Lucky Seven Game

Playing the Lucky Seven Game on my writing blog.

The rules:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS 
2. Go to line 7 
3. Copy down the next seven lines as they’re written—no cheating! 

 Take a gander, tell me what you think and, if you're a writer, play the game yourself!

 :)

Young Authors' Conference

Boy, did I have a blast today. The kids in my class were great - smart, funny, and real writers!

I wish the session had lasted all day just so I could spend more time with them. Fun, fun group!

:)

Writer's Cramps: Why Do You Write?

http://loriendil.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/why-do-you-write/

So - why do you write?

Writer's Cramps: Emotional Connection

Check out this week's column:

Writer's Cramps: Emotional Connection

Writer's Cramps: Are Publishers No Longer Necessary?

Posting the link to this week's Writer's Cramps:

http://loriendil.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/arepublishers-no-longer-necessary/

Deuces Wild - 50% off in July!

If you haven't gotten a copy of Deuces Wild, now's your chance, with 50% savings throughout the month of July.
And it's available in all e-book formats.

Deuces Wild: Beginners' Luck  

With gangsters hot on their heels, a bereaved cowboy and cynical space pirate are forced to work together for their own survival.

What are you waiting for?

:)

Interview!

Thank you A.M. Roelke for interviewing me:

http://bit.ly/DW_interview

:)

Delaware Authors' Event

If you're within driving distance of Dover Delaware, why not come see me at the Kent County Public Library, this Wednesday, 13 April 2011. I'll be there from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Grinding

Any gamer knows what grinding is. And that's how I feel about my writing right now. It's a grind.

Not the fiction writing. That's easy; my characters and story ideas won't stop capering through my head. My trouble comes with writing queries to agents and publishers. *sigh*

Without a good query, or a good proposal, I'll likely never attract an agent or publisher. Too bad my business writing isn't nearly as spiffy as my fiction writing.

Pfft.

Back to the grind...

Ray Gun Revival Teaser

Ray Gun Revival Teaser

Too cool!

Dead Robots' Society Interview!

The Dead Robots' Society interviewed Johne and I about the changes coming in our zine:

"Pulling the Trigger on Ray Gun Revival 2.0"

http://bit.ly/9XZIZ5

Petition

My short story "Petition" is up at Residential Aliens zine!

http://bit.ly/bh9raH

Delaware Authors Day

Calling all friends and fans!

It's that time of year again - Delaware Authors Day!

If you are within driving distance, please come and see me this Saturday, 6 November 2010 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Delaware Agricultural Museum, Dover Delaware.

If you don't have my book Deuces Wild, now's your chance to get a signed copy!

Visit the Delaware Heritage Commission website for more information.

I'd love to see you!!!!1 (notice there's lots of exclamation points with a one at the end for emphasis - I'm that excited)

'tu

Sword's Edge - update

Well, since I have actually had several people ask me within the last few days about my novel, Sword's Edge, due out in December, here's an update:

It won't be. Long story, not going into it.

Short version: starting from scratch looking for a publisher for my sword-and-planet series. Trying not to be bummed.

a facepalm moment

I am working on a story that takes place immediately after another story. The first story takes place in a snowstorm - the second high summer. I think I need to do some revising there....

Twiddling My Thumbs

I'm at a place where I feel antsy yet helpless. I have a short story and a novel both due to be published soon, however I can do nothing; I don't know the editor's concerns for any changes yet, so I really can't work on either.

Waiting stinks. 

I guess I'll go back to pondering ideas for a series title...

Consistency and Details

I am determined to do my best as a writer to be consistent, and to check details. Why you ask? Two reasons.

One. This goes back to an author who lost respect in my eyes because of a forward in one of her books where she wrote she wasn't worried about consistency or going back to check details in her former books. The gist was this: It's just a story. So what if it takes three days on horseback to go from city A to city B in book one, and half a day on foot to go from city A to city B in book two? Get over it. It's just a story.

Two. I'm a geek. I go for details in everything. How can I not in my stories? Will I be able to get every detail right? Unfortunately, being a mere human, I will not. But I will try. I can give my readers my guarantee on that.

To Write or Not to Write?

Suspension of disbelief. Those words haunt me. I can't let them go. I want to save them for times when I can do nothing about it, not just lump anything that seems too much challenge into that category. Unfortunately, that does often slow down my storytelling. I know I should just go with the mantra: "write first, fix later."

However, I've found that details (especially involving science) can dramatically change a story: oops, it can't be done that way - shall I invoke the magical "suspension of disbelief" or research to find out how it can (maybe only improbably) be done?

So does one continue to write knowing details might significantly change the story, or just keep going?

Smart or Heart - answered!

In a recent post, I mused whether I should work on those stories which had a deadline, or the one which would not leave me alone.

Well, my heart won out. And I now have a new finished short story. Now comes the task of polishing it. Not even pondering where I will find it a home yet...

Letting Go

It never ends. Proofing, finding oopses. It seems like no matter how hard you scrub a manuscript, there will still be imperfections. As awesome as it is having stories published, for someone as much of a perfectionist as I can be it's also a nightmare. I have to overcome this and allow my writing to be "finished." It's not easy.