Podcast appearances and mentions of Dean Wesley Smith

What if the source of your best writing isn't something you control — but something you learn to collaborate with? How can ancient ideas about the muse, the daimon, and creative genius transform the way you approach your work? And what might happen if you stopped fighting the silence and let it become your greatest creative ally? With Matt Cardin, author of Writing at the Wellspring. In the intro, thoughts on bookstores and Toppings; 20 ways authors can signal humanity and build reader trust [Wish I'd Known Then]; Learning from Silence – Pico Iyer; ProWritingAid spring sale; Bones of the Deep – J.F. Penn. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com to get started. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Matt Cardin is the multi-award-nominated author of eight books at the convergence of horror, religion, and creativity. His latest book is Writing at the Wellspring: Tapping the Source of Your Inner Genius, which is fantastic. I actually blurbed it as follows: “A guide for writers who welcome the dark and hunger for meaning. . . . If the page is a threshold, this book will show you how to cross.” You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How Matt balances a full-time academic career with his creative writing life The ancient concept of the genius, the muse, and the daimon, and why creativity is about collaboration with something beyond yourself Why the silences that come into our creative lives, including writer's block and inertia, might actually be gifts rather than obstacles The stages of the creative process Living into the dark, and embracing uncertainty How Substack and blogging can organically grow into books You can find Matt at MattCardin.com or www.livingdark.net. Transcript of the interview with Matt Cardin Joanna: Matt Cardin is the multi-award-nominated author of eight books at the convergence of horror, religion, and creativity. His latest book is Writing at the Wellspring: Tapping the Source of Your Inner Genius, which is fantastic. I actually blurbed it as follows: “A guide for writers who welcome the dark and hunger for meaning. . . . If the page is a threshold, this book will show you how to cross.” It is a great book. So welcome to the show, Matt. Matt: Well, thank you, Jo. It's really a pleasure to be here, especially since, as you and I were briefly acknowledging before we started recording, we have overlapping interests to a great degree. So it's really great to make official contact with you. Joanna: Indeed. So, first up, before we get into the book itself— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing. Matt: Well, I'm one of those people whose story is probably typical in some ways, in that I really wanted to do it from the time I was a child. My father was a great writer, although he was an attorney. He wasn't a professional writer. Something about books and reading when I was a child really seriously enchanted me. I was very frustrated when I was so young—and I vividly remember this—that I couldn't read, because I loved the books that were read to me. I craved being able to read them for myself. So as soon as I gained that ability in school, it was off to the races, so to speak, and for some reason, a desire to tell stories myself came along with that. Being a “writer” was one of the earliest life desires, job or career desires, that I expressed. I was one of those young people really into fantasy, horror, and science fiction. So I was reading a lot of it and trying to emulate it and write a lot of it. There was a cinematic component—I was a movie fanatic as well. I won a local Authors' Guild short story writing contest when I was a senior in high school and began trying to write stories seriously in college. Then my interest in horror and religion became dominant over time, and that's what I ended up writing about. Joanna: Has your interest turned into paid work? That's the other thing, because there's an interest and then there's making writing more of your income and your business. Matt: Right. Well, actually, although I have made and do make money from my writing, it has always, always, always remained on the side. My main career, as far as my moneymaking life, first started off in video and media production, which is formally what I got my undergraduate college degree in. Then I switched into education. I taught high school for some years, and then now for the past, good Lord, 18 years, I have been in higher education. First as English faculty who also taught some religion courses, and then now for the past several years in the administration. I'm Vice President of Academic Affairs at a college. My writing has been something that I pursued as an avocation. As far as earning money from it, that didn't happen even with my first publication, which happened on the internet in 1998, I believe, with a horror story titled “Teeth.” It was just free—I didn't get paid. That led to paid publication of that story three or four years later, when it appeared as my very first print publication in a Lovecraftian horror anthology from Del Rey titled The Children of Cthulhu. It appeared as the final story, and that was the first time I had received a paycheck. It was a professional per-word rate. Since then I've had several books published and more stories and essays and that kind of thing. I've had income sometimes from writing and sometimes I haven't. My first book came out of that story. I attended the World Horror Convention in 2001, actually before that Lovecraftian anthology was published, but it had been placed. At the World Horror Convention, which was in Seattle that year, I met one of the two editors of that book, and that led to me having my first short story collection, Divinations of the Deep, which was not for much money, but it attracted a lot of good attention and some good reviews. So it's been like that all along. I mean, I've made a couple of runs at saying I would love to just be an author, as it were, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. And honestly, I'm glad it's not. I have made the most money from some academic editing projects that I've done. I created and edited a two-volume encyclopedia of the history of horror literature, for instance, for a big academic publisher. Those are work-for-hire projects that I get paid for. Making money on my own creative vision and my own creative work has been intermittent. It really has proven over time that not having my primary creative, spiritual, and philosophical drive hooked to what I earn my bread by has been a blessing. I don't want to take this thing I love and make it be how I have to grind to earn my money. I want to keep it in a protected space. That has been spontaneously what's happened with my writing career. Joanna: Yes. I think as you say, there are a lot of benefits of that, especially where you are writing at this convergence of horror, religion, and creativity. Your writing is very deep. I would say it's on the edge of academic. I don't want to say it's completely academic, because a lot of people will find that difficult. But I think Writing at the Wellspring goes very deep while still being open to non-academic readers. As you say, I think if you had wanted to make a living with your books, you would've had to have gone in at a lighter level, perhaps. Do you think that makes sense? Matt: Yes, I know what you mean. I want to specify, I know that neither you nor I are saying anything about this as any kind of criticism or condescension to anyone who does make their living as a writer. I mean, I believe you do. Joanna: Yes, exactly. Matt: And that's fine. There really are people who have had significant commercial success from books or other things they've written that don't appear to be making huge concessions to being commercial. You can make a living as a writer, I think, and really follow your muse and not feel like you have to pander or cater or cheapen it. Then there are people who have perfectly happily decided to commercialise their work and tune it in whatever way is currently popular. That's fine. Every writer, every creative person should do what is right for him or her, in my opinion. In my particular case, I think what you said is right. I do think that I might have needed to change some things, to back off, to word them differently. Whenever I've tried to exert deliberate control like that, it just turns out that it's not something that my creative spirit wants to do. I don't really feel like I'm in contact with the work anymore. I'm fine with that. I don't think I'm doing a sweet lemons type thing. It really is the way it just needs to be. If it ever proves that me doing it strictly the way I want to do it, going however deep I want regardless of trying to appeal to a paying readership—if it turns out that at some point aligns with boatloads of money coming in, that's fine. That's perfectly fine. I'd be open to that. Joanna: Yes. Matt: I would be open to that. Joanna: You mentioned muse there, and with Writing at the Wellspring, the subtitle is “Tapping the Source of Your Inner Genius.” So I think this is a good place to talk about it. As you mentioned, you are leaning into your muse and your inner genius, and you use other terms—daemon or daimon. I think sometimes people find the word “genius” particularly very difficult because it has the connotation of brilliance in some form. So how can people think about this? How can we lean into this [genius] side of ourselves? Matt: Honestly, one thing that I would suggest people do is I would refer them to the TED Talk that Elizabeth Gilbert gave some years ago—was it 2009, 2010, 2011? It's one of the more popular TED Talks. Elizabeth Gilbert spoke about. I think it's sometimes given the title “Your Elusive Creative Genius” or something like that. Her whole talk is about the way in her own creative life, and as she recommends to others, it has been very important for her to seize on the older model that we're talking about. The most clear articulation of it is that it used to be the case—and we're talking about in ancient Western history, back to the Romans and even earlier to the Greeks—that genius was not something that you identified a person as being. It was something that a person had. And I would also say importantly, maybe had them too. In ancient Roman culture surrounding art and poetry and that kind of thing, the genius was the spirit that might, say, live in an artist's studio and would provide the same service to that artist as the Greek muses provided to someone who was writing epic poetry or history or something like that. That understanding of it has continued in various ways down through history. But there was a fateful transition as Western culture went through what we commonly call the Enlightenment and the Renaissance as well. This was where the term “genius,” while it didn't lose all those connotations of being an inspiring spirit—something that a person both has and maybe has hold of them—did become internalised to the point where we speak of people as being geniuses., which is exactly what you're talking about. I agree, some people listening to this probably have some reservations about this. They don't want to call themselves a genius because we tend to mean that's a super brilliant person, some kind of prodigy who is possessed of amazing artistic, creative, or intellectual skills. Again, that is the result of a cultural, philosophical, psychological, historical transition that occurred several centuries ago. And you still see the older meaning of it being attached sometimes. You think of people who we call geniuses being touched by something. Well, the older version—where you think of the genius, which in the way I use it in this book and also in my first book on creativity, A Course in Demonic Creativity—the genius is equivalent to the muse, which is equivalent to that other figure that you mentioned, the daemon or the daimon. It refers to a separate—what seems for all the world to be a separate—centre of intelligence or entity or influence. The thing that gives you both your creative drive and also your ideas, and serves as the source of what comes to you naturally to write. It's more than just ideas. When you talk about the ancient Greek daimon, there was a whole well-developed tradition of that in ancient Greek philosophy and religion. A daimon was, in one famous sense, a spirit that you were born with, that the gods had given you. It was like your double, your higher self. It was the thing that represented your character, your interests, the blueprint and the outline that your life was supposed to follow. There are great books written about that. There's a book by the psychologist James Hillman titled The Soul's Code. A lot of people have read it. It lays out the daimon theory and gives it application to modern instances. The idea is that everybody has a genius or has a muse or has a daimon. For writers, my recommendation is to say, whether you believe it or not, whether you take it as a metaphor—which is fine—or whether you want to get somewhat mystical and delve into the idea that maybe there's really a spirit or something, it doesn't matter. Productively, with practical, measurable results, you can learn to relate to your creative impulse as if you are collaborating internally with someone else. It's the centre of why you're interested in writing what you want to write, why you want to write the way you want to write, and even the types of things that unfold in the course of your career—both your creative career and the rest of your life, in the mould of the ancient daimon. I have found that to be a vein of great power and meaning in my own life. I do it exactly the way I'm describing. I don't actually believe it, but I don't disbelieve it. I find that in experience, it really doesn't matter. It works and it may as well be true. Joanna: I mean, obviously the book has a whole load of ways we can tap into that, but I did like that you talk about stillness and silence, because I feel like that is actually increasingly difficult as authors. Obviously it's noisy online and we're meant to be doing things like social media or interacting with people online. And then the world is just noisy. The news is noisy. There's lots of things. How can we use this idea of stillness and silence? Also, any other ways we can practically tap into this side? Matt: Sure. One thing that wanted to say itself in this book was some things I had been thinking and feeling about silence for a long time. As you say, it can be difficult these days to find what feels like the silence that we need to even get our work done. We're talking about the muse or the genius. How can we even hear it when it seems like the clamour of all the pulls that we have on our outward attention has become truly a cacophony? We have opted for this in many ways through our engagement with social media or other things, but in other ways seems like it's been thrust upon us. What I want to point out, that has been of extreme importance to me, is that many silences come into our lives as creatives that we resist. It's not just that we can't find the silence and the space that we feel like we need so as not to drown out our creativity. It's that we have unwanted silences come in, like writer's block. Or even if it doesn't feel like a block, just inertia. Just stasis. I don't know about you, but I have many, many times found myself grappling with what, for all the world, feels like a totally natural, organic sense of wanting to slip into complete inertia, just total stillness. And that feels like it has been in conflict with my creative drive. It's like I have this residual desire and also a sense of duty that I really should be writing. Maybe I have an idea in mind and I'm just not working on it. Or maybe I'm in the middle of a project and I feel like I'm abandoning it. Or maybe nothing's coming up, but I feel like it should be. I'm pushing myself, but there's a division in me where I also just want to leave it alone. Whether that means actually just sitting there silently at my writing table or in meditation, or maybe just going about regular daily life and forgetting about trying to fulfil this creative calling. I really think there's a vein of gold to be tapped in the silences that come to all of us. Because as I said, that can be in the middle of daily activity. We have this kind of franticness, some of us, about our creativity. We get wrapped up in it. We feel bound to it. The thing that so much of the time we want to think is a gift—we're proud of it, we cherish it, we like our writing—also becomes a burden. This fantasy of just chucking it all, of just saying, “I would love to be free of it. It's like something that's weighing me down. I'm sorry that I roped myself into it. I would love to just sink into complete silence.” This sort of meditative thing, or just muteness—hey, that is valid to hear. That's valid to heed when it comes up. I mean, sometimes we have gotten ourselves into situations where we have external responsibilities and deadlines, and it's important to try and honour those and not be a bad person on the level of just fulfilling practical obligations. It's also important to recognise you've got silence offering itself to you in all kinds of ways. The more important silence is paradoxically the one that we so often resist if we're creative people and feel like we have to be making. The more important silence is not whether or not your outward conditions seem like they're a clamour and they're chaotic and they're distracting and they're full of pressure. It's that inner silence. So I recommend paying attention to when it comes up. And for practical ways—they are endless. Take advantage of early mornings. A lot of people have found great value in getting up earlier than they are used to and making a practice of that, and either just meditating or free writing. Maybe using, for example, Julia Cameron's famous practice of morning pages, which