Category: Blog

AWP Experience

Whew!

Right before I left for the Authors, Writers & Writing Programs I had a dead pc staring me in the face. After a rushed run to the store, a new pc was in my hand and on the plane I flew. A quick drop into Kansas City and the adventure began!

Each night out was a live poetry session, but nothing compared to the first evening. A Rock-n-Roll poetry slam was in full swing and it was amazing! What a fantastic starter to a ton of learning and and connections over the next bunch of days!

The topics I dove in covered, Crime Genre writing, Audio Books, Comics Writing, Small Press, Marketing Speculative Fiction and a slew of others. My brain was full by the last day and it was a quick flight back home.

What were my biggest take-aways, you ask? Oh wow, audio format styles have expanded and I am excited about the options; dual vs. duel vs. group! Comics writing is so different to novel or script writing and I have ideas! Crime Genre writing lead into the way that Spec Fiction is marketed in a way I hadn’t thought of. (ex. Two Title Comparison Written in X Genre Style – It’s Pride & Prejudice meets Dune written in the Horror Genre) Don’t you want to know what that story is? I know I do!

But my biggest take away was simply, “Why do I write?”

The advent of AI writing hit me a lot harder than I initially understood. I really thought I was mostly suffering from burnout after getting my first series done. But I was wrong. Speculations by the publishing industry expected to see an uptic in AI being responsible for completed novels, possibly phasing out the majority of human writers in a decade. (Human writers will still dominate the best seller lists, while AI is expected to fill the low to mid ranges and especially genre fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, romance, crime, et al).

Change is pretty constant and I’ve been working long enough to see plenty of what I’ve done for a living be replaced by machines. Seeing art being affected by AI was disheartening. So why do I write? Why bother creating anything?

There was a period of time in my life when I forcibly stopped producing art of any kind. It didn’t arrest my desire to make things, in fact my frustration only grew with the lack of release. Those were some of the unhappiest years of my life, but I learned that I need to design things, make art, play music and live within the creative moment. Without it, I am an empty shell and easily broken.

And this train of thought answers the question, “What do I do when the words won’t come?” Do some other art form! Try something that you aren’t good at and live in that creative moment! Enjoy making mistakes with no repercussions! Play in your creativity as a child does and the words will eventually come.

So, I write to create. And I already know that choosing to not create only hurts me (and maybe those around my grumpy self). And I am motivated! I am ready!

But my new pc is missing all my research, outlines, add-ons and ideas. Oh and the parts I’ve already written. Argh…

Is It Really 2024 Already?

Adventure in 2024, I promise!

I know, I know… some of you have wondered what’s been going on during my radio silence. I can understand… with nothing new posted in over a month, it feels like I fell off the earth!

But I’m still here. While I’ve made a ton of headway on endeavors that got pushed to the side while finishing the Saga of a Space Freighter series, my other writing project(s) have only been plodding along. This definitely sat in my craw like a stone as 2023 wound to a close and left me little to speak about on this front.

But that all changes this year! But why you ask? I finally have begun to understand how I want to write my next story (or 3) and it’s all because I needed to go back to the basics… the theories of storycraft as it were.

I’ve been reading over the old tried and true Hero’s Journey, the 3 Act Structure, Character Motivation, and all that fun stuff. I’ve gone on a whirlwind ride on Dan Harmon’s Story Circle Structure, the 4 Act Plot Structure, and even the Carl Jung 12 Archetypes.

(If you’re looking for other tools for writing, Myers-Briggs personality tool can be a useful character one (personality examinations are great for this), the Fichtean Curve and Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat Beat Structure” are a couple of story structures. There’s a bunch of them out there.)

And this year shows promise for Adventure!

I’ll be attending my first Writers Conference this year, aka the Association of Writers and Writing Programs. I know what you’re thinking, “but you’ve been writing for years now. How could this be your first one?” Truth be told, my time to take advantage of a writer’s conference was during the ‘dark times’… the ‘plague years’ or whatever nickname you have for the Covid outbreak.

I also plan on hitting some conventions away from my home state. I’ve got a pretty large list compiled, I just need to pick and choose the ones that are viable and hope that I get selected.

Oh yeah, I also plan to have the next Nun With a Gun out, too!

So much adventure!

Image by G.C. from Pixabay

Nano! Nano!

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

November, you’ve been a crazy month, and not in a good way. Right off the bat with the sickness, a dead water heater, a sick cat, and my uncle passed away. Fun times…

Needless to say, my Nanoing this month has been little to nil as I haven’t been able to keep my mind on it. But that all changes this Wednesday! As we head into the final stretch, come on out and join me to make progress on your latest work! Leaps and strides will be made! I can feel it!

Looking forward to getting some writing done with like-minded folks!

And don’t forget this coming weekend is Galacticon!! I’ll be there with my books and such, so come on down and say hi! It’s going to be a blast! Can’t wait to see you!

November is going to end with a bang! Galacticon is going to be great!

Which is good because it’s been a tough one. A foggy and distracted brain does not make for good writing, no sir or ma’am. (BTW, what is the correct or best honorific for they? I’ve found Mx. for Ms. or Mr., but nothing for that honorific type). Anyway, everything is technically better but still… feelings.

My Uncle Gray is the one I can truly credit for getting me into reading and, therefore, writing. For Christmas and birthdays, he would deliver unto us a box of books. And I loved opening those boxes. So many worlds existed in those pages, so many adventures, stories, trials, and travails. He shared his joy of reading with my sister and me. Now here I am writing my own stories down for others to share and enjoy. I miss you, Uncle Gray, you profoundly touched my life and I will forever be grateful to you.

Hug your loved ones, my friends. You just never know what the future holds.

