Writers conferences are fuel for my creativity. Gathering together with hundreds of other creatives generates a vibe, a visceral buzz and hum of energy that floods my circuits with a desire to knock out twenty-thousand words at one go. I love writers conferences. At least the ones I’ve been to. I started attending writers conferences in 2016 with the Pikes Peak Writers Conference (my home, first conference, and first love). That year I met NYT bestselling authors Kevin J. Anderson, Rachel Caine, Joe R. Lansdale, Jeff Lindsay, and Wendy Corsi Staub. My story idea–for I… Read Article →
Posts Tagged: writing life
I got comfortable with the idea of being a self-published author. Then a publisher said yes.
Check out my post Consistency vs. Routine in the latest Pikes Peak Writers Writing from the Peak.
All authors looking to get traditionally published must endure the submission process. Novelists must query and write synopses. Writers of shorter works must follow submission guidelines for periodicals and anthologies, no two of which agree on formatting rules. It’s exhausting. Submission fatigue is a real thing. Writers need to recognize it and address it. Workshops, podcasts, books, articles, and social media groups everywhere tell you that you must keep submitting. A writer must always have something out there getting looked at by somebody for publication. Get a rejection, submit to the next market on your… Read Article →
Becca Syme’s book helped me know what I knew and to do it. For the last month I have studied Becca Syme’s seminal book Dear Writer, You Need to Quit. This book is now on my tight little shelf with the other essential works for writers I keep at my desk. Each chapter showed me–and in many cases confirmed for me–what I needed to quit in my writing life. This book is not about whether or not one should quit writing (though it opens the reader to that option). It is more of a list… Read Article →
The USA celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from British rule every 4th of July. Independence Day is a time to remember what it means to be free of tyranny. It’s also a time for grilling out, drinking beer, and booming fireworks that terrify the dog. This Independence Day I took a moment to quietly reflect on something else: my freedom as a writer. We writers have the opportunity and the responsibility to share with the world our thoughts, dreams, and ideas. We have the freedom (right now) to express ourselves, to follow… Read Article →
I go through phases of obsessive compulsive tidiness. A funk hits me that insists my creativity and productivity would benefit from straightening up my desk and dusting the room. Mostly I keep my office and workspace organized. Mostly. But, when unopened mail piles up, no more bank statements fit in the filing cabinet, and things three months on my desk still await a true home (the trash) I get to work organizing. Organization brings a sense of accomplishment. I look at the results and go, “Well now, isn’t that better? I’ve exposed at least one… Read Article →