has been valuable to me sometimes. Or doing things like—as I've said about the muse and the genius and the daimon—personify your unconscious mind and maybe write down a dialogue between yourself and your creative spirit, whether about your current project or just about your life and your creativity as a whole. There are various tricks to get in touch with this unconscious part of you, and I really am convinced out of practical personal experience that it's not necessary to have outer silence and outer spaciousness when you can find it within yourself. You can find it through some of these exercises for getting in alignment with what your creativity wants to do. You can get in touch with it if you're paying attention to what you might not recognise as a gift—offering it to yourself. If things go quiet and you think, “Oh no, I should be doing something”—why not let that be a place where things can germinate? Why not let that be the silence that you might not be able to find on the outside? Joanna: Yes, and I'm feeling guilty here because of course we are producing a podcast episode for people to listen to. I find personally that one of the places I can find silence is when I walk. It's not obviously silent outside, but I am definitely guilty of always listening to podcasts, often at very fast speed as well. Sometimes when I go for a walk, I just deliberately do not listen to anything—don't listen to an audiobook, don't listen to a podcast—and a lot comes up there. I have my phone with me, and when I get back from those walks and jot down things that come up in my mind, I will have so many notes of things that have come up in my brain during the walk. It's really difficult, isn't it? Because I know you also love input. You do a lot of research. As I said, your books have a lot of research in them, and so we both like doing the research. But also I definitely find that has to be balanced with the time for letting it come out again in some form, with that mental silence. You also talk about being uncomfortable, and I feel like sometimes that silence can be uncomfortable as well. Matt: Yes, it can be. There's no telling what might come up when you are faced with silence. Again, it's one of those things—even the outer kind that we think we crave. Sometimes it's a bit frightening when it comes up, which is why we try to fill it with things, like this podcast episode for example. There's a threshold that you can notice you cross sometimes, where what was a natural desire to connect with something that you heard about and found interesting becomes a bit frantic. Where now, really, what might be good is if you shut off—didn't go for the next podcast episode or didn't go for the next click to the website—if you just shut the browser and just sat there and did something else. You're kind of, with a little desperateness, trying to fill the void. What you described about needing to get quiet and let things happen—yes. I love reading and research, but the classic stages of the creative process—first codified, I think, by Graham Wallas, if I remember correctly—they still work. It's really good sometimes to have a model and understand how it works. You have what's sometimes called the preparation stage. All the input, all the research, all the brainstorming, all that kind of thing. Then the incubation stage can be vastly important. That can get frightening, both because the silence seems somehow threatening, like something about you is going to be exposed. Or maybe that you're going to lose the thread of whatever it was and it's never going to come out. But really, if you just stop and let your muse, let your genius do its thing, let your unconscious do its thing, it will suggest itself again. It will come up on its own. Ideas will come back. You'll realise, “Oh, I didn't know what I was going to do with that character. I didn't know how these ideas were going to come together. I didn't even know what this idea for a story, a book, or an essay was going to be.” It comes back up, and with you working with it, it shows what it wanted to be all along. This whole thing about doing the preparation and then allowing it to incubate and germinate and then sprout when it wants to, that still works. Part of the reason that we're scared of the silence, I'm convinced, is because each of us operates in our psychological selves as a closed system. It's like we each comprise our own cosmos, so to speak. I know you know that I have worked in horror literature, the literature of cosmic fear. In cosmic horror, as laid out by the likes of Lovecraft and others, the basic effect has been analysed as constituting a disturbance of the universe. That's the horror of cosmic horror—the world is transformed into this nightmarish thing in a cosmic horror story, where there's a haunting, threatening presence that's out of the ordinary and it's somehow bound up with the narrator's interior world. Life reveals itself as supernaturally or ontologically something nightmarish—there are awful forces that are about to erupt all the time. And whether anybody's into cosmic horror or not, I think it's pretty accurate to say that we each constitute our own world, our own cosmos. A lot of the noise that we make—the mental noise and the complications we introduce into our own lives—is, usually unconsciously, trying to stave off confrontation with the otherness that is outside the barrier of our personal sense of self. The weird thing is that that otherness is actually in us, and in fact, we can approach it in the figure of the daemon or the daimon or the muse. So creativity is fraught. You're dealing with something that you might want to think, “Oh, this is great, it's going to be the source of my ideas, it's going to fulfil my creativity.” Well, yes, but it is frightening to think about the fact of something about yourself being beyond yourself and perhaps being out of your conscious control and somehow guiding your destiny. A lot of people have trouble getting along with their own unconscious, which is another way to put it. There's a horror, a fear, a dread effect that comes when we feel like we are out of control. We all face that ultimately—when it comes to our death, for example. There are some spiritual traditions that talk about dying before you die, that being basically the way to enlightenment in those traditions. Recognising and coming to terms with the fact that this thing that is you, that you call yourself, is transitory. It is only there by being enclosed within and swamped from without by this thing that is not you, which is a sort of void to which you'll return. In the book, I deal with some of that, and I talk about it from a non-dual spiritual viewpoint, because ultimately for me, these creative questions have become inseparable from spiritual questions. Joanna: Yes. And obviously people know about my book Writing the Shadow, which is how we really connected around this Jungian idea of the shadow and the darkness. I agree with you—there's some really interesting things at the juxtaposition of all of these topics, which we could talk about for a long time. I do want to ask you around your idea of “living into the dark.” Because I feel like you do take things beyond just the writing into this idea of living into it. So maybe talk a bit about that. And obviously synchronicity, which is a Jungian psychology concept. Matt: Living into the dark is the thing that forms the overarching ethos or perspective for me of all this. I got the term from “writing into the dark,” which actually comes from the American science fiction and fantasy author Dean Wesley Smith. He wrote a book titled Writing Into the Dark, subtitled “Writing Without an Outline.” It's a great book. I recommend it to anyone. It is about forsaking and foregoing the felt need to outline writing in advance and trusting your creative mind to be able to make up a story in real time. That draws on the deep nature of storytelling to come out right. Therefore you write into the dark, as if you're walking down a road where you have a lantern and you can only see one step ahead. You haven't mapped out the territory. It was a great metaphor. I had already been thinking in that direction about life and about creativity for some time when I first came across that book. I devoured it and recognised it described how I had already been writing anyway, which is one reason it was so powerful for me. Then it edged out into a broader understanding for me that I had also been coming up with, that I just ended up calling “living into the dark.” None of us knows where anything is going, that much is obvious. But living into the dark goes farther than that, to embrace this understanding. I think of this in connection with what so many people, either personally or because of jobs they have where they're required to think like this. I think of this in terms of the famous five-year plan that so many of us want to draw up. There's nothing wrong with a five-year plan or a ten-year plan or a one-year plan. You can come up with that for practical purposes and try and chart where you're going, but we too often forget that that's just a fantasy exercise. We are not actually thinking into the future, nor are we ever actually thinking into the past. Remembering the past, predicting or projecting the future—both are events that are happening right now, in this moment, which is always now. It's no less now than it was when you and I first started this conversation. Past and future are projections—mental projections right now. And everything is unfolding in the present in real time, which effectively means what's going to come next is coming out of—well, we don't know where it's coming out of. Darkness. Living into the dark is living with full-on contact with, and awareness of, and embrace of this fact that we don't know what's coming up. That encompasses all of life and all of creativity. That same darkness, if it's helpful for you to take on this emotional tenor—which it is for me—can relate to the darkness in cosmic horror fiction, or to some of the rich traditions of darkness, like in Daoism with the yin contrasted with yang. Yin is the dark, moon, feminine aspect of things—the receptive source of the universe. This idea of living into the dark, of just accepting that we're all on this journey on a path where we can only see one step ahead, even if that far, has been meaningful to me. It's been meaningful to my creativity, and I recommend it to anybody to whom it appeals. It takes a lot of pressure off. I think that's a guiding meta-theme for me—trying to take the pressure off us from trying to control things that can't be controlled, and more stepping into that flow of understanding: what's going to come to me is going to come to me, and my posture toward it, whether I align with it or not, is what's going to determine my experience of it. You mentioned synchronicity. It's interesting. It's verifiable. I know a lot of people have verified it for themselves. Maybe some people listening to this have too. It's verifiable that when you really get in tune with this present-moment thing and get in tune with your creativity—and you can tell when you're aligned and not, when you feel blocked or when you feel resistance or not—when these things align on their own sometimes, strange coincidences do happen. Jung talked about synchronicity as an acausal connecting principle. That was probably due to the fact that the psyche is not separate from the fabric of the world that gives rise to it, so that we might have subjective things—impressions, fantasies, dreams—that we rather uncannily see mirrored in objective events. Like the famous thing that clarified and coalesced that for him: a psychotherapy session with a patient who was describing a dream she'd been having about a scarab beetle. Then he heard a tapping at the window of his office and he went there and opened it, and there was a European beetle—a kind of scarab beetle, much like the Egyptian scarab—that was there. He held it up and said to the woman, “Is this your beetle? Here is your beetle.” It just blew her mind. It opened new levels of the therapy that she was receiving. Those kinds of things happen. I've had them happen. Joanna: Me too. Matt: If you're a long-time writer or reader, you're familiar with the library genie—the library daemon, we sometimes refer to it as—the book that, just at the moment you think of it and realise, “Oh yes…” You're doing your study, and it doesn't have to be a library, it could be on the web or whatever. You finally realise what it is that you need, what you've been looking for, and in some cases it literally falls off the shelf onto someone's head. What do you make of those when they happen? At the very least, it rattles your cage. You might enter a state of suspended judgement about whether we really are living in a kind of magical cosmos full of real correspondences. It's a bit like the daimon or the muse: is it a metaphor? Is it just an interpretation, or is it something real? Probably the best place is one of profoundly, actively embraced agnosticism, and just take it for what it is. Joanna: Yes, and leaning more into your intuition. I think you definitely demonstrate that in the book as well, really exploring a lot of very interesting topics. Now, we are almost out of time, but you do have a Substack, The Living Dark, where you publish essays, and you've also got all kinds of really interesting books. I want people to go have a look at some of the other stuff you've written, especially if you enjoy horror and religion and all of that kind of thing. So just to ask, how do you decide when something is an essay on The Living Dark, and how do you decide when you are going to put it in a book or in some other way? I feel like a lot of authors are thinking about Substack but don't necessarily know what to put on it. I think I first connected with you on your Substack, where I was like, “Oh, this guy's writing interesting, weird stuff.” How do you use Substack as opposed to writing for your books? Matt: Sure. Let me answer by first talking about what happened previously with that first book on creativity that I mentioned, A Course in Demonic Creativity. I had all kinds of thoughts and ideas coming up, seeded over many years of practice and reading about the daimon and the daemon and the genius and the muse. In 2009 I founded a blog—it was just a WordPress blog—and I titled it Daemon Muse. I attended to it for two to three years. A lot of people ended up reading it. I really did not have any plans, not even any back-burner plans, of taking the material that I published in posts there about this way of creativity and making it a book. I did realise about a year and a half in that essentially I had a book I had already written in those posts. So it took some work, and I spent six months making it all into a coherent book. By the way, that book was only ever published as a PDF, which is still free on my website, MattCardin.com—although plans for the first-ever print edition of it are in motion right now. That was published in 2011. When I went to Substack and started my newsletter there in 2022—and by the way, it wasn't originally called The Living Dark; my first title was “Living Into the Dark,” and then I changed it about a year, year and a half in—I kind of am doing the same thing. It's been a while since I took anything and thought, “I'm writing a book with it.” I write what comes to me to write. You know how Substack Notes is Substack's own version of social media, kind of like Twitter used to be or like X kind of is now. It happens all the time that I write things that just stay in contact with people as a Substack Note—some short thing. And then I realise I wanted to say more about that. Or you have what happened just this morning. Three or four hours before you and I were talking, I started writing a Substack Note and it got so long I realised I had something that could be a post to The Living Dark. So I switched over and finished it that way. The book Writing at the Wellspring came together after I had written things for a couple of years at The Living Dark and realised that I could trace a path through about a third of the posts that I had ever published there, and had the makings of a book. So that, plus other material from earlier in my life—there are things from my private journals from years ago in Writing at the Wellspring—plus some new material, ended up turning into that book. So I'm not thinking about the difference, is what I'm saying. I find writing at my Living Dark newsletter to be a needful and enjoyable creative outlet, partly because I have some 3,800 readers now and it feels good to be in contact with them and to have that audience and to know that there's that eye on what I'm writing. That's partly because I just have the freedom to work it out to my satisfaction and publish it there. I'm already halfway forming another book that will be of a different focus, to come from things that I have published there. So for me, there's an organic relationship between Substack writing, or any kind of blogging, and the writing of books. If people haven't thought about that, they might want to consider it. If you have one already or if you're thinking of starting a blog on Substack or anywhere else, maybe you have things that can guide you to a book that already exists and you just haven't realised it. Joanna: So where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Matt: Well, The Living Dark that we're talking about is at www.livingdark.net—and it does require the three Ws at the beginning to get there. Then my author website is MattCardin.com, and you can go to the books page there to get a link to all the books I've published and read about them. Joanna: Great. Well, thanks so much for your time, Matt. That was fantastic. Matt: Thank you, Jo. I really appreciate the invitation.The post Writing At The Wellspring: Tapping The Source Of Your Inner Genius With Matt Cardin first appeared on The Creative Penn.

