I don’t just read sci-fi and fantasy. I also love a good mystery story. This year I’m reading a new (to me) series about the chief inspector of the Quebec homicide division. His name is Inspector Gamache and I’m enjoying his stories very much. The author is Louise Penny and I think there are around…
Can you believe it’s February already? Time for another issue of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. I’m feeling a bit more insecure than usual. I found out by accident that I wasn’t selected for our “Dark Matter” anthology (didn’t even get a form rejection, either), and Zombies Need Brains rejected both of the stories I…
Just got two form rejections from Zombies Need Brains. Form rejections suck. They didn’t like the “Modern Deity’s Guide to Surviving Humanity” humor piece or the velyr “When Worlds Collide” story. Of course they did get 1400 submissions when they only had 20 slots available so I guess it’s not horrible. I may try reworking…
As a writer, I like to read within my genre, both to see what’s trending and also to see what sorts of writers I’ll be facing on the market. I also just like sci-fi stories, of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing them. What are some pros of reading within your genre as an author?…
A writing pal of mine suggested I submit the historical fiction novels to the UK publisher who handles his books. I’ve sent in a query letter and we’ll see what they say in a week or two. I’d have let my agent handle it, but she said I could do it, which either means she’s…
This month I’m working on anthologies. There are at least ten sci-fi anthologies due in February or early March. I might not have time to submit a story to each of them, but I’m going to give it the old college try. I’ve completed a mis-mashed fairy tale for “Upon a Once Time” (and need…
It’s time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group post. We’ve seen the end of the old year and the beginning of a new one. May 2021 be far kinder than 2020 ever was. May any creativity we lost during the old year be returned threefold in the new. May the asteroids miss Earth, and the…
Here we are again: another year finished. And here’s to 2021 being a far better year for us all than 2020 ever was! Do you have any New Year’s superstitions? This year, I’m going all out. At the stroke of midnight, the house will be swept, the doors opened, and sage smudging begun. We’re also…
Happy Holidays to all and a Happy New Year! December and January are when we hold our Winter celebrations – whichever you prefer to celebrate. We shut out the cold and turn to the warmth of friends and family. We eat special foods and light up the darkness and forget the weather for a few…
It’s that time of year again — time to think about the perfect gift for your writer friend or family member. Not to worry, though. Here are XX great ideas for your author. And you’ve still got nearly a week to pick them up! The Writer Emergency Pack ($14) – 26 illustrated idea cards and…