So I have this terrible fear that all this work won’t be enough. I realize that I’m in my 30’s now, which is, historically speaking, the prime time folks have to start collecting and putting away cash for the future. Statistically speaking, I’ve got about 15 years less of old age than other folks (chronic […]
On the Perils of Writing for a Living (Or, Rolling with the Punches) Read More »
I was recently at an event at the day job and got the question I get there on occasion, “So, when are you going to quit and go off and write novels full time?” This generally results in me laughing hysterically. We have a very skewed view of how much money novelists really make, which
Paying the Piper: 2012 Writing Income Read More »
As we come out of the long dark slog that is December and into the rapidly lengthening days of January, I can’t help but look back and be amazed at what I got done in December. December is, traditionally, a horror show of a time of year for me. For most of my life, I’ve
Surviving the Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul Read More »
I hate people’s end of year wrap ups. I hate the end of the year, when I feel like I’m in a worse place at the end of the year than I was at the beginning. There’s also so much hope and promise in the New Year, and then you get to the end of
Milestones, Setbacks and Goals: Writing the Future Read More »
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of a content mill. It’s about creating a high churn of work at a very low price. It’s about blasting out as many messages as possible – it’s pure, useless drivel. Best of all, it makes us feel like we’re actually achieving and accomplishing things – look! This
On Twilight Fan Fiction, Content Mills, and the Strangling of Creativity Read More »
It’s no big news that I write a lot. Like, a lot. I’m attached to 400-600 projects a year at the day job. I do freelancing work for a couple of clients – blog posts, press releases, that sort of thing. Then I picked up an adjunct position at a local design school teaching copywriting
On Sticking to Your Guns When the World Wants Posies Read More »
It occurred to me today that I’m dangerously close to burnout, and as I’m about to head down the rabbit hole with RAPTURE promo in early November, now is probably a good time to take a break from being social and actually knuckle down and get to work. I’ve managed to get really far behind
On Hiatus – But Probably Still Alive Read More »
I make the bulk of my living as a corporate copywriter and freelancer. That means I spend a lot of time writing spam and junk mail. Oh, I could tell you I write “marketing collateral” or I “develop B 2B and B2C messaging campaigns” but unless you’re actually in marketing and advertising, that’s probably
I’ve talked often about how I can’t really plot my way out of a paper bag. Much of this is simply due to lack of practice. When I started writing stories, I was far more interested in the people, and later, the settings, to care much about why and for what overall purpose and to
Writing Craft: How I’m learning to plot my way out of a paper bag Read More »
One of the most annoying and astonishing parts of being a writer is how little control you have over an actual book once you sign a contract. Unless you get it written into your contract, you don’t contractually have a say in what covers end up on your book or whether or not anyone consults
The Business of Writing: A Rant About Audio Books, Covers, and Contracts Read More »