Month: September 2019

Team Rubicon

Hi Folks, A very short post this week. Nothing about my own writing or writing techniques or any of that. In this time of weird events and self-absorption, I thought I’d share some info about a truly great organization: Team Rubicon. This outfit provides disaster relief without regard for politics, race, gender, nationality etc. Members are dispatched to trouble areas (mostly natural disasters) to help clean up, rebuild, comfort survivors and do whatever else is necessary. … Read more

Some Sources Say

Hi Folks, A couple of weeks ago I read a blog post that warns writers away from publishing author newsletters. The blogger included a couple of quotes from writers who advocate not using an author newsletter. She even referenced Anne R. Allen’s recent blog post about readers not wanting a “personal relationship” with authors. Finally she wrote “News flash: Not every reader is a groupie. As a matter of fact, most don’t want their privacy violated. … Read more

Read the Terms of Service (TOS)

Hi Folks, First, everything you write, including blog posts, is automatically protected by copyright the instant it’s “in fixed form.” You don’t have to register your copyright. It’s there whether or not you choose to register it. In other words, the instant your short story, novel, novella, essay, memoir or blog post (or any other writing) is finished, it’s protected by copyright. If you use or are thinking about using the free (or paid) WordPress.com to … Read more

The Art of Writing Flash Fiction

Hi Folks, Although you can find The Art of Writing Flash Fiction at both Amazon, Smashwords, and other major ebook outlets, today I thought I’d present it for you here free. I’ve written flash fiction for years. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a great deal more than that. Imagine for a moment the components of fiction—character(s), setting, conflict and resolution—are goldfish milling about in a clear container. If the short story enables you … Read more