Category: "notabug"
100 Rejections and Counting
Back in March I blogged about hitting 50 rejections for short fictions after close to two years of submitting. Well, now, about seven months later I have hit the big 100. The first 50 rejections took 2 years, the second took 7 mo...
Indie Adventures – Part 5 – Bringing in the Pros
New to this series? Start with: Indie Adventures – Part 1 – The Starting Line This series is titled "Indie Adventures," and I am going the indie route with the publishing of my novel, but that does not mean that I...
Indie Adventures – Part 4 – Beta Round 2 (or One More Time for Good Measure)
If you missed it, See Indie Adventures – Part 1 – The Starting Line, Indie Adventures – Part 2 – Beta Read...
The Writers of the Future Contest - A Class Act
I have been sitting on this for a while, since it wasn't public, but I recently got my second honorable mention (2 honorable mentions in 3 tries). This one is for fun sci-fi adventure novelette called "Ghost Hacker, Zombie...
Too Much To Do? Get Over It
So you got too much to do? Yeah me too. Sucks doesn't it? The day is just never long enough, you can just never get to it all. It is frustrating and maddening. Right? You work all day, and having nothing left for yourself or your family when you get home. Your weekends are filled...
New Sun Rising: Stories for Japan
On March 11, 20011 a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan. We all saw the news, saw the devastation, witnessed the drama at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. When disaster strikes, what do you do (besides watch it play out on the news). Well, writers write. Which make...
100 Stories for Queensland is Here!
There is a good FAQ up on the official site. Here are some excerpts: 100 Stories for Queensland is a charity anthology of flash fiction, that is, short stories of under 1000 words, in aid of the survivors of the worst floodi...
Indie Adventures – Part 3 – Evaluating the Beta Read
If you missed it, See Indie Adventures – Part 1 – The Starting Line and Indie Adventures – Part 2 – Beta R...
The Psychology of Writing, Part 2: The Shock Box
If you missed it see: The Psychology of Writing, Part 1. Writer L.M May just did a fantastic blog post titled: Fiction Writers and Learned Help...
Coming soon: 100 Stories for Queensland
This charity anthology has my story "Soggy Shoes" in it, and this one is for flood relief in Australia. All proceeds go to Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief appeal.
Indie Adventures – Part 2 – Beta Readers or "How the Hell Do I Know If This Book is Any Good!?"
If you missed it, See Indie Adventures - Part 1 - The Starting Line. It is a serious question. How the hell do you know if your book is any good? Or movie, or game, or song. If you are on your own going indie, how...
Indie Adventures - Part 1 - The Starting Line
The publishing world is changing. Fast. A brief look at some writers blogs out there (Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Joe Konrath) will orien...
50 Rejections and Counting
On 3/18/2009 I submitted a story called "As I Shall at Death" to Flash Fiction Online. It was rejected, and that rejection was psychologically hard.
Doing What You Love + Lending A Hand = AWESOME
My story, "Soggy Shoes," was accepted for the 100 Stories for Queensland anthology, and I am personally thrilled to be able to contribute and to get into print again. It is my...
100 Stories for Queensland
I am just putting the final touches on a submission for 100 Stories for Queensland. Like 100 Stories for Haiti and 50 S...
Somewhere Between Denial and Depression
There is a place I am trying to find. A rare and mysterious place. It lies between the tall cragged peaks of denial and the void of depression. I know there is a middle ground, but somehow I keep going from one to the other.
The Psychology of Writing, Part 1
Writing is hard… No, no, that's not it. Writing is not hard; getting your writing read is hard. Hmm, that's not exactly it either. Dealing with the rejection that goes with writing is hard. Actually dealing with success is hard too.
50 Stories for Pakistan is Here!
Actually, "50 Stories for Pakistan" has been out since October 28th, and I am remiss in blogging about it. This is in no way a comment on my enthusiasm for it, just a testament to just how busy things have been.
50 Stories for Pakistan
Once again he sent the call out for submissions, this time a limit of 500 works and "no stories with any violence, death, or mass destruction." With 20 million people displaced by the flooding, I was inspired by by the effort.
Finding the Time
Writer John Scalzi has a great post on finding the time to write: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/09/16/writing-find-the-time-or-dont/
A Lesson in Light
When I started this blog, I intended to include some of my photographic work and thoughts. It has taken a while to get to it, but here we go. Light is everything for photography, quite literally. I didn't knew that, but didn't really "know" it until last October at a KOA in Oklah...
Page 190
My copies for "100 Stories for Haiti" came in about a week ago; a box shipped all the way from England. My wife was out, so I waited for her to get home to open the box. I was feeling a strange mixture of emotions and I really wanted someone to share the moment with and to make i...
100 Stories for Haiti is Here!
So, go grab a copy, enjoy some great fiction, and help people in the process! For those of you that know me, if you would like a paperback copy I have a bunch coming from the UK and can pass them on to you at my cost (buy purchasing them in bulk I have gotten the postage down). I...
A Big "First"
The first-ness of this continues, and I am doing my best to have the presence of mind to feel and enjoy the experience. Life is, of course, full of firsts: first step, first kiss, first date, first love, first heart-break, first car, first house, first job, first bike, first frie...
Goodbye Friend Leo
Leo, the dog, is a neighbor of mine and a friend. Today the cancer claimed his body and he is off to his next adventure. Yes, I am one of those dog-centric types and I have called many dogs friend. Indeed dogs have been some of this man's best friends.
I'm a (Soon To Be) Published Author
I just got word from the 100 Stories for Haiti folks; “The Path of the Faerie King” has made the cut! I am, needless to say, very excited. This will be my first published story and is a wonderful balm for all the rejections I have been...
100 Stories for Haiti
I stumbled across this project on John Scalzi's blog on Monday (the original due date for the stories) and just had to start writing. There is something wonderful about leveraging what ever it is you do to help (in t...
The Wonders of "Avatar"
I saw Avatar a few weeks ago and left the theater feeling something I hadn't felt at the movies in a while: Awe. The immersive quality of the experience made me feel like a boy again (and that in itself was worth the price of admission).
What is the future of eBooks?
Author JA Konrath has done a lot of thinking and writing on eBooks (not to mention making money selling them). If you are interested, check out his recent posts on the subject: E-Volution: http://jakonrath.blogspot.c...
Out With Kindle for PC In With Kindle for iPhone
I blogged previously about Sampling Books with Kindle for PC, this is a brief follow-up. I am no longer using Kindle for PC. The problem is I don't like to read on my PC. I spend all day at it working, and the last thing I...
Cory Doctorow's "Little Brother"
I read Cory Doctorow's Little Brother![]()
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Burning Down the House
Today a house in my neighborhood was used as a live test for local fire crews. It is not often (as in never) that you know when a house is going to burn, and can enjoy the destruction in a guilt-free way.
Does School Kill Creativity?
This TED talk by Ken Robinson from 2006 is about creativity, how to nurture it and what our school system does to it. Insightful. Very Funny [ted id=66] Some great quotes from the talk: "We stigmatize mistakes."
How Bad Do You Want It?
After 17 years, 138 rejections and 870,000 words Brad Torgersen finally made his first pro fiction sale. I guess he wanted it bad, I guess you gotta want it bad. Check out his...
The Arts Are a Job Too
I gotta admit it, the arts are like a siren to me. The romance of being an actor (did tons of that in high school), a artist (
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