Hi Folks, Sometimes we begin a new project with the best of intentions and then we set it aside for one reason or another. Maybe a life event rears its ugly head (death in the family or some other unforeseen event). Or maybe, in the case of my own recent restart, another story intervenes. As I noted below, I started The Marshal of Agua Perlado (the sequel to the Wes Crowley trilogy I originally wrote) back … Read more
Note: I’m posting this one again now as a lead-in to the post that’s coming next week. I’ve also revised this post so it’s up to date. Hi Folks, This is a common problem for all writers. We all have to stop writing at various times for different reasons. The trick is to get started again. I’m not talking about stopping writing once an hour or so to move around a bit. I’m talking here about … Read more
Note: This post was originally scheduled for October 2014. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. I’ve revised the original post so it’s up to date. Hey Folks, Received yet another note today from a friend about the “stigma” of self-publishing. What a bunch of crap. There, I said it. Not only is it a bunch of crap that there’s a “stigma” in the first place, but it’s an even bigger, smellier … Read more
Note: This post was originally scheduled for October 2014. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. I’ve revised the original post so it’s up to date. For anyone who’s interested, The Professional Fiction Writer: A Year in the Life is available for preorder in all electronic venues. It will ship on January 15. Hi Folks, Well, let’s get right to it. First, I am a professional fiction writer as well as a … Read more
Note: This post was originally scheduled for sometime in 2014. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. I’ve revised the original post so it’s up to date. For anyone who’s interested, The Professional Fiction Writer: A Year in the Life is available for preorder in all electronic venues. It will ship on January 15. Also, while I’m pushing help for writers here, I can’t do better than recommend you read Dean Wesley … Read more
Hi folks, Because Dean Wesley Smith gave me permission to post this, I rushed it but failed to add the category. But because I want you to see it now, before the new year, I’m reposting it on Wednesday morning. This is a guest post by professional long-term fiction writer Dean Wesley Smith. I encourage you to visit his website regularly at http://DeanWesleySmith.com. You will find a gold mine of information there. In the alternative, subscribe … Read more
Hi Folks, Note: This post was originally scheduled for 12/24/2013. It didn’t post to MailChimp, so I’m posting it again now. Besides, it’s kind’a timeless. A little pre-Christmas fun. Enjoy. Well, here we are. We’ve made another approximate revolution around the big yellow ball of fiery gas and come full circle to that time of the year when humans are expected to be giddily happy. And true to form, most of them are, bless their hearts. … Read more
Note: This is a guest post by my friend Dan Baldwin. (Thanks, Dan.) Hi Folks, You know more than you know, you know? Hemingway wrote, “A writer, of course, has to make up stories for them to be rounded and not flat like photographs. But he makes them up out of what he knows.” That’s wonderful advice, but there’s a trap in it. I have encountered many writers who have shied away from a project due … Read more
Hi Folks, Usually, attempting to sell fiction to other fiction writers is not a good idea. Even folks like Stephen King have a hard time selling fiction to fiction writers. The fact is, other fiction writers don’t want to buy your books. They want You to buy Their books. (grin) BUT I DO buy novels and stories written by Stephen King. I also buy (some) novels and stories from Dean Wesley Smith, Isabel Allende, Lawrence Block … Read more
Hi Folks, Awhile back, a lady sent me a request. “Harvey, would you go to my Facebook page, These Three Words, and ‘friend’ the page?” (This is not the actual name of the page, of course.) In her friendly but business-like email, she then explained a bit of what the page is about, how often she posts to it, and so on. It was generally a good email. But she didn’t include a clickable link. I … Read more