As a PANTSER especially, it helps to realize that every series you write – even every story – has its own rhythms and patterns. No matter how confused and in the dark you might feel at times, you will eventually get to your destination. Continue reading
There is no try – only do.
Sometimes it’s too easy to find yourself hesitant to put words to commit words to paper. We’re not sure what to write next. We have something else we need to deal with first, but don’t set a definite time to get back to writing. We don’t know if our ideas are any good. You have to find a way to keep moving forward. Continue reading
I have written before about how much of my life has been lived through luck. A friend nicknamed me Domino (there’s apparently a comic character of this name whose super power is luck.) Another friend became furious with me once because I was calling my dice pips in advance of rolling them, and they were coming up as I called them far too often. He accused me of cheating (that I was influencing the dice as opposed to predicting them. Another way of “making my own luck”?) Continue reading
All writers (and all stories) are different. What works for one often doesn’t work for another, so you should always be cautious in how you decide to take advice. Continue reading
The expression “The Wolves Will Come” was supposed to be a negative and represent a danger; colonists are on the run from their enemies, and they are forced to leave their home and their elderly behind. I wanted the elder to be abandoned by necessity, but proudly, not as a victim. It wasn’t until I … Continue reading
Me and my opposable thumbs – that, and the use of tools, are part of what is supposed to distinguish humans from the rest of the animals. Continue reading
Last Week’s Goals All my blog posts went out as usual. Two of my stories returned from market and were sent back out within a day or so, so all of my available stories are out there. On a positive note, one of those stories (“Two Buttons to Eternity”) just earned me my FOURTH HONORABLE … Continue reading
Last Week’s Goals My blog entries were posted on schedule. All my available stories are out to market. Marketing is not working for me. I don’t have enough confidence to throw money at it, especially considering most of my work is short fiction. The free promotions I’ve done and my free series starters have resulted … Continue reading
Last Week’s Goals My blog entries were posted on schedule. I had one story return from market, and I sent it back out to a new market I discovered through Literarium. My experiment with my 5-day Kindle Select FREE promo of Swordsmaster had mixed results. I promoted through this blog, my Current Book Promotions page, … Continue reading
Last Week’s Goals My blog entries were all posted on schedule. I was double checking my story spreadsheet, and discovered that one of my stories (“Installment Plan”) that was out to market wasn’t overdue for a reply from the traditional publisher after all – it was rejected a month ago, but the email was lost … Continue reading
William Mangieri's Writing Page 