I know, it's not over yet. But like many, I feel the urge to cash in on this year and focus on the next. This thing we call 2017 was disappointing in so many ways, horrifying in so many others. So, did anything good happen? Well, yes. I left one disappointment of a job and... Continue Reading →

Every time I decide I'm going to buckle down and tackle the insane challenge of writing 50,000 words during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November, something goes wrong. In my performing days, November was the month for getting ready for a holiday show. Extra rehearsals, memorizing music, and practicing choreography hardly left me with... Continue Reading →

These are some of the stories I've encountered lately that make me question whether or not I'm a good writer or have anything to say that merits the attention: Dust, by Daniel Jose Older (from the anthology Sunvault: Stories of Solarpunk and Ecospeculation) Intimidation factor: Science fiction that reads like fantasy, with a gritty realness... Continue Reading →

This is a contentious topic both for me and for the literary community at large: whose stories do I get to tell? If the only stories I get to write are those of middle-aged white gay men of middling privilege, well, yawn! Who wants that career? Stores full of clones of myself? Granted, I'm a fascinating... Continue Reading →

Fans and folks, this coming weekend, April 7-9 in Tarrytown, NY, is Lunacon 2017, which is, according to the website, "the New York area's longest-running Science Fiction convention." Pretty cool, yes? And this year, the Brooklyn Speculative Fiction Writers will be there, doing it up right! We have a reading on Friday night as a... Continue Reading →

As convention season approaches (assuming there IS a convention season), I kick myself in the ass, as always, for not having more published stories out in the world. Alas, alack, and all that. I have only myself to blame. In particular, my allergy to editing, which I have written about a year ago. Well, time... Continue Reading →

I'm a HUGE fan of audio literature. I define that term rather broadly to include both audiobooks and short story podcasts, as well as newer platforms like Serial Box, which is supporting longer-form storytelling by multiple authors. The advantage for me, as a New York City commuter, is multifold. Audio content helps me take advantage... Continue Reading →

I, like many others in this technology-drenched era, have had to adapt to a shrinking attention span. The ease and programmed addictiveness of modern distractions have made it nearly impossible to construct a full sentence before I go running in a completely different direction. I have short-cuts and cheats that help me focus: ambient noise, music,... Continue Reading →

I am of two minds on this topic, obvy. Let's call it a journey, shall we? You can't develop much of a writing career if all you do is write. And let's face it - writing is the fun part and editing, as stated above, sucks. At least that's how I view it right now.... Continue Reading →