I bet you came here ready to have a fight. But please, let me assure you that I have no beef with "YA" books. I just think it's a rating, not a genre. YA stands for "Young Adult" and was initially used by bookstores and libraries to provide a space for readers who were no … Continue reading YA Is A Useless Genre
Impostor Syndrome Is A Con
This weekend I went to a local convention called Philcon, where I had the pleasure of attending several interesting panels, laughing at a lot of fandom humor, and getting my picture taken with Samuel R. Delany. I went for a few reasons, namely it being a good excuse to go on an adventure with my … Continue reading Impostor Syndrome Is A Con
Cars Are For SINGING
Pleased to report that so far most of the beta reader notes I've gotten so far are threats of loss of friendship if anything bad happens to the side characters, which is really the ultimate goal of anyone writing side characters. I'm preparing to start book four and Secret Other Manuscript (SOM) but mostly I've … Continue reading Cars Are For SINGING
Scream Queens: Hell to Healing on the Big Screen
Last post was about the different types of feminine horror. I spoke about this with my friend, horror aficionado Glenys Packer, who had a lot of great insight into modern horror and the feminine. So, naturally, I pawned off my blogging responsibility on her, and she knocked it out of the park! I hope you enjoy! … Continue reading Scream Queens: Hell to Healing on the Big Screen
All Thrills, No Frills: Feminine Horror
It's time to get spoopy! My book feeds are full of people reading horror novels, scary movies are on every television, and here I am to talk about what I (and I think others) define as "feminine horror." When we think about horror, we think monsters, psychological thrillers, and body horror. I think lately, however, … Continue reading All Thrills, No Frills: Feminine Horror
Not Your Fight, But Still Your Problem
What with the hullabaloo about women winning Hugos, Trail of Lightning and the discussion around appropriation, and indeed, the advent of October and the costumed holidays celebrated throughout North America, it seems like the book world has been in a tizzy about respectful dialogue and celebration of ideas. There are literally thousands of articles on systemic … Continue reading Not Your Fight, But Still Your Problem
Live Creatively – Stop Writing
If you've done much writing at all, you'll have heard advice from dozens of professionals on how to write with all your talent and stay on schedule. There are exercises and outlining rules and reminders that it's not about inspiration, it's about perspiration! And today I'd like to add my own. My favorite way to … Continue reading Live Creatively – Stop Writing
Not Enough Words
Editing continues apace. I really like editing--I find it so much easier to tweak things already on the page than to figure out what words need to come next. It's so soothing to feel that sort of "snap" of the puzzle pieces fall into place, to know that you've expressed what you wanted to say … Continue reading Not Enough Words
Two Years Is Enough Anticipation
A while back I spoke of my concern with my third book's title, due to a few unrelated yet troubling posts made by other authors and asked readers of my blog or other social media sites to help me select a name. So I'm pleased to announce that I've finished the first draft of my … Continue reading Two Years Is Enough Anticipation
Those Who Do the Work
Labor Day always makes me a bit morose. It's the end of summer, and it's supposed to be a day to commemorate the efforts of those who fought for workers' rights--the 8 hour day, OSHA, age restrictions, unions and so on. And yet tomorrow so many of the people still the least protected will continue … Continue reading Those Who Do the Work