The Authors Quill Larry Elmore Dean Wesley Smith Guest Sean Williams

Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, USA Today bestselling writer, Dean Wesley Smith has published over two hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres.   At the moment he produces novels in five major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the old west, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, and the superhero series starring Poker Boy, and the highly acclaimed puzzle mystery series The Cold Poker Gang.   His monthly magazine called Smith's Monthly, consisting of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and each month has over 60,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month.   During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, they wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.   He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of almost a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown.   Dean also worked as a fiction editor off and on, starting at Pulphouse Publishing, then at VB Tech Journal, then Pocket Books, and now at WMG Publishing where he and Kristine Kathryn Rusch serve as executive editors for the acclaimed Fiction River anthology series. He is now also the editor of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine and Writers of the Future.   https://deanwesleysmit...   Workshops on Teachable…   https://wmg-publishing...   The WMG Writer Store   https://wmgwriterstore...   The WMG Publishing Main Store   https://wmgbooks.com/

#CuentosDelPortal es nuestro club de lectura dedicado a #libros de #StarTrek Hoy leemos el libro de #StarTrekEnterprise "By the book" de Dean Wesley Smith y Kristin Kathryn Rusch ------------------------------------------------- Ayudanos a bancar esta locura comprándonos un cafecito en: ⁠⁠ https://ko-fi.com/remerasrojas⁠⁠ https://cafecito.app/remerasrojas Buscanos nuestras redes: Facebook: ⁠ https://www.facebook.com/remerasrojas Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/remerasrojas Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/remerasrojas TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/@remeras.rojas BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/remerasrojas.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@remerasrojas ivoox: ⁠⁠https://remerasrojas.ivoox.com⁠⁠ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0JadZRuq4kibyGbkbGrYzk Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/RemerasRojas?sub_confirmation=1 -----------------------------------------------

