Why Writers Should Read Their Own Books….

…even after publication.   Before, for instance, turning in the next book (if at all possible.)  At least read the old manuscript file.  Because otherwise a person who thinks she knows *exactly* what the end of the previous book was like (after all, it’s the last thing she revised, and proofread, and sent off to Editor) Read More…

And It’s Off to Agent

Yes, INTO THE FIRE is now with Agent, and will go to Editor on Monday morning.   All the square brackets have been dealt with, all the timing issues I found have been fixed, lots of little errors have been fixed,  and the working file (with old filename…like the barn name for a show or race Read More…

Audio Book & Other Stuff

This week I learned that Brittany Pressley will be narrating the audiobook of COLD WELCOME.   She emailed me about characters, pronunciation of names, etc. , and I may have drowned her with information (writer of long novels.  Not really good at the elevator pitch.)   I also heard from Audible’s Author Care, which has suggestions about Read More…

Of Time and Orientation

If you write a novel with a linear structure and only one POV character–no skipping off for flashbacks, for alternate points of view or “meanwhile back at the ranch” segments–keeping the temporal continuity is simple.   First this, then that, then the next thing, and the solid singular POV keeps even the writer perfectly oriented to Read More…

The End

Sweetest words a writer ever types.   Mind you, INTO THE FIRE isn’t yet all spiffied up for travel, hooves trimmed and polished and painted with gold glitter, mane brushed and combed and braided and beribboned, tail ditto, and coat gleaming, ready to be trotted out at the Spring Show.   The front half (about) of the Read More…

When the Magic Works

Yes, I know, it’s a science fiction blog, not a fantasy blog, but sometimes when things finally go right after a struggle, it’s tempting to equate great skill with magic.    Things were not working out for reasons that–it turned out–had nothing to do with my stuff, Ruta who built the sites and customized the blog Read More…

Difficulties

As of tonight, we’re stuck in testing the blogs in their new home.   Something’s not working right with the WordPress files.   I think I know what the problem is…or rather I hope I do…but we’re still not set up over there, and time is ticking away.   I think the problem is that the WordPress theme Read More…

Move Is In Progress

As  I said a couple of posts back, I’m having to move from my previous registrar and hosting service, SFF.net, to a new one.  Well, the move is in progress, thanks to my new web maintenance person (web guru, as I prefer to call her), Karen Shull.   Things have been sent thither by ftp, yesterday, Read More…

Reader Help Needed!

Late arriving inspiration…and I suddenly need the names of the instructors at the Slotter Key Academy that Ky mentioned in Engaging the Enemy when she was visiting the Mackensee homeworld, at the dinner with the founder of that merc company.  And predictably, though it was around two or three weeks ago when I was looking Read More…

Rolling Zeros Again

Over 132,000 words now and misbehaving near the end.  The plot threads that should be whipping around each other and forming a terminal shape are instead waving wildly in the breeze.    A good part of that is the current political situation, which is sufficiently dire to grab my attention multiple times a day and suggest Read More…