most important, is the support of the people in your life, at least some of them. […]
Your Support System Read More »
It would be nice sometimes if life worked according to video game rules. You could overcome the challenge, level up, and be able to use that new skill in subsequent levels. And to a certain extent, it kind of does work like that. You usually only have to learn how to ride a bike once, for example (as long as it takes you). Driving also tends to get better as
The Unbearable Beauty of Circular Progress Read More »
Everybody has the same advice if you want to accomplish any sort of major creative endeavor, whether it’s becoming a published author or creating award-winning macrame projects. The advice is Make it a part of your routine. I’m going to focus on establishing a writing routine here, but some of this advice is good for any kind of creative project. The first thing you need to do is take a
How to Establish a Regular Writing Routine Read More »
My last post went over the basics of how Self-publishing works. But there are a lot of other things you need to make decisions about. Here are some things you need to think about when you start your self-publishing journey. What’s an ISBN Anyway? An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the identifier your book will carry in various retail systems. It’s how the system identifies it. You need one
More Self-Publishing Questions Answered Read More »
It’s become obvious to me lately that many people do not understand how Self-Publishing works. Many of these people have loud opinions about it, as well. So, today I wanted to write about some of the major subjects with Self-Publishing and explain how it works to people who may be confused or just had never thought much about it before. There are many amazing, fun things about the self-publishing process
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Self-Publishing but were Afraid to Ask Read More »
I do this occasionally, talk about things that are giving me pleasure or helping me get through a tough week. I stole the idea from the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast, which used to end every episode with each guest making this kind of selection. So, for February of 2025, here are three random things that are making me happy! La Brea (Peacock) I will admit that I don’t
What’s Making Me Happy February 2025 Read More »
I often tell the story that I was unable to complete a book satisfactorily until 2019 when I first learned to plot. A lot of writers are allergic to this advice, thinking having a plot will kill their desire to write their story. This might be true for them, but there are also diverse levels of plotting, from detailed scene plans to a rough sketch of what you want to
There’s a lot of advice out there about how to ‘Get Things Done.’ Some of it is very useful, some of it is very specific to people in certain situations, but everybody agrees if you want to accomplish a goal, you need to develop habits that help you reach that goal. Seems obvious, but I see a lot of people try to brute force their way into doing something,
How to do the Thing! Read More »
When the new year started, I had big plans. I would keep up with a 40,000 word a month writing schedule, go to the gym twice a week, and make a point of attending more local in-person events. I also decided that this was the year I got my finances under control. Well, here at the end of January, I’m finding that it has gone … ok? I’ve
In Which I Decide to Kick My Own Ass! Read More »
One thing that writers get asked about a lot is where they get their ideas, and I’ve already blogged about that (spoiler: from everywhere!), but one thing that happens if you’re a person who tends to generate a ton of ideas (it’s me. Hi. I’m the problem. It’s me.) is that it can be hard to decide which idea to focus upon at any given time. The standard advice,
In Which I Take My Own Bad Publishing Advice Read More »