Join us on this week's podcast as we dive into the process of revising your manuscript, from the rough beginnings of the "dirty draft" to the final, polished version. We've got the expert tips and practical advice to help you tackle each stage with confidence. Tune in to learn how to transform your writing with each pass through your manuscript, ensuring that what you eventually submit or publish is the best possible version of your work.  Sign up for author Nalini Singh's newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/ Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/   THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Holly Lisle's courses: https://hollylisle.com/category/writing-classes/  Writing into the Dark with Dean Wesley Smith: https://deanwesleysmith.com/a-great-take-on-writing-into-the-dark/  Scrivener: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener  Emotion Thesaurus: https://amzn.to/4fMIjhr  Margie Lawson's EDITS System: https://www.margielawson.com/  Holiday in Handcuffs: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0938666/ Leslye's Revision Workshop: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/courses/revise-your-novel   Get ready for Storm Echo, coming in 1 week! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/41dUro6    Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/ Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP   Find the hosts online at: Leslye Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/  Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/  Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

The Author Quill Dean Wesley Smith Second Hour Jody Lynn Nye

Tim Powers was born in Buffalo, New York, on Leap Year Day in 1952, but has lived in southern California since 1959. He graduated from California State University at Fullerton with a BA in English in 1976; the same year saw the publication of his first two novels, The Skies Discrowned and Epitaph in Rust. Tim's subsequent novels are The Drawing of the Dark, The Anubis Gates (winner of the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award and the Prix Apollo), Dinner at Deviant's Palace (winner of the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award), On Stranger Tides (the novel the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, was based on) The Stress of Her Regard, Last Call (winner of the World Fantasy Award), Expiration Date, Earthquake Weather, Declare (winner of the World Fantasy Award) and Three Days to Never. His most recent book is Hide Me Among the Graves. The Manchester Guardian called Powers “the best fantasy writer to appear in decades.” Tim has taught at the Clarion Science Fiction Writers' Workshop at Michigan State University six times and currently teaches the annual Writers of the Future workshop. He has been involved with the Contest since its early years, serving as one of the instructors (along with Algis Budrys and Orson Scott Card) at the very first official WotF workshop in Sag Harbor. He was formally inducted as a judge in 1993. Powers lives with his wife, Serena, in San Bernardino, California. “I think I've been a judge for most of the quarters in the past two decades. This means that several times a year I get a stack of manuscript photocopies via next-day mail, and take a day off from my own writing to read them all and evaluate them; this is no chore, since Dave Wolverton or K.D. Wentworth has already culled them from the total volume of submissions, and invariably there is at least one story that I'm grateful to have a chance to read. I send my verdicts in, and usually I hang on to a couple of the photocopies, just because I want to have the chance to read them again before the actual anthology is published. The stories at this point have no provenance beyond their titles—I don't know the genders or ages or addresses of the writers; and not all of them turn out to live in North America, by any means. The only thing I can be fairly sure of is that I have not read anything by any of these writers before. (Over the years, I have read a lot of subsequent books from many of them, with their names right there on the spines and their photos on the dust jacket flap—though since I'm not a very up-to-date reader, I generally don't get around to reading them until they've been nominated for Hugos or Nebulas or World Fantasy Awards.)” — Tim Powers Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, New York Times and USA Today bestselling writer, Dean Wesley Smith published over two hundred novels and over seven hundred books in fifty years, and hundreds and hundreds of short stories. He has over thirty million copies of his books in printAt the moment he produces novels in four major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the old west, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the cold case mystery series, Cold Poker Gang series, and the superhero series starring Poker Boy. During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, they wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for “I think this Contest has done more to help new writers achieve their dreams than anything that has come before. I know it gave me a huge push. It's wonderful to return to be a part of it again as a judge.” —Dean Wesley Smith Find out more at: deanwesleysmith.com

Dean Wesley Smith is one of the most prolific writers working today, with over 200 novels, and countless short stories published. He reveals how he has learned how to stop listening to his critical voice, and to stop thinking of the story as a “product”, and how that has unleashed his creativity.

Ever wondered what it takes to complete a writing project from start to finish? Join us as we promise to uncover the secrets behind mastering the art of writing, drawing from personal experiences in both fiction and non-fiction. Discover how starting small and persevering can lead to the satisfying completion of a manuscript. We also share invaluable insights from Dean Wesley Smith on the financial aspects of being an author, providing a comprehensive look at the writing journey and valuable resources like Readsy to help you hone your skills.We'll explore a variety of writing methods and tools that can help you produce more words and ultimately improve as a writer. Whether you prefer the tactile feel of notebooks or the convenience of digital applications like Google Docs, Evernote, and Scrivener, there's something here for everyone. Speech-to-text software and recording devices are also discussed for those who find traditional writing challenging. From plotting versus pantsing to experimenting with various techniques, we emphasize the individuality of the writing process and encourage you to find what works best for you.In this episode, we highlight the writing techniques of well-known authors, including how the writer of the Reacher series tackles writer's block by editing previous sections of his work. Summarizing chapters for story cohesion, Dean Wesley Smith's perspective on letting readers judge the quality of your story, and the emotional impact of writing are key topics we delve into. We also share inspiring words from D.J. Molles, encouraging writers to overcome obstacles and respect readers' experiences. Ultimately, this episode is a treasure trove of tips and encouragement for anyone looking to embark on or complete their writing journey.

In this episode, outgoing Local History Coordinator Cat Shattuck and Ben from Tech Services dish on all things Star Trek--captains and Klingons and Janeway and all things in between! Book Recommendations: Star Trek: New Frontier series by Peter David (Ben) Star Trek Cord of Engineers series by Dean Wesley Smith, Christie Golden, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Dayton Ward, Kevin Dilmore (Ben) Any books by T. Kingfisher (Cat) The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is our most recent Writer Contest judge. Dean Wesley Smith, also a judge, has Mark by four decades, being the first person to be awarded by Writers of the Future in that very first year! Together, these two have been at the forefront of the evolution of publishing, now known as indie publishing or self-publishing. Once frowned upon as vanity, self-publishing and indie publishing have proven to be the means for more and more authors to become million-dollar-a-year successful authors. So you will do well to bend an attentive ear to this podcast and listen to what these gents have to say. Mark Leslie Lefebvre: markleslie.ca/ Dean Wesley Smith: deanwesleysmith.com/

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is our most recent Writer Contest judge. Dean Wesley Smith, also a judge, has Mark by four decades, being the first person to be awarded by Writers of the Future in that very first year! Together, these two have been at the forefront of the evolution of publishing, now known as indie publishing or self-publishing. Once frowned upon as vanity, self-publishing and indie publishing have proven to be the means for more and more authors to become million-dollar-a-year successful authors. So you will do well to bend an attentive ear to this podcast and listen to what these gents have to say. Mark Leslie Lefebvre: markleslie.ca/ Dean Wesley Smith: deanwesleysmith.com/