Mile Hi Con 2023!

Even though I could only attend Mile Hi Con 55 for a few hours, I had a great time! I had a few visitors come by to say hello (Hello!) There is nothing quite like talking about your work with those who show an interest in what you do. On top of all that, getting to chat with other authors and artists about their process and their plans for the future was a blast.

And talking about the future, I am trying my hand at recording myself for audiobooks of my works. Right now it’s only at the test phase. I’ll talk about it more soon. There is also Nanowrimo happening! I am plunking away at the next Nun With a Gun tale and it’s being capricious, to say the least.

Oh! I will also be attending Galacticon 2023 from November 24th to the 26th. Come on down and say hi! Bring the family!

Fort Collins Comic Con was a Blast!

I meant to write about this earlier, but it’s been a busy week… err month. But I had a great time at Fort Collins ComicCon 2023!

It was such a smoothly run Con! They had table sitters in case you needed a break. They would check on you every couple of hours or so to see if you needed a break. I can’t tell you how amazing that is. Usually, I have to bring a person with me to fill in when I need it. This service is so cool.

I’ve been in an Author’s Alley in pretty much all the Cons I’ve done, but this one had different types of vendors intermixed with authors and artists. There was a steampunk clothier just around the ben with a crazy hat maker across the aisle from me. This made for great people-watching and nifty opportunities for crossing interests!

There was some really cool cosplay to be seen and the panels I was able to attend really hit the itch for scientific discussion as well as recent advancements in AI. Interesting stuff and I was glad I was able to attend.

I had some folks come by to say hello and others who were excited to see me there so they could pick up the next book or more in the series! This makes for a super cool memory that I will cherish in my adventures in writing. The event was worth every minute.

Oh yeah! Just a quick FYI; if you missed me at Fort Collins ComicCon, you can catch me for a limited time at Mile-Hi Con 2023!

Come See Me at Fort Collins Comic Con!

I know I’ve been a little quiet on the writing front, but that’s changing right now! I will be at the Fort Collins Comic Con on August 26th and 27th! Come on by and say hello! I’ll be in booth G2.

This will be a new adventure for me as I haven’t attended this Comic Con as a guest or a fan. I am looking forward to meeting new folks and seeing some fantastic cosplay!

On the book front, it has taken some time but the Saga of a Space Freighter series is available in ebook and print at most online vendors! The titles can be requested for your local libraries to stock as well!

On the new story front, progress is being made on the next installment of The Nun With a Gun!

It’s been a crazy and busy year for me with all the sword fighting and traveling. I’m looking forward to a little normalcy and that means some buckle-down writing time.

Come on by the Fort Collins Comic Con and say hey!

Life After Completing a Series

With the Saga of a Space Freighter Series (aka the Matilda Series) completed, I have been floating in a sea of ‘what to do now’. It’s weird to think about having closed a chapter of my life that has been part of me for close to a decade. So, I’ve been trying to figure out the next step. And by step, I mean the next Grand Step.

I’ve been catching up on other non-writing projects that have been cluttering my mind. I’ve gotten some reading done (which is really nice since my “to be read” pile was getting enormous), caught up on some tv shows, and been catching some new (to me) bands at different venues. It’s been a lot of fun, but none of it has helped me figure out the next thing.

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t been idle. I’ve been working on research for a couple of projects, and some of that research has given me the impetus to change tracks on at least one writing project. But all in all, I get the feeling those stories will either be big steps that end quickly or little steps that stay with me for a long while.

In other news, I’m working on getting the Saga of a Space Freighter up at other vendors, but nothing seems to be as simple as I try to make it. Setbacks are points of learning as frustrating as they can be sometimes. Audio versions are still on the horizon, and stepping back from the series for a bit is a good idea. Either way, I still have plenty to do.

Maybe I don’t have to find that Grand Step, though. Perhaps the smaller steps are what I need.

Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

Waltzing Matilda is a Contender!

They say, don’t judge a book by its cove, but my book, Waltzing Matilda (Matilda Series Book 5), has been picked to be one of the contenders in the Cover of the Month contest – April 2023 on AllAuthor.com!

The contest has 4 rounds:

  • First, all the selected entries will contest for the next round. (Duration 1st – 7th)
  • Second, 100 top-voted covers will compete to enter the third round. (Duration 8th – 14th)
  • Third, top 50 book covers from the previous round. (Duration 15th – 21st)
  • Fourth, top 24 book covers will play the last round in the chase. (Duration 22nd – Month end)
  • The 3 winners will be announced on the last day of the month.

If you want to vote for Waltzing Matilda, click on this here link:
https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/15246/

And it’s Out! The Fifth and Final Book in the Series!

I hope you’re ready because today is the day!  Waltzing Matilda is now available at Amazon in both Kindle and Print!

Smuggler.  Fugitive.  Cyborg.  Bounty Hunter.  Ex-Freedom Fighter.  Butcher.

Far off into the future in a distant part of the galaxy, the Consortium controls the human colonies held together by the jump gates.  Where the Consortium doesn’t hold sway, crime flourishes.  Through the use of a hellish engine that goes where no one should, the crew of the Matilda slips its way between the two.  But now they’re stuck on a backwater asteroid and time is running out.

Rumors drift of jump gates falling to rebel forces while other systems succumb to the alien invasion.  The crew knows where Galena is being held but have no way to get there.  Making dark deals in the folds may get them a way out.

Will the terrors from outside space lay claim to more systems?  Can the insurrection prevail?  With the universe against them, can Jacquotte Delahaye rescue Galena from this war-torn galaxy?

Loosen that pistol in your holster and prepare yourself for the fifth and final book of the series, Waltzing Matilda.