Keeping Things Updated I was chatting with a cover artist today and after giving him my web site URL he asked me how my novel “Last Run” was coming along, since it showed I was 22% complete. Hmmm… old news.…
Category: Procrastination
When the plot goes out of control
Writing this article is a way for me to procrastinate yet another major revision to my current manuscript. But it’s a learning moment for me, that’s worth sharing. Being able to write without editing is hard for most folks to…
On Pantsing, Characters, and “Writer’s Block”
Isaac Asimov, at his “best” (we can critique his literary skills elsewhere) could sit down and pound out a novel as fast as he could type on his clunky electric typewriter[1]. With the kind of throughput he had, he had…
Flipping the Page
I wanted Angels to be finished, or at least topped off, by January 1. I missed that deadline, but my real next deadline is getting back to my editor with changes to Infection, which is a whole other genre and…
From the bottom of the writing/critiquing well…
I’m watching other writers and their blog posts. Some are regular as clockwork—it’s part of their marketing campaign, their name branding, and they’ve got more time (and definitely more discipline) to keep on that track. I’ll need to do it…
Stale Writing and Technology
The novel I mostly wrote back in 1985 can’t be finished now. Technological advances and political events have overtaken major story points so unless I want it to be an alternate universe fiction, it’s dead. And that’s a good thing, I think.…
On Priorities and Possibilities
Reading about authors with hundreds of short stories, a dozen novels. Knowing Jay Lake and his writing urge despite dire circumstances. I burn my creative candle on both ends: day work and client work, both in development. Writing, even poetry,…
Returning From a Posting Hiatus
I’ve been working a job, now a job search, and working on some cool software code that’ll debut on this site. That’s come at the expense of writing. I’ve done precious little work on Infection (although I made some critical progress…
Fractal Lists of Things to Do
I’m drowning under the increasing lists of things to do. To-do items are fractal: each produces subordinate or successor objects, each demanding its time slot, its focus, its ramp-up and ramp-down resources and time. Apparently it’s good for the writing…
Shlomi Down
Took some time off Friday to have strangers plumb my innards. Bottom line: I’ve got nice innards. (I could have told ’em that.) I also decided to heed my body: even after an only 15 minute procedure early Friday morning,…