In this episode, Mark interviews Kevin J. Anderson about his writing and the new approach he is taking to incorporate Kickstarter into the launch strategies for some of his indie-published titles. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this self-publishing/WIDE-publishing focused cruise.   In their interview Mark and Kevin talk about: How Kickstarter has completely upended (in a good way), Kevin's book release strategies Kevin's first novel coming out in 1988 and all the various publishers he has worked with over the years The "Perfect Storm" that was brewing in the book industry when indie publishing became a realistic and viable option Starting to publish his own books (mostly backlist titles he got the rights back to) in 2009 after founding WordFire Press with his wife Rebecca Moesta Kevin's belief that this is the best time to be a writer How Kevin does a little bit of everything. He has a New York literary agent, he works with several major publishers, he indie publishes, and he continues to explore new opportunities that digital publishing offer The way that Kickstarter didn't just open a new door, it completely blew it down, along with a few walls too Dean Wesley Smith's perspective that helped to change Kevin's mind about what Kickstarter was all about Kevin's "Adams Family meets The Naked Gun" series of Dan Shamble Zombie PI novels, and the history of how it started off as a series with a major publisher, flopped, then Kevin got the rights back and did something truly stunning with it once he applied Kickstarter Kevin's first Dan Shamble Kickstarter which brought in 23 times the intial amount he was asking for, and that it paid him more than 6 times the advance he'd rec'd from a major publisher for the last Dan Shamble book he'd done with them The Dragon Business (The Princess Bride meets Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) Kickstarter that brought in 20 times what he'd been asking for The Persephone Kickstarter that Kevin did with Writer/Director Jeffrey Morris Kevin's latest Kickstarter which is a 7 Volume Set of over 130 of his published short stories published over 50 years Writing his first short story when he was 8 years old Publishing his very first short story when he was 14 The personal introductions that he wrote for every one of the stories in this 7 book collection The various levels and Kickstarter rewards he is planning for this Kickstarter The remarkable fact that, despite having published 180 novels with 58 of them being international bestsellers, no publisher would ever even consider publishing a 7 volume hardcover set of Kevin's complete short stories. That he can do this via Kickstarter is a significant paradigm shift How Kickstarter can replace the old "advance" model from traditional publishing The special thing Kevin is doing for all the backers of this latest Kickstarter The Kickstarter will be going live on April 30th for 3 weeks and 2 days And more . . .   After the interview Mark reflects on Kevin's use of short, effective and very clear log lines to describe two of his series.   Links of Interest: Kevin J. Anderson's Website Kevin's Short Story Kickstarter EP 130 - Grace Under Pressure with Kevin J. Anderson Mentions of Kevin in other podcast episodes EP 356 - The Midlist Indie Author Mindset with T. Thorn Coyle Thorn's Patreon Site EP 355 - Scribbling Pen Publishing with Melanie Gilbert and Heather Karn Writers of the Future - Blog Post Announcing Mark as a Judge Stark Publishing Support for Authors Via Margins Agency ScribeCount (Mark's Affiliate Link) Mark's YouTube Channel Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard   Kevin J. Anderson has published more than 180 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as the unique Clockwork Angels steampunk trilogy with legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart. His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series, the Wake the Dragon and Terra Incognita fantasy trilogies, and humorous Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series and The Dragon Business series. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University, and he and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers or WordFire Press. He worked on the recent films Dune Part One and Part Two from Legendary Entertainment, as well as the forthcoming Dune TV series from MAX, and other films in development, including Persephone and Karousel. He has 24 million copies in print in 34 languages. His most recent novels are Bats in the Belfry, Skeleton in the Closet, Persephone, and Princess of Dune (with Brian Herbert).     The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews bestselling writer, editor, and writing instructor, Wulf Moon, who won the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at the age of fifteen, and followed that with winning the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Contest, and Writers of the Future. He leads the Wulf Pack Writers group and is the author of The Illustrated Super Secrets of Writing and How to Write a Howling Good Story.  Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from previous episodes, shares a personal update, and then says a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the Stark Publishing book How to Write a Howling Good Story by Wulf Moon. The book is 25% off at the Smashwords store until the end of Jan 2024. Patrons of the Stark Reflections Podcast can get the book for 75% off until the end of Feb 2024. In their conversation Mark and Moon talk about: How Wulf Moon might not have been the name that he was born with and how the name "Moon" which he has been called most of his life came from his Ojibwe grandmother Moonbeam Road, a local road his father named after him when he was growing up Not having a father who was supportive of his writing, and even having to run away from home when he was younger Finding an important positive voice as a youngster in a teacher The additional lengths this one teacher went to support and encourage Moon in his writing Winning the Scholastic Art and Writing Award at the age of 15, among so many other awards that this teacher helped him find Getting beat up so often in high school that the only thing he could do was look down as he walked in the hallways - but how he found his power in writing The importance of finding a way to be who you are and to not allow others to repress you from that Starting up Wulf Moon's Super Secrets Writing Workshop right after winning Writers of the Future - and offering all this support to other writers for free The repeated authors who have gone through Moon's teachings and then ended up winning Writers of the Future The Wulf Pack Writers group that Moon manages Following the concept of "how can I help you with what I know" How writers don't understand proper Manuscript Format The high ranking sales that HOW TO WRITE A HOWLING GOOD STORY has hit since its release in November 2023 Moon's concept of Heart's Desire as the most important principle in a story Caring that happens in the heart of the reader, which can create the Reader/Hero bond Getting to a point in his life that was so low that he took risks and was burning bridges behind him and not writing for 10 years Realizing that he couldn't be happy and couldn't be fulfilled not being a writer Moon's experience meeting Dean Wesley Smith at the Nebula Awards in Eugene Oregon The importance of having both the fundamenals of writing and the belief in yourself The mantra "belief determins reality" that Moon instructs his students to write down The dedication in Moon's HOW TO WRITE A HOWLING GOOD STORY Meeting other people "like me" at writer conferences, etc and the incredible value that can bring Advice Moon would offer to newer writers And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of not denying who you are and not denying the things that bring you pleasure. He also reflects on the concept of finding your people, your Tribe, and the positive impact we can have on one another if we just take the time to listen, to reach out, to others.   Links of Interest: Wulf Moon's Website How to Write a Howling Good Story Smashwords link Patron Coupon for 75% off EP 340 - Personality, Passion, Presentation, and Persistence with Todd Fahnestock Mark's YouTube Channel Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard   Wulf Moon is a bestselling writer, editor, and writing instructor. At fifteen, Moon won the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and followed that with winning the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Contest, and Writers of the Future. He leads the Wulf Pack Writers group. He's won both Best Author and Best Writers Workshop four years running in the Critters Readers' Choice Awards, and is the author of The Illustrated Super Secrets of Writing and How to Write a Howling Good Story. www.thesupersecrets.com     The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, USA Today bestselling writer, Dean Wesley Smith has published over two hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres. At the moment he produces novels in five major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the old west, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, and the superhero series starring Poker Boy, and the highly acclaimed puzzle mystery series The Cold Poker Gang. His monthly magazine called Smith's Monthly, consisting of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and each month has over 60,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month. During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, they wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of almost a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown. Dean also worked as a fiction editor off and on, starting at Pulphouse Publishing, then at VB Tech Journal, then Pocket Books, and now at WMG Publishing where he and Kristine Kathryn Rusch serve as executive editors for the acclaimed Fiction River anthology series. He is now also the editor of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine and Writers of the Future.

Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, USA Today bestselling writer, Dean Wesley Smith has published over two hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres. At the moment he produces novels in five major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the old west, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, and the superhero series starring Poker Boy, and the highly acclaimed puzzle mystery series The Cold Poker Gang. His monthly magazine called Smith's Monthly, consisting of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and each month has over 60,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month. During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, they wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of almost a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown. Dean also worked as a fiction editor off and on, starting at Pulphouse Publishing, then at VB Tech Journal, then Pocket Books, and now at WMG Publishing where he and Kristine Kathryn Rusch serve as executive editors for the acclaimed Fiction River anthology series. He is now also the editor of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine and Writers of the Future.

Chatting With Sherri welcomes award-winning speculative writer; Desmond Astaire! Desmond Astaire is a speculative fiction storyteller from Central Illinois, where he navigates the journey of life alongside a devoted wife and forever-loved son. In his other life, Astaire is a senior enlisted leader for a military public relations unit, supervising the training, development, and operations of multimedia content creators. Astaire's lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy was forged as a child in the halls of local public libraries. The addiction was enabled by reading programs like Accelerated Reader and BOOK IT!, and the revelation to write professionally was born after his discovery of Dean Wesley Smith's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. For these formative experiences, he is forever grateful. Astaire can be found Saturday mornings in Peoria metro-area coffee shops conducting weekly writing sessions and trying to apply Denzel Washington's adage that “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment..” Desmond Astaire is the grand prize winner in The Writers of the Future contest earning him the Golden Pen Award and cash prize of $5,000, in addition to having his story, "Gallows," published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38.  

MARQUETTE HEIGHTS RESIDENT CAPTURES GRAND PRIZE IN WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST HONORED AT HOLLYWOOD AWARDS EVENT HOLLYWOOD - Marquette Heights, Illinois resident Desmond Astaire was honored at the L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Event in Hollywood as the grand prize winner in the Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 in addition to having his story, "Gallows," published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38. The awards event at the Taglyan Complex on April 8th was a black-tie gala honoring all the writer and illustrator winners as well as announcing the grand prize writer and illustrator winners. In his acceptance speech, Desmond relayed to the nearly five hundred attendees, “Short story anthologies are such a beautiful piece of speculative fiction culture, and for L. Ron Hubbard's estate to continue nurturing emerging writers is a truly special gift. Thanks to all the judges and everyone at Author Services, Inc. and Galaxy Press responsible for anthologies like ‘Writers of the Future' for facilitating the journey of our imaginations to faraway times and places to the solace and escape of the story. My intent with this Golden Pen Award it to someday join your ranks and be able to touch minds and influence lives the way you've influenced mine in this wondrous venture of written storytelling.” Desmond Astaire is a speculative fiction storyteller from Central Illinois, where he navigates the journey of life alongside a devoted wife and forever-loved son. In his other life, Astaire is a senior enlisted leader for a military public relations unit, supervising the training, development, and operations of multimedia content creators. Astaire's lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy was forged as a child in the halls of local public libraries. The addiction was enabled by reading programs like Accelerated Reader and BOOK IT!, and the revelation to write professionally was born after his discovery of Dean Wesley Smith's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. For these formative experiences, he is forever grateful. Astaire can be found Saturday mornings in Peoria metro-area coffee shops conducting weekly writing sessions and trying to apply Denzel Washington's adage that “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment.” Writers of the Future was Astaire's goal since 2017. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing competitions in the world, is currently in its 39th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Duneprequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistbornseries, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryniseries) to name a few. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasonings tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metalcomics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book).

