I like to have a theme with the books I read. At the start of October, I was determined to consume every weird fiction book centered around a city (there are a surprising number of them) to inspire me for my own collection. This started out all right, but a vacation to Palm Springs and … Continue reading What I Read – October/November 2022
books
Maintaining Momentum (Writing Update)
I am notorious for starting projects and not finishing them. There are half a dozen unfinished novels on my computer and about 30 short stories that never survived past the first draft. But I feel my current WIP is different. I’m 3 months into it and I’m even more enthusiastic about it than when I … Continue reading Maintaining Momentum (Writing Update)
Building a World
There is a certain god-like satisfaction in creating a world. With ink and paper, you can breathe life into a setting that would otherwise exist only in your mind. This past week I’ve been doing just that. Worldbuilding has been a favorite hobby of mine for as long as I can remember. I was around … Continue reading Building a World
What I Read – August/September 2022
Quantitatively, I didn’t read that much these past two months—so I've combined the books into one post. I lost a week and a half of reading time after I came down with COVID, and for much of the past month, I’ve been making my way through the gargantuan novel It. Still, I managed to read … Continue reading What I Read – August/September 2022
What I Read – June 2022
This was one of those wonderful months where every book I read was gold. No, I’m not King Midas. I just had luck when picking books off my shelf. As such, I would recommend all the books below—especially if you’re looking for well-written, exciting horror. I’m putting a moratorium on buying books until I attend … Continue reading What I Read – June 2022
From Plotter to Pantser (Writing Update)
If you had told me a couple years ago that I would forsake my meticulous outlines, I would have never believed you. Writing a story is analogous to an old sea voyage. You can start with the nautical charts ahead of time or you can set out on the seas and see where the wind … Continue reading From Plotter to Pantser (Writing Update)
What I Read – May 2022
Read widely. It’s on nearly every writing how-to article out there. But while it is always my intention to explore new genres and vary my reading, I end up sticking to the same type of books I always read. So, I invented a regimented system, specifying the exact order in which I would read different … Continue reading What I Read – May 2022
Working on a New Novelette (Update)
In my last blog post, I preached my new positive and productive outlook in the face of my cognitive troubles. My execution? Decent not great. I certainly accomplished far more than I would have if I had stuck with my doom-and-gloom philosophy. My New Project Image via Wikimedia Commons I needed a project. My current … Continue reading Working on a New Novelette (Update)
Thinking Positively and Productively
“You only fail if you stop writing.” – Ray Bradbury. I came across this quote shortly after posting last week’s grim update. In it, I had effectively given up writing until the fog of my medications cleared. And who knows how long that would be? Bradbury’s words pulled me back. Yes, I might create a … Continue reading Thinking Positively and Productively
Writing & Reading Update – March 2022
I don’t like to get too deep into my personal life on this blog, but this is a writing update and some personal issues have affected my productivity. This was a bad month at baseline, enough to hamper my work. To treat this, my doctor doubled my medication. This higher dose screwed with my brain … Continue reading Writing & Reading Update – March 2022
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