I like my female protagonists to kick a little ass, too. “I finished the first draft of a novel.” I feel bad that I say those words with bittersweetness instead of a sense of accomplishment. I finished a novel. It should be a major accomplishment. A milestone I’ve kicked in the face on my rampant… Continue reading How I Met Morgan
Category: Writing
Literary Crimes Against Gaming
I feel like Karn some days. And not just from lack of coffee. Bad writing can be just as influential and inspirational as good writing. That may seem to be an incongruous statement. But in my experience, there have been some instances where I’ve been reading a novel, a story or a post, and have… Continue reading Literary Crimes Against Gaming
Troublemakers
He’s smiling because he just killed someone you love. Writers are essential to modern entertainment. Without them there are no movies, no TV shows, no plays and no novels. Just about anybody can tell you who their favorite writer is and why. Look up those writers and they can tell you what inspires them, how… Continue reading Troublemakers
It's Shorts Season
The goal since I was about 10 has been, to put it simply, getting published. Back in 80s, when this goal took shape fully in my embryonic little mind, getting published meant traditional print. Robert Heinlein, Tom Clancy, Stephen King, Clive Cussler and Diane Duane got themselves ink in hardcover and paperback books. The Internet… Continue reading It's Shorts Season
The Dreaded Hiatus
Don’t worry, the blog probably won’t turn into this. Probably. So The Art of Thor will come back next week, when I’m not so out of practice with StarCraft 2 and am back to my normal schedule of writing on the train and not wasting two hours in the car screaming at douchenozzles driving BMWs… Continue reading The Dreaded Hiatus
Assuming Control
There are things we can’t control, and things we can. For example, we as individuals can’t control the price of gas, the degree to which our water pipes rust or the behavior of elected officials. We can, however, change our commuting patterns & schedule to consume less gas, adjust our behaviors to use less water… Continue reading Assuming Control
Hooks Hurt
“Peace, however comforting, is stagnation. Conflict, however messy, is life.” – Bob Chipman. Sooner or later, you’re going to run into difficulty. It’s a fact of life. Everything isn’t always hunky-dory. A tire goes flat, a check bounces, a bone gets broken, a job market tanks, a lover cheats, a bill gets skipped, a chore… Continue reading Hooks Hurt
A Writerly Rant
“[A] writing career is about putting a bucket on your head and trying to knock down a brick wall. It’s either you or the wall.” ~Chuck Wendig Reality’s a stone-cold bitch. That’s why I mostly write fiction. I identify first and foremost as a writer, not necessarily a programmer or a social media guru or… Continue reading A Writerly Rant
Kids These Days & Their Stories
Columnist on WSJ is a jackass! Read all about it! Plenty has already been said about this WSJ article pertaining to young adult fiction. As usual, Chuck has written what we’re all thinking with an extra dose of profanity and buckshot. Instead of adding more fuel to the fire by talking about how wrong this… Continue reading Kids These Days & Their Stories
Getting Published Sucks
Let’s say you’re a writer. You like, love, need to write. Ideas, characters, plots and events chase each other around in your noodle while you’re collating TPS reports, shoveling coal or telling morons the bleedingly obvious. You want to bring them to life, invite other people into the worlds and lives you create, provide a… Continue reading Getting Published Sucks