All good advice, and the world needs more inventors because the world needs more solutions. But if you’re not into soldering or whatever and still want to create, remember kids, writing fiction is always an option!
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Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category
Good Advice
Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, STEM stuff, Thoughts, writing on August 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »
On Connections
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #wotf39, free fiction, genre fiction, Writers, Writers of the Future, writing on July 31, 2023| Leave a Comment »
One special part of the Writers of the Future experience was meeting other writers. I’m sure other cohorts were good but our group was (obviously;) the best.
I’ve already introduced you to Elaine Midcoh, but here’s another piece by fellow volume 39 writer, Grand Prize winner and all-around nice guy David K. Henrickson.
Living Space by David K. Henrickson – Factor Four Magazine
Picking up stakes wasn’t easy for the dead. The older you got, the more connections you made. I had friends in the city I’d known for decades, some even before my death. It made relocating elsewhere difficult.
He also wrote an essay about his path to publication, appropriately titled Old But Not Too Old to Succeed!
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Writer, Know Thyself
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #don'twanna, inspiration, Motivation, Thoughts, Writers, writing on July 30, 2023| 1 Comment »
Some days you just don’t wanna, you know? On such days, it helps to rely on the motivating power of a streak.
I’ve written daily posts here since January 1, 2021. That’s not a lot of time compared to some writers (Dean Wesley Smith and John Scalzi, I’m looking at you), but it’s long enough that I don’t want to break it for no good reason.
So here I am, writing and posting, even though I’d rather be chilling with Chewbacca and Mr Man.*
Which is exactly why I started this streak in the first place:)
* Now that’s an excellent band name.
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Rainy Day with Books (and a Cat)
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, inspiration, reading, Thoughts, Writers, yay on July 29, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“The world should take note: not everything is getting worse.”
― Ian McEwan, Saturday
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Dangerous Professions
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, aliens, audio fiction, free fiction, genre fiction, Writers, writing on July 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Posting Elaine Midcoh‘s story recently brought another audio story to mind. Do you enjoy free fiction, aliens with bad attitudes, and unexpected moments of redemption? Then you might enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Originally published as “Heaven’s Lot” in Not One of Us, it was also produced in audio by the fabulous folks at Cast of Wonders.
Taxidermy and Other Dangerous Professions | Cast of Wonders
Author: J.R. Johnson Narrator: M.K. Hobson (transcript included for those who prefer text; story starts at 1:51)
By late afternoon the day was hot, hot and hot, my feet burning up through flimsy red canvas shoes. My skin too, even with its built-in mocha café au lait sunscreen, out all day with no protection but a nondescript outfit topped with my stifling jean jacket. I kept that between me and prying eyes, always.
Enjoy!
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The Well
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, inspiration, Writers, writing on July 26, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I am the sort of person who loves to learn interesting things. Stuffing my head with random facts until it all merges together into a well of creative ideas also serves me as a writer.
While I hope I’ll ever need this information, one of my characters might.
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Man on the Moon
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #wotf39, Fiction, free fiction, genre fiction, science fiction, sff, Writers, writing on July 24, 2023| 3 Comments »
Today, an award-winning piece from friend and fellow Writers of the Future winner Elaine Midcoh. “Man on the Moon” won the 2022 Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award, and was also showcased at Escape Pod.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to more from this world. Read or listen below!
Escape Pod 895: Man on the Moon
Sasha’s eyebrows shot up. Her driver made the final turn back to the resort dome. Within minutes they would enter the airlock and then she would – what? “I’m not a criminal defense lawyer. I haven’t read a criminal case since law school. What am I supposed to do?”
Zander grimaced. “Whatever you can. The next transport to the moon is in ten days. It’s booked up, but we’re trying to clear a seat for a top defense lawyer. Until then, you’re on your own.”
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Schrödinger’s Submission
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, genre fiction, submissions, Thoughts, Writers, writing on July 22, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I have a submission out right now. If you’re a writer, you know the type. Average turnaround time for this venue is 27 days and my story is currently rocking a cool 135 days right now.
One can’t help but hope.
The fun thing, however, is that as long as the submission is still out there, still under consideration, it hasn’t been rejected.
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A fellow writer was wondering how to interpret the rejections he was getting, many of which were personal. Here’s a version of what I wrote in reply:
You should absolutely feel good about personal feedback. That is rare and precious gold there, my friend. It means that what you are submitting is publishable, just not by that particular editor and outlet at that particular time. Maybe the fit isn’t perfect or maybe it is, but your story is about a magical stag with a drinking problem and the editor just bought a story about a magical stag with a drinking problem. Or it’s twice as long as the space they have left in the current issue, and they will remember the day they had to send your rejection with despair every time your name and list of awards comes up in future conversation.
It means that your stories are working, and that’s critical. A broken story isn’t ready for primetime, but a publishable story just needs to find the right home.
When I say “market research,” I mean that I’m working to send my material to someone who could reasonably be expected to publish it. Happy magic unicorn stories are not a great fit for a grimdark horror venue;) I try to narrow down the list of possibilities. Submissions tend to take a long time and most places are not cool with simultaneous subs, meaning that every month a story is out at the wrong place is a month that it’s not being evaluated by someone who might actually buy it. So I try to write the best story I can and then work to find a place likely to give it a home. And the Submission Grinder also lets you sort possible venues by turnaround time.I do try to follow the “write, edit, put it away and then come back to it when you can look at it as if someone else wrote it” advice, if possible. Too much editing can suck the life out of the story.
I may have mentioned that I had a hard time with rejections at the beginning. No longer! One day I realized that I was completely unfazed by my latest rejection. I just opened my submission template and filled in the next possible target.
So, you’re killing it. Keep going!
Because you never know.
Gifts from the Mountain
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, @tordotcom, creativity, Fiction, free fiction, genre fiction, Writers, writing on July 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Tor.com has another collection out, and in honor of its 15th anniversary it will be free from now until the end of July. (That’s July 2023, to all you time travelers out there.)
It’s Our Birthday! Download the Free Tor.com 15th Anniversary Short Fiction Bundle
This year on July 20th, Tor.com turns 15! Since that long-ago year of 2008, we’ve published more than 600 original stories from authors around the world. To celebrate, we’ve pulled together some highlights from those last 15 years into a special, free, limited-time bundle!
Free fiction by good writers in a convenient package. What’s not to like?
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Me, Facing Down My To Do List
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, doing my best, Fiction, genre fiction, Thoughts, Writers, writing on July 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »
“Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time.”
— Sandra Day O’Connor
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