Amy Sterling Casil recently pointed the “give us the top 10 books that influenced you” finger at me. I’m really glad she did, because until then I had seen the meme running around but hadn’t really thought about it in any great detail, and when you really take a minute to think about it the […]

When I talk to newer writers in particular, but sometimes even more experienced ones, the idea of writing seems to always focus on the words. By that I mean that they worry about their grammar and punctuation, or whether they have the right vocabulary, or have meticulously chosen the exact perfect word in the exact […]

Putting it here so I can find it again. [grin]

Some of you more adroit folks may have noticed that I haven’t been talking much about progress of my fantasy serial since I finished episode 8. This was the last and final episode and my “workplan” said I was then to begin production on its publication. So, Ron, where’s the beef? The truth is that […]

I have a friend here in Columbus who runs a local writer’s collective and publishes a small-press magazine, and occasionally organizes a collection of shorts and poems to publish local writers. Very much a “for the love” kind of thing. She’s doing such a collection now, and this morning she sent me an email asking […]

Indicators have come to me recently from several directions that I may not be happy. This may sound strange. I know it does to me, because on the whole I feel happy enough to me. Yet, I retain an attitude of self-reflection, and I’m willing to admit I may be wrong on most things (ha!) […]

All right, I’m a little late to the party–the cover to Fiction River’s Pulse Pounders anthology was released a week or two ago. But for posterity’s sake (and for those who missed it), here’s the beef! I’m doing some particularly cool happy dances about this one for several reasons: 1) The BIG ONE! I get […]

A friend of mine recently posted a discussion (presumably between her and other writers) about the value of short fiction. I read it with some interest, and I wouldn’t argue with anything she said. But I’ve been thinking about this post and its question ever since reading it. The problem I’m having is that, for […]

This morning a friend of mine sent me a link to a Goodreads question and answer session held with Margaret Atwood interview, along with the comment that I might find it interesting because Atwood is often considered a writer of SF. I read it, and, yes, it was interesting. Here’s the link. I sent my […]

Writing well is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The key word in that sentence is, of course, “well.” I mean, I can always put words down on the page. I don’t believe in writer’s block in that fashion. “Writing” is easy. Writing well is a totally different thing. This morning I’m sitting here in […]