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 →
Reading vs Listening
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 →
The Method Behind My Madness – Tomato!
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 →
Editing sucks! / Editing’s great!
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 →
Have You Heard My Voice?
You may not know this about me. I'm a trained singer and actor. Those skills have found their place in podcasting, where I not only help host a podcast, but also narrate audio fiction. And here you thought I was just another pretty face! Recently, one of my narrations went live at the Kaleidocast podcast, where... Continue Reading →
I Have A New Story In The World! And A Podcast To Go With It
My story "The Path That Splits the Oak Asunder" is live as part of the Kaleidocast podcast. Listen to the story here, then go to the website to find out more about the podcast. My story is in Episode 3. You can listen to the podcast at the website, on Soundcloud, or on iTunes.... Continue Reading →
Con Report: World Fantasy Convention 2015
I have to admit I was afraid at first of going to this convention alone. Sure, I can be social when I need to, but I'm not great at breaking in to groups of strangers. Fortunately, I was only a stranger for about 24 hours. After that, the warm, wonderful family of writers and fans... Continue Reading →
I Am An Old Nobody And I Love What I Do
I'm just going to leave this here. "Ask Polly: Should I just give up on my writing?" It's easy to get overwhelmed by the rejections. It's easy to look at the success of others and compare it to your own position on the imagined ladder of success. It's easy to find your own work inferior to the... Continue Reading →
You care about the environment, but are you ready to punk it? Solarpunk!
One of the many magical things that happened at Readercon this year, and which subsequently popped my poor brain like an overripe grape, resulted from being exposed to a new type of “punk"... solarpunk! For those of you who don't know, all the sub-genres bearing the -punk suffix share a set of characteristics. Steampunk, cyberpunk,... Continue Reading →
A New Length for Fiction: The Commuter Novel
If you look up how many words you have to write before you have a novel, the lower threshold goes down to around 50,000 words. That's sort of an average, genre notwithstanding. But there it is. Write 50,000 words and, poof!, you've got a novel. That may be why NaNoWriMo sets that lofty goal for... Continue Reading →