MARQUETTE HEIGHTS RESIDENT CAPTURES GRAND PRIZE IN WRITERS OF THE FUTURE CONTEST HONORED AT HOLLYWOOD AWARDS EVENT HOLLYWOOD - Marquette Heights, Illinois resident Desmond Astaire was honored at the L. Ron Hubbard Achievement Awards Event in Hollywood as the grand prize winner in the Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and a cash prize of $5,000 in addition to having his story, "Gallows," published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38. The awards event at the Taglyan Complex on April 8th was a black-tie gala honoring all the writer and illustrator winners as well as announcing the grand prize writer and illustrator winners. In his acceptance speech, Desmond relayed to the nearly five hundred attendees, “Short story anthologies are such a beautiful piece of speculative fiction culture, and for L. Ron Hubbard's estate to continue nurturing emerging writers is a truly special gift. Thanks to all the judges and everyone at Author Services, Inc. and Galaxy Press responsible for anthologies like ‘Writers of the Future' for facilitating the journey of our imaginations to faraway times and places to the solace and escape of the story. My intent with this Golden Pen Award it to someday join your ranks and be able to touch minds and influence lives the way you've influenced mine in this wondrous venture of written storytelling.” Desmond Astaire is a speculative fiction storyteller from Central Illinois, where he navigates the journey of life alongside a devoted wife and forever-loved son. In his other life, Astaire is a senior enlisted leader for a military public relations unit, supervising the training, development, and operations of multimedia content creators. Astaire's lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy was forged as a child in the halls of local public libraries. The addiction was enabled by reading programs like Accelerated Reader and BOOK IT!, and the revelation to write professionally was born after his discovery of Dean Wesley Smith's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. For these formative experiences, he is forever grateful. Astaire can be found Saturday mornings in Peoria metro-area coffee shops conducting weekly writing sessions and trying to apply Denzel Washington's adage that “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment.” Writers of the Future was Astaire's goal since 2017. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing competitions in the world, is currently in its 39th year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Duneprequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (Quantum Night), Brandon Sanderson (Mistbornseries, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender's Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), David Farland (Runelords), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryniseries) to name a few. The Illustrators of the Future Contest judges include, Bob Eggleton (11 Chesley Awards and 7 Hugo Awards), Larry Elmore (Dungeons & Dragons book covers), Echo Chernik (graphic designs for major corporations including Celestial Seasonings tea packaging), Rob Prior (art for Spawn, Heavy Metalcomics and Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Ciruelo (Eragon Coloring Book).

Honestly, I can't believe I made it this far; it's mind-blowing. I know that's cliche, but it's how I feel when I see that episode number. Let's just say it has been a wild ride, a ride that is not yet over, and I'm glad I stuck with podcasting through those difficult times. And I've dabbled with a few great interviews and had my first-ever guests. It's been both challenging and fun all at once.In the spirit of celebrating the 100th episode milestone, I'm going answer the top questions asked by my Blog Readers, YouTube Subscribers, and Podcast Listeners, and questions asked through my Ask A Question form on my website.The QuestionsHow do I turn a page of notes (637 words) into a story?Should you self-publish an ebook, paperback and audiobook all on the same launch date or separately?Do I need separate ISBNs for a paperback novel published through KDP Print and Ingram Spark?Is it ok to post an unpublished novel on your blog?I've heard that blogging is dead. Is this true, and is it worth doing as a fiction author?Is it better to wait until you have more than one book in a series beforeWhen discovery writing, how do you ensure that all the scenes and chapters you write move the story forward and not end up being wasted words that are deleted during revisions?How do I know when it's time to finish revising and start working with an editor?Can you recommend an editor to me?Do I need developmental editing? It's very expensive, and I'm not sure if I can afford to spend that much money.How long did it take for you to get consistent book sales when publishing-wide?Course, Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show Notes ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/100th-episode/TAP033, The Case for Outlining, Outlining Pitfalls, and Overcoming Writing Obstacles ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/tap033/TAP034, From Idea to Outline: How to Outline a Novel (Part 1 of 3) ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/tap034/TAP035, From Idea to Outline: How to Outline a Novel, (Part 2 of 3) ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/tap035/TAP036, From Idea to Outline: How to Outline a Novel (Part 3 of 3) ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/tap036/TAP037, How I Edit the Outline of a Novel Before Writing the First Draft ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/tap037/TAP043, A Tale of Two Novels: My Experience Writing into the Dark ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/tap043/Course on Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/writing-into-the-darkBook on Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith ⇢ https://amzn.to/3LUjkNV *Blogging as an Unpublished Fiction Author ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/blogging-unpublished-fiction-author/ProBlogger ⇢ https://problogger.com/Products I RecommendScrivener ⇢ https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=authorpreneurpod *Grammarly Premium ⇢ https://www.grammarly.com/Pro Writing Aid ⇢ https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=22911*AutoCrit ⇢ https://www.autocrit.com/Marlow/Authors.ai ⇢ https://authors.ai/marlowe/?awref=rt2q4bq7zq*Fiverr ⇢ https://www.fiverr.com/Host Your Author Website with SiteGround ⇢ https://www.siteground.com/go/authorpreneur*Other Useful LinksLooking for an affordable premade book cover? | https://levillainbookcovers.com/shop/ **Be on the Podcast | https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/interview/Support the show by buying me a coffee ⇢ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/authoradhayWant the podcast straight to your inbox? ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/tap/Got a burning question that you would love me to answer on the podcast ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/Answers to Questions on Writing from Previous Shows ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/faq/My Books **My Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicionDuplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-roomRead Entitled to Murder on my blog | https://ameliadhay.com/entitled-to-murder-001/Read Entitled to Murder on Wattpad | https://www.wattpad.com/story/245779659-entitled-to-murder-a-murder-mystery-book-clubConnect with me on Social MediaTwitter: https://twitter.com/writeradhayFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcastFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/indieauthorpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videosGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop ***** This is a service or product offered by me*** My bookish merchandise store

Welcome to the ninety-ninth episode of the Authorpreneur Podcast. Yes, I'm doing the countdown thing—I know, it's super dorky, but I'm embracing it anyway. At present, I'm struggling to sell book two in my amateur sleuth mystery series, and I'm going into detail about my experiments to get this bookselling and my issues with publishing direct to Barnes and Noble upon the advice of going wide webinar. Let's just say that I regret leaving Draft 2 Digital. And I discuss how I've screwed up my amateur sleuth mystery series. Just saying that out loud gives me anxiety.But without further ado, let's get on with the episode.Course, Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show Notes ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/bts052/Support the show by buying me a coffee ⇢ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/authoradhayGot a burning question that you would love me to answer on the 100th episode ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/Course on Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/writing-into-the-darkBook on Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith ⇢ https://amzn.to/3LUjkNV *Course on Writing a Locked Room Mystery by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/pop-up-17Course on Writing with Depth by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/apr-depth23Products I RecommendScrivener ⇢ https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=authorpreneurpod *Grammarly Premium ⇢ https://www.grammarly.com/Pro Writing Aid ⇢ https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=22911*AutoCrit ⇢ https://www.autocrit.com/Marlow/Authors.ai ⇢ https://authors.ai/marlowe/?awref=rt2q4bq7zq*Fiverr ⇢ https://www.fiverr.com/Host Your Author Website with SiteGround ⇢ https://www.siteground.com/go/authorpreneur*Other Useful LinksLooking for an affordable premade book cover? | https://levillainbookcovers.com/shop/ **Be on the Podcast | https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/interview/Support the show by buying me a coffee ⇢ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/authoradhayWant the podcast straight to your inbox? ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/tap/Got a burning question that you would love me to answer on the podcast ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/Answers to Questions on Writing from Previous Shows ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/faq/My BooksMy Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicionDuplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/The Locked Room | https://books2read.com/locked-roomRead Entitled to Murder on my blog | https://ameliadhay.com/entitled-to-murder-001/Read Entitled to Murder on Wattpad | https://www.wattpad.com/story/245779659-entitled-to-murder-a-murder-mystery-book-clubConnect with me on Social MediaTwitter: https://twitter.com/writeradhayFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcastFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/indieauthorpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videosGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop** This is a service or product offered by me*** My bookish merchandise store

Welcome to the ninety-eighth episode of the Authorpreneur Podcast. Honestly, I can't believe that my podcast has come this far. But, back to the matter at hand.Toward the end of March, I started working with my editor on the Locked Room, and in this episode, I share the mistakes that were found in that manuscript in comparison to the previous stories that I've written.So without further ado, let's get into the episode.Course, Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show Notes ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/tap043/Support the show by buying me a coffee ⇢ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/authoradhayGot a burning question that you would love me to answer on the 100th episode ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/Course on Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/writing-into-the-darkBook on Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith ⇢ https://amzn.to/3LUjkNV *Course on Writing a Locked Room Mystery by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/pop-up-17Course on Writing with Depth by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/apr-depth23Products I RecommendScrivener ⇢ https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=authorpreneurpod *Grammarly Premium ⇢ https://www.grammarly.com/Pro Writing Aid ⇢ https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=22911*AutoCrit ⇢ https://www.autocrit.com/Marlow/Authors.ai ⇢ https://authors.ai/marlowe/?awref=rt2q4bq7zq*Fiverr ⇢ https://www.fiverr.com/Host Your Author Website with SiteGround ⇢ https://www.siteground.com/go/authorpreneur*Other Useful LinksLooking for an affordable premade book cover? | https://levillainbookcovers.com/shop/ **Be on the Podcast | https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/interview/Support the show by buying me a coffee ⇢ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/authoradhayWant the podcast straight to your inbox? ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/tap/Got a burning question that you would love me to answer on the podcast ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/Answers to Questions on Writing from Previous Shows ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/faq/My BooksMy Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicionDuplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/Read Entitled to Murder on my blog | https://ameliadhay.com/entitled-to-murder-001/Read Entitled to Murder on Wattpad | https://www.wattpad.com/story/245779659-entitled-to-murder-a-murder-mystery-book-clubConnect with me on Social MediaTwitter: https://twitter.com/writeradhayFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcastFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/indieauthorpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videosGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop** This is a service or product offered by me*** My bookish merchandise store

In February, I finished writing the Locked Room into the Dark, and I'll discuss how I achieved this, along with the response of my favourite beta reader. As you've come to expect, I will share my writing stats, days, time, word count and the step-by-step process that I used. Now that I've mentioned that, it's crucial that I point out that I'm following Dean Wesley Smith's Writing Into the Dark method, which he teaches in a course and in a book. I highly recommend that you check out both of these options if you're interested in learning how to discovery write.Without further ado, let's get into the episode.Course, Podcasts, Books, and Tools MentionedCheck Out the Show Notes ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/tap043/Support the show by buying me a coffee ⇢ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/authoradhayCourse on Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/writing-into-the-darkBook on Writing into the Dark by Dean Wesley Smith ⇢ https://amzn.to/3LUjkNV *Course on Writing a Locked Room Mystery by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/pop-up-17Course on Writing with Depth by Dean Wesley Smith (WMG Publishing) ⇢ https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/p/apr-depth23Products I RecommendScrivener ⇢ https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=authorpreneurpod *Grammarly Premium ⇢ https://www.grammarly.com/Pro Writing Aid ⇢ https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=22911*AutoCrit ⇢ https://www.autocrit.com/Marlow/Authors.ai ⇢ https://authors.ai/marlowe/?awref=rt2q4bq7zq*Fiverr ⇢ https://www.fiverr.com/Host Your Author Website with SiteGround ⇢ https://www.siteground.com/go/authorpreneur*Other Useful LinksLooking for an affordable premade book cover? | https://levillainbookcovers.com/shop/ **Be on the Podcast | https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/interview/Support the show by buying me a coffee ⇢ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/authoradhayWant the podcast straight to your inbox? ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/tap/Got a burning question that you would love me to answer on the podcast ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/Answers to Questions on Writing from Previous Shows ⇢ https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/faq/My BooksMy Short Story, the Lawn | https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wi5nh80cx4The Candidate | https://books2read.com/the-candidateSuspicion | https://books2read.com/suspicionDuplicity | https://books2read.com/duplicity-adhay/Read Entitled to Murder on my blog | https://ameliadhay.com/entitled-to-murder-001/Read Entitled to Murder on Wattpad | https://www.wattpad.com/story/245779659-entitled-to-murder-a-murder-mystery-book-clubConnect with me on Social MediaTwitter: https://twitter.com/writeradhayFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcastFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/indieauthorpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpreneurpodcast/YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videosGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/authoradhay/Redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/WriterADHay/shop** This is a service or product offered by me*** My bookish merchandise store

세상에 내놓지 않을 이유가 없는, 나를 위한 작은 존재적 사치. 에피소드 관련 링크 Seth Godin이 매일 하는 블로그 write.as read.write.as 도자기 사례 Dean Wesley Smith 제가 하는 모든 일은 여기에 정리되어 있습니다. https://hanaim.imaginariumkim.com/ 전체 에피소드 녹취록 https://aimdreaming.imaginariumkim.com/ep-42-매일매일-다른-누가-아닌-나를-위한-기록/

What are the benefits of selling direct? Why might using your face to advertise your books be a good idea? What might be the future of selling direct? Steve Pieper talks about these things and more. In the intro, ACX lowering audiobook prices, Chokepoint Capitalism, Audiblegate, Copyright valuation [Dean Wesley Smith]; courses on copyright; Happy […] The post The Empowerment Of Selling Books Direct To Your Readers With Steve Pieper first appeared on The Creative Penn.

1. BookBaby offers a few different suggestions for speech-to-text software that can be helpful for writers. 2. Dean Wesley Smith argues that caring too much about what others think of your work will only hinder your success as a writer. 3. According to 6 Figure Authors, book sales have been down due to a number of reasons, including the rise in popularity of audiobooks and eBooks. 4. Spotify is in the process of adding 98 million new music titles to its Prime service, which could pose a threat to Apple Music. 5. Amazon's new addition of 98 million music titles to Prime could be cause for worry among publishers. - https://blog.bookbaby.com/how-to-write/writing-tools-and-software/speech-to-text-for-writers - https://deanwesleysmith.com/i-dont-care/ - https://6figureauthors.com/podcast/why-book-sales-are-down/ - https://goodereader.com/blog/audiobooks/spotify-waging-media-war-against-apple - https://thenewpublishingstandard.com/2022/11/02/amazon-adds-98-million-music-titles-to-prime-publishers-should-be-worried/

Mike asks:Dean Wesley Smith, Harlan Ellison, and other authors have talked about the quotes they've used to stay motivated and on task. What are some of yours? Resources mentioned:Dreams with Sharp Teeth The post Question 1051: Useful Aphorisms appeared first on The Every Day Novelist.

Dean Wesley Smith is one of the most prolific authors today, a master of selling the first draft of his stories. He was the first Writers of the Future winner to be awarded in the history of the Contest. In this podcast, he covers writing what you want to write, what you have fun with. He discusses what today are called "guidelines." In L. Ron Hubbard's day, these were called taboos, which he discusses in his how-to article called "Boos and Taboos." In addition to creating his own worlds, Dean has written "Star Trek," "Spider-Man," "X-Men," "Iron Man," and "Men in Black" novels and ghostwritten dozens of others.

Dean Wesley Smith is one of the most prolific authors today, a master of selling the first draft of his stories. He was the first Writers of the Future winner to be awarded in the history of the Contest. In this podcast, he covers writing what you want to write, what you have fun with. He discusses what today are called "guidelines." In L. Ron Hubbard's day, these were called taboos, which he discusses in his how-to article called "Boos and Taboos." In addition to creating his own worlds, Dean has written "Star Trek," "Spider-Man," "X-Men," "Iron Man," and "Men in Black" novels and ghostwritten dozens of others.

  Chatting with Sherri welcomes award-winning writer Desmond Astaire! Desmond Astaire is a speculative fiction storyteller from Central Illinois, where he navigates the journey of life alongside a devoted wife and forever-loved son. In his other life, Astaire is a senior enlisted leader for a military public relations unit, supervising the training, development, and operations of multimedia content creators. Astaire's lifelong obsession with science fiction and fantasy was forged as a child in the halls of local public libraries. The addiction was enabled by reading programs like Accelerated Reader and BOOK IT!, and the revelation to write professionally was born after his discovery of Dean Wesley Smith's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. For these formative experiences, he is forever grateful. Astaire can be found Saturday mornings in Peoria metro-area coffee shops conducting weekly writing sessions and trying to apply Denzel Washington's adage that “Dreams without goals are just dreams, and they ultimately fuel disappointment.” Writers of the Future was Astaire's goal since 2017. Desmond Astaire is the grand prize winner in The Writers of the Future contest earning him the Golden Pen Award and cash prize of $5,000!  His story is published in the anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 38

Writers & Illustrators of the Future Podcast 151. Dean Wesley Smith publishing 70 books in one year to celebrate his 70th birthday Dean Wesley Smith was the first writer to be awarded by Writers of the Future in volume 1. He has been a Contest judge and is one of the most prolific writers alive today. We discuss how he emulated L. Ron Hubbard's speed and ability to cross genres. In celebration of his 780th birthday, Dean is publishing 70 novels in one year!

Dean Wesley Smith was the first writer to be awarded by Writers of the Future in volume 1. He has been a Contest judge and is one of the most prolific writers alive today. We discuss how he emulated L. Ron Hubbard's speed and ability to cross genres. In celebration of his 780th birthday, Dean is publishing 70 novels in one year!

Is teaching grammar racist? Is it even necessary? In a world of AI and machine learning-based editing and writing apps, will writing education be rendered obsolete? Speaking of apps, check out what BookFunnel's been up to! Finally, let's dig into what a self-publishing mainstay (Dean Wesley Smith) has been saying about the publishing industry (grains of salt recommended). Perhaps this will settle the age-old "traditional" or "indie" publishing debate once and for all. (Hint: no, it won't). ### - Dean Wesley Smith Stirring Up Stuff: https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/traditional-book-publishers/ - Three W's of Scene Orientation: https://writerunboxed.com/2021/07/08/the-three-ws-of-scene-orientation/ - BookFunnel Custom Domains: https://blog.bookfunnel.com/2021/announcing-custom-domains/ - Whatever Happened to Teaching Grammar? https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2021/06/17/whatever-happened-to-teaching-grammar/ - Dave Berens' cover design: http://www.cover2book.com

"Donde se cuenta lo que en él se verá", entre otros salseos pajeriles más o menos interesantes del que esto suscribe, para goce y deleite del oidor. --- Podcast asociado a la red de SOSPECHOSOS HABITUALES. Suscríbete con este feed: https://feedpress.me/sospechososhabituales

"Donde se cuenta lo que en él se verá", entre otros salseos pajeriles más o menos interesantes del que esto suscribe, para goce y deleite del oidor. --- Podcast asociado a la red de SOSPECHOSOS HABITUALES. Suscríbete con este feed: https://feedpress.me/sospechososhabituales

Chatting With Sherri welcomes back prolific and award-winning author; Dean Wesley Smith! As a published Finalist at the inaugural Writers of the Future ceremonies in 1985, Dean Wesley Smith was the first person ever to receive a WotF Award, accepting his framed certificate from judges Dr. Gregory Benford, Roger Zelazny, Robert Silverberg and Algis Budrys. Smith has published nearly 200 novels in forty years, and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres.  He has written many original novels in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, thriller and romance, as well as books for television, movies, games and comics. He is also known for writing quality work very quickly and has written a large number of novels as a ghostwriter or under house names. With his wife (and fellow WotF judge) Kristine Kathryn Rusch, he wrote The Tenth Planet trilogy and The 10th Kingdom. Smith has also written books and comics for all three major comic book companies, Marvel, DC and Dark Horse. Smith is an avid poker player and a former golf pro. With Rusch, he was also co-founder and publisher of Pulphouse Publishing (which earned them a World Fantasy Award), before editing for VB Tech Journal, then for Pocket Books. At the moment he produces novels in four major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the old west, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, and the superhero series starring Poker Boy. His monthly magazine, Smith's Monthly, consisting of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and has not missed an issue yet, with over 70,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month.

