So. I get it. The world used to agree with you. You used to be able to say things like, “I really like those lady writers in this industry, especially in swimsuits!” and your fellow writers, editors, agents, and other assorted colleagues would all wink and grin and agree with you, and Asimov would go […]
Dear SFWA Writers: Let’s Chat About Censorship & Bullying Read More »
If you haven’t read this article about Survivorship Bias (via Toby Buckell), and our tendency to give more weight to successes than failures, go read it. I’ll wait. Done? Survivorship bias plays into all sorts of things. In fact, it has a great deal to do with how we teach history, too, which I touched
Survivorship Bias and Writing Better Books (with Bonus Marketing Chat) Read More »
I recently read this piece by Judith Tarr reflecting on how the publishing world has changed since the 1980s, when writing a book a year was nice, but don’t let a publisher know you can write faster than that…. I’m often gobsmacked by how much my peers churn out every year. It’s an astonishing output,
Thoughts on the Writing Grind Read More »
I read this piece from Lauren DeStafano today about anxiety, and specifically how the challenges of managing anxiety are compounded by the demands of being an author. Though the whole piece is very good, this bit in particular stood out for me: “…there is a lot of pressure to be normal, and, as an author,
Your job is not to be a writer. Your job is to be a published author. Read More »
I invite you to check out this guest post I did over at A Dribble of Ink on women fighters: I’m going to tell you a story about llamas. It will be like every other story you’ve ever heard about llamas: how they are covered in fine scales; how they eat their young if not
“We Have Always Fought” Guest Post at A Dribble of Ink Read More »
This morning I came up with an idea for a customer campaign I’ve been gnawing on this week. I was selling a product to a rather conservative industry. I wanted to come up with something fun and relevant that hit their pain points. Something interactive. Most of what I do at my day job is
The Joys of Marketing: Changing Human Behavior with Advertising Read More »
Today’s the release date of my first novel, GOD’S WAR, in the UK. It’s been a long time coming, and a process not without its hiccups. But the day’s here. I’m told book stores have ordered it, even(!), and it’s sitting out on shelves across the pond and hopefully soon, across the globe. Writing a
God’s War UK: Two Years After My First Novel, Some Thoughts Read More »
One of the unforeseen benefits of reading Nate Silver’s book, The Signal and the Noise, was that it encouraged me to take a look at the way I was consuming information. As somebody working in marketing, I live on data. We need to know what our target market wants, how they talk, where they go
Cutting Down on Internet Noise (and Delivering Greater Signal) Read More »
If you’re a spec fic writer, you’ve probably heard of Blue Heaven, a novel writing workshop/retreat that’s been running for 10 years now. I’d never been to Blue Heaven, but was familiar with the format. What I appreciated at this particular point in my career is that, unlike Wellspring last year, this one wasn’t solely
Have gotten more done on new book in three days than I have in four weeks, which I suppose is the sign of any good writing retreat. I’m somewhere in North Carolina, enjoying very Pacific-Northwest-like weather. I also have limited access to wi-fi (mostly self-monitored, but the wi-fi really is kinda spotty), hence the radio
Hiding About, With Bonus Creatures Read More »