Other beginning writers a frustrated creative people, I'm talking to you. There comes a point where too much perspective is a bad thing. I just read a Facebook post from a fellow writer swooning with excitement over having a story accepted by a magazine from which I recently received a (cold, impersonal, form) rejection. This... Continue Reading →

On the page, that is. When inspiration sneaks up on one, one mustn't question it, regardless of what irrational requests it makes of one. So, after my fallow time, the project that wants to be written is not the one I thought would tap me on the shoulder. Back in the dark ages, the third... Continue Reading →

I've been rather depressed for a few weeks. That's a circumstance of a complex convolution of a lot of life events I won't go into here. Though one of those events is the completion of a novel, which tends to be both a happy and a sad event.  The reason I go into it here is... Continue Reading →

For those of you who don't know, Readercon (which took place July 10-13 in Burlington, MA) is the only convention devoted to speculative fiction that is focused exclusively on literature. Other cons with their glitzy multimedia focuses are fun, but for a writer, nothing beats the bookish and brilliant crowd that gathers at Readercon. So... Continue Reading →

Squarespace to the rescue! Sorta. I'm still working the bugs out. But Squarespace has some beautiful templates, and my new site looks pretty snazzy. I needed it to be done before several things happen: My first professionally published story will appear on BuzzyMag.com on October 10. It's been a long time coming! They're a great... Continue Reading →

I love speculative fiction.As I start to get published, I'm more inspired and motivated than ever.And then I run across stories like these. Stories that just make me ache with longing with their melodious language, that touch me with longing to tell tales that make me care as much as I did when I read... Continue Reading →

I'm thrilled to announce that I have signed a contract on one of my short stories. Yes, it's my first professional sale!The actual publication of that story is some months away, so more on that as it develops. Call it professional superstition, but I don't want to jinx the deal before a word appears in... Continue Reading →

The cloud is swallowing words. I had to stop using Pages on the iPad. Even after a call to Apple Care, where they assured me that all I had to do was close a document after working on it and it would save to the cloud, neat as you please. I'm sure they wanted to... Continue Reading →

Ahhh, Readercon. The many authors and experts. The endless variety of panels and readings. The bookshop that sets my head spinning with so many beautiful books. The over-abundance of air conditioning and under-abundance of dining options. For the aspiring author, it can feel a bit like high school. The authors are teachers, sharing their wisdom.... Continue Reading →