On Ecology, Women and Science Fiction: Part 2, Praxis
Nina Munteanu explores issue surrounding eco-fiction and optimistic science fiction with four female speculative fiction authors and/or publishers.
On Ecology, Women and Science Fiction: Part 1, Gnosis
Science fiction author and limnologist Nina Monteanu writes about changes in the genre, which she sees as changes in the way individuals interact with each other and the natural world.
The Writer-Editor Relationship, Part 2: Five Things Writers Wish Editors Knew—and Followed
Some things writers hope editors know
The Writer-Editor Relationship, Part 1: Editors Preparing Writers
Indie authors need editors. Here’s how to go about finding a good one.
The Moving Target of Indie Publishing: What Every Editor (and Writer) Needs to Know
How to flourish as a freelance editor in an indie world.
Christ-Figure in Movies & Books: Grace or Redemption?
There is a tendency in western literature to portray the central character as Christ figure.
Resonating with the Universe
Which came first? Story or reality?
What Is the Solution to Author Solutions?
Self-publishing or publishing scam?
Revisiting the Short Story and Heinlein’s Five Rules of Writing
There are at least seven excellent reasons to write short stories
The Ecology of Print Books: Niche Partitioning by Young Readers
Applying ecological principals to book publishing
How Game of Thrones Abandoned Me in the Pit of Despair
“Game of Thrones is very compelling. But so is a train wreck.”
How Writers See Themselves…And How Others See Them…
“I write for the same reason as I breathe—because if I didn’t, I would die.”—Isaac Asimov
Why Reading is Smart — Especially if You Write
Want to write? Read.
Walking Helps Me Think and Imagine
Walking might be your muse.
On Style Manuals and Pinkerisms of Steve
You can apply the techniques of reverse engineering to your writing craft
Why Writers Can’t Spell
If yore a pour speller, here’s some advice….
The Forbidden Library
How many of these forbidden books are you guilty of reading?
What Indie Authors Should Know for 2015
As we enter a new year in writing and publishing, I thought I’d review some interesting statistics and observed trends over 2014 made by those poised well in the industry. In July 2014, Publishers Weekly revealed some interesting statistics from various surveys and studies worth considering. The article was based on two recent surveys: one […]
Beat the Christmas Frenzy and Find Your Focus
Most of us think of Christmas as a busy time, of getting together (often dutifully) with family and friends, exchanging presents and feasting. Christmas is certainly this, but that is only a shallow view of a far deeper event
Writing in Your Own Hand
Nina reminds us of the art of hand-writing.
The Resurgence of Oral Storytelling: the Audio Book
Storytellers have shaped our societies and reflected our cultures for all of recorded history
Simplify Your Writing
Tightening up your craft is an important learning experience for the writer.
On Interviews and Being a Good Reporter
If you are going to interview, you need to be a good reporter.
The Importance of Setting in a Novel
Without setting, characters are simply there, in a vacuum, with no reason to act and most importantly, no reason to care. And in a vacuum, you can’t hear them scream because they can’t breath!
Short Story or Long Story? How to Decide on the Length of Your Story
How do you determine what length to write? Complete with official SFWA story lengths!
Titles
Titles can determine whether a story is read…
When Do You Know Your Story Is Finished?
How do you know it’s time to write “the end”?
The Careful Writer: Commonly Misused Terms
Strunk and White tell us, “are not so much bad English as bad style, the commonplaces of careless writing.”
The Hero’s Journey: Part 3, Defining Your Hero
To write a truly compelling story is to resonate with the universal truths of metaphor within the consciousness of humanity.
A Hero’s Journey: Part 2, Heroes and Other Archetypes
Taking to the road with a hero…but what kind of hero?
