Apr 14Marketing (i.e., catnip) for Writers (i.e., dummies)Marketing makes as much sense as a staircase into a blank wall. — Marketing makes as much sense as a staircase into a blank wall. Writers are contradictory animals. We’re shy, but we also want our stories to get attention. There’s a psychotic break there somewhere. Not sure exactly how that works, but it does. We want to tell stories to people. The…Writing3 min read
Dec 23, 2021Dead Mentors: Franz Kafka — no explanations neededThe mythical suffering artist and which god your body is a temple to depends on lifestyle — The trouble is that the image of the lonely writer is a little bit of a lie. When we write, none of us write in isolation. Not quite. We’re all joining an active conversation as old as literacy itself. By having an opinion and putting it out there, you join…Mentor4 min read
Dec 13, 2021The Three Steps to Becoming a Professional WriterAs a career, writing can’t function outside a community. — As a career, writing can’t function outside a community. It’s a weird thing: you do it in isolation, because it has to be done in isolation. The work doesn’t happen without a good deal of alone time. At the same time, you SUCCEED at it because of the village rooting…Writing5 min read
Dec 7, 2021The Lesson to Learn from RejectionI lost a bunch of important contests — This past year I decided to invest in myself. I entered my novel into four contests, and several short stories into others. Overall, I entered seven paid contests. Which is not a huge amount, I grant you, but it was six more than the year before and eight more…Writing5 min read
Dec 3, 2021I need your helpIt’s about my book — I have a mission for you: tell two people about this. I’ve just finished the first draft of the best book I’ve written to date. I’m vibrating, I’m so excited. It’s ALMOST the kind of story I’d like to tell. I have more practicing to do if I want to…Shinysyndrome2 min read
Nov 12, 2021I want to be famous for THIS reason aloneOtherwise, fame sounds like literal hell — I have two fantasy universes. One’s the Twiggiverse, and I’m not talking about it. The other’s the Cityverse. (These are working titles.) I’ve been writing a lot in the Cityverse. Thing about the Cityverse is I mainly write modern, urban fantasy in it. And the character I write about in…Shinysyndrome4 min read
Nov 4, 2021Placing Blame and Blaming Places: Setting as CulpritA Writing Lesson from David Fincher — So…what about David Fincher? Filmmaker, first of all. So only half relevant to a writer of prose. But not irrelevant. Stories is stories is stories, and Mr. Fincher shows great skill at it. He’s on my mind because of a novel I’m reading. My friend wrote it, and I’m reading it to give this…Writing Tips8 min read
Jul 15, 2021Coming to Terms with Being a Manic Pixie Dream GirlAs a Man, Whatever That Means — I grew up on Power Rangers (and Animorphs — they’re interchangeable for this metaphor). It turns out that prepared me well for dealing with literature writ large. …Self10 min read
Published in Spin This: One Sentence Album Reviews·Jun 22, 2021SloganOreskaband — Ska is usually a comfortable mess, so it’s interesting when it gets sharpened so precisely.Music1 min readSloganOreskabandSka is usually a comfortable mess, so it’s interesting when it gets sharpened so precisely.----1
Jun 18, 2021I don’t do artBut I’m bad at anything else — I like Conan the Barbarian. And Sherlock Holmes, and I like the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and I like old science fiction, and I like comic books. “Trash” literature, in other words. I put that in quotations because I believe (I know) it’s a bullshit descriptor. It isn’t the big…Art4 min read
