Writing Tips and Writerly Musings

All first drafts are lousy. It's part of the process. Here's that panel description in its original painful written format: "Panelists will discuss they’re favorite techniques four editing when they don’t have outside reader, or editor too help." It's how you fix that first draft that establishes you as a quality writer. Here are writing tips for fixing that first draft, tools for structural work,...

This season, I'm talking a lot about world-building, fairytales, and, of course, the querying process. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Youtube If you want to connect? Check out my Linktree

I think I’m about four naps shy of recovering from Balticon 57, but I’m home and back at work. Despite my multitude of hats, I managed to do it all! =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Youtube If...

Experienced writers who have been on the roller coaster for a while know the big secret: you never really “make it.” Just because you’ve sold one book doesn’t mean you’ll sell the next one, and just because you didn’t sell the last one doesn’t mean the next one won’t hit big. Our panel offers tips and strategies for maintaining the will to keep creating. =============================== Thanks for...

So you have a story and you want to publish it yourself? Let’s talk about how to get started, how to get noticed, and when you should pay a professional. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Vlog/...

It’s hard to cut out scenes or characters that you love, but your story may be better off without them. How do you learn to recognize when something has to go, and how do you reconnect any threads that run through the parts you’re removing? =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it wi...

Throughout the history of science fiction and fantasy, creators have used the opportunity for imaginative storytelling to explore issues of their day. From the Twilight Zone to Alien Nation to Mass Effect, what are ways that genre stories have explored the concerns of the world in which they were made? =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more ramblin...

Even veterans and long-time practitioners can have problems writing fights that are both compelling and realistic; how is someone new supposed to keep up? We’ll discuss getting experience with the weapons you’re writing about, how to handle pacing in brawls, skirmishes, and battles, and how to keep the tension high when your protagonists have to survive. =============================== Thanks for...

In your fantasy setting, everything the characters own or interact with has to come from somewhere, from food and drink to durable goods. Let’s talk about how to build a believable material culture for your world. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscri...

While many writers are publishing novels or sending short stories off to magazines, other writers have found anthologies to be a great space for their work. Why might you want to write for an anthology, 4 tips to get in, and 5 reasons why they might pass on your story. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjo...

From what is a creeper, to avoiding harassment, to how to intervene as a bystander. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Vlog/Youtube If you want to connect? Check out my Linktree

Having attended, at this point, easily over a hundred panels in the last 5 years, I definitely have opinions. And there is one role that can make or break a panel. Whether you’re a writer guest-of-honor on a panel at a convention, or just hosting a dinner party, being a good moderator is highly underrated skill. My favorite panels are where the big names are friendly and informative, and the small...

It's not just what you know, it's how you can communicate it and how well you play with others. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Vlog/Youtube If you want to connect? Check out my Linktree

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you probably know that I share a lot of notes from “panels”. If you’ve never been to a convention, you may be unfamiliar with panels. If you’ve only been to corporate/work conventions, you might look at them as torturous boredom. Or, at the very least, strictly educational. At their most basic: panels are simply several people, sitting at table, facing...

If you've ever considered attending a convention, here are a few things you may want to consider: Should YOU attend? What to bring? Things to do! Self-care tips Expected Con behavior General tips And AFTER the con! =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscr...

Hi, my name is Morgan and I have executive dysfunction. What is executive dysfunction, what does it look like for me, and how do I manage it? NOTE: This episode was recorded before I sought an ADHD diagnosis and treatment. Sometimes, all the coping mechanisms in the world can't help. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writi...

Each type of book has its own expected word count. From chick-lit to epic fantasy, from picture books, to middle-grade to adult, it’s often easier to find traction with agents, publishers, and even readers when your story length meets expectations. What do you do when your story is WAY too short -- or too long? =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with mor...

After you’ve written your manuscript and gone over it at least once, it’s usually time to ship it out to some beta-readers, to get an outside perspective. But -- how do you find and pick the right beta readers? =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe!...

For those writers trying to get traditionally published, there are about 10 general approaches, and some are better than others. Which are you? =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Vlog/Youtube If...

There are writers who take feedback well, but there are plenty who don’t. Try not to make these mistakes. Feel your feels, but control your behavior. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Vlog/Yout...

I don’t know how your write-ins work, but these are the guidelines I follow, to get the most out of any write-in — virtual or not. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Vlog/Youtube If you want to...

In Romances, the romance is the point of the story. In genre fiction: the intrigue, the adventure, the mystery is the point, and the main character’s relationships are often what makes the victory possible — be they romantic or otherwise. How do you get the balance right? =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you e...

After you’ve sent out your writing out, there comes a day when you have to deal with the feedback. Most writers start with the big fixes, because there's no need to fix the line edits if you're not keeping that chapter. Is there? =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your fri...

Impostor syndrome. Most of us have experienced it. Some of us live with it. Here are some ways to confront it, head on! =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends and subscribe! You can find most of these posts over on my Blog / Vlog/Youtube If you want to connect? Ch...

Have you ever gotten feedback from someone who you respect, saying they hated your work? They liked the idea, but think you should have done it a completely different way? Sometimes, the fix is smaller than it sounds like. =============================== Thanks for listening! I'll be back next Monday with more rambling ideas about writing. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends an...