Dean Wesley Smith is one of the most prolific writers working today, with over 200 novels, and countless short stories published. He reveals how he has learned how to stop listening to his critical voice, and to stop thinking of the story as a “product”, and how that has unleashed his creativity.

Dean Wesley Smith is one of the most prolific writers working today, with over 200 novels, and countless short stories published. He reveals how he has learned how to stop listening to his critical voice, and to stop thinking of the story as a “product”, and how that has unleashed his creativity. In this episode […] The post EP317: Dean Wesley Smith — Plug in to your Creative Voice and Play appeared first on The Bestseller Experiment.

Douglas Smith talks about how you can turn your short fiction into a “magic bakery”—a term Doug borrows from Dean Wesley Smith—earning you money and building your resume over and over with the same content. We discuss the opportunities offered by reprints, foreign markets, and audio markets, and we discuss how writer's groups can—and can't—help you prepare your work for the professional markets. Douglas Smith is a multi-award-winning Canadian author described by Library Journal as "one of Canada's most original writers of speculative fiction." His fiction has been published in twenty-six languages and thirty-five countries. His books include the novel THE WOLF AT THE END OF THE WORLD, the collections CHIMERASCOPE and IMPOSSIBILIA, and the writer's guide PLAYING THE SHORT GAME: HOW TO MARKET & SELL SHORT FICTION. Doug is a three-time winner of Canada's Aurora Award and has been a finalist for the Astounding Award, CBC's Bookies Award, Canada's juried Sunburst Award, and France's juried Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane.

Dean is an international bestselling author, an editor, and teaches creative writing. He uses the "Topanga Canyon" story about never giving up while relaying what magazine editors look for. Preston was "Topanga Canyon" and finally won after 47 entries to Writers of the Future.

//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor. We’ll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way, and we won’t charge you a dime. We take a cut of royalties on each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money!• Get started: https://Draft2Digital.comGet insider info on indie author success from our blog.• Visit: https://Draft2Digital.com/blogTune in to our monthly livestreams and ask us anything!• D2D Live: https://D2DLive.comPromote your books with our Universal Book Links!• Books2Read: https://books2read.com//Get ahead of the Self-Publishing game with our Amazing Partners//Findaway Voices || Find a narrator, produce your audiobook, and distribute it to retailers worldwide, including Audible.com and Apple Books.• http://findawayvoices.com/d2dReedsy || Assemble your team of publishing professionals! Find editors, cover designers, marketing experts, ghostwriters and more.• https://reedsy.comBookBrush || Build graphics and video that help you market and promote your books.• https://bookbrush.com/d2d-mockups///Join the D2D Community Online//Facebook || https://facebook.com/draft2digitalTwitter || https://twitter.com/draft2digital

James C. Glass, the 1991 Grand prize winning author (WOTF 7) has written 10 novels and 4 compilations, primarily hard science fiction. His first love was writing which transitioned to education for a career with twin Masters in Astronomy and Physics and then a PhD in Physics. After a long successful career, kids grown up, he transitioned back to writing in 1987 when he published his first story. He entered WOTF initially in 1987 after being introduced to the Contest by Algis Budrys, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Dean Wesley Smith. www.author-jamesglass.com

In their first-ever book club edition of The Expanse, Kris Hill and Kyle West take a close look at 2002's “By the Book,” the first original novel to be released for Star Trek: Enterprise, written by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn…

James C. Glass, the 1991 Grand prize winning author (WOTF 7) has written 10 novels and 4 compilations, primarily hard science fiction. His first love was writing which transitioned to education for a career with twin Masters in Astronomy and Physics and then a PhD in Physics. After a long successful career, kids grown up, he transitioned back to writing in 1987 when he published his first story. He entered WOTF initially in 1987 after being introduced to the Contest by Algis Budrys, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Dean Wesley Smith. www.author-jamesglass.com

Welcome to Jon's author diary for the week ending June 21, 2020. After the intensity of last week getting Cleric of the Wasteland ready for the editor, I decided to take this week off. That lasted about two days before I started getting twitchy! So, I started work on The Moon (episode 18 of The Ravenglass Chronicles). I’m five chapters in and I’m using a different method to write than usual. Instead of working from an outline, I thought I’d try writing on the seat of my pants. It’s scary, as I’ve honed my method over the past decade of writing. But it’s an experiment to see whether I can do it. I’m not sure if it will work. I may end up halfway through, realise it sucks, and go back to my old way of doing things. As a process, it feels weirdly liberating. I’m letting Kat and the tarot cards guide the story. I’m little more than a stenographer along for the ride at this point. Let’s see how it goes… The Star is now live! Episode 17 of The Ravenglass Chronicles is now available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. Click HERE to grab your copy. This means we’re closing in on the final leg of the story. Based on my current trajectory, I’m hoping to have The World (episode 21) out by autumn. I’ll then turn my attention to writing you a free novella called Dawn of Assassins, which will be a prequel to my next series in the Ravenglass Universe. I’m thinking of my next series as the midpoint between Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, and Brent Weeks. Imagine roguish thieves turned reluctant assassins…with wyverns—can’t forget the wyverns. Sins of Empire I read Brian McClellan’s book Sins of Empire this week, which I highly recommend. It’s a regency-era epic fantasy with guns, gods, and great characters. It’s the second trilogy in his Powder Mage series (which is up there as one of my all-time favourites). Because of the lockdown, I’ve not been in the right headspace to read fiction, so it’s been wonderful to enjoy a good story well told. What are you reading at the moment? Can you recommend any fantasy series set in the 18thor 19th centuries? Take care, Jon

This week, we're talking about the famous term coined by writer Dean Wesley Smith: the time of great forgetting. What is it, and how can you make sure you don't fall under its spell? Learn more about Dean Wesley Smith: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com Write like the top 1% of authors with my FREE Writing Craft Playbook: http://www.authorlevelup.com/fanclub  Listen to past episodes: http://www.authorlevelup.com/flash   Watch my YouTube channel for writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup   Read my books for writers: http://www.authorlevelup.com/books   Check out my fiction: http://www.michaellaronn.com  and http://www.mlmcknight.com 

In this episode, I discuss: 1:34: Announcements: New segment of the show—Idea of the Week. I'm going to give ideas away that others can steal, hopefully for the benefit of the indie writing community. 3:44: Wins for the Week: I knocked out 4 courses by Dean Wesley Smith and took an entire notebook full of notes. Truly a game changer. I also snagged three new apps at a STEEP discount due to the coronavirus pandemic! Yessir! 8:10: Lesson Learned This Week: A little self-awareness thing…I go through periods of expanding and contracting with my learning. I'm currently in a period of expansion, which means that I can absorb a ridiculous amount of material in a very short amount of time, and I have many, many ideas in one day. I'm taking advantage of it by writing everything down so I can rely on it when I enter a period of contraction in a few weeks. 11:04: Idea of the Week: New segment that I may or may not include consistently on each episode! :) This week's idea for you to steal: a browser plugin that gives you easy access to all of your book marketing materials, so that if you're filling out a book promotion form, you can select the book in the plugin, and the plugin will auto-populate most of the book's info for you, as well as automatically take you to any folders on your computer for that specific book so you don't have to click around to find the right folders. This can't be too difficult for a smart programmer out there. If you're interested in developing it and would like me to offer some feedback and additional ideas, contact me at http://www.authorlevelup.com/contact 14:35: Topic(s) of the Week: I've been taking this time to get organized and quietly invest in my writing infrastructure so that I can hit the ground running when the economy opens back up again. Namely: This week, I built a copyright database to help me manage my work. It's a gargantuan task but will pay off dividends in the future because it will help me keep track of changes I make to my books, ask important questions and get results instantly, and even track my sales (if I can swing it). This thing will be a BONANZA if I get it right. Read my Copyright Database Blog series: http://www.authorlevelup.com/copyrightdatabase You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

In this episode, I discuss: 1:12 Announcements: About 175 people signed up for the Writing in Hard Times course! Huge thank you to those who enrolled! 2:36 Win for the Week: I picked up a lifetime subscription to the WMG Workshops with Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. It's normally $3000 but I got it for $1500 due to a flash sale. It hurt my wallet for sure, but it will help take my career to the next level. 4:20 Lesson Learned This Week: How to value a piece of intellectual property (i.e. a copyright for one of my books). 5:57 Topic(s) of the Week: Resilience and how authors can learn it. What does it take to be resilient? I share a personal story about something that happened to me a long, long time ago that set the course of most of my life. And it taught me resilience. Grab my NEW course for writers, Writing in Hard Times: http://www.authorlevelup.com/hardtimes Future Workshop by Dean Wesley Smith: https://wmg-publishing-workshops-and-lectures.teachable.com/courses/434005 You can listen to past episodes of the show at http://www.michaellaronn.com/podcast Listen to my other podcast, Writing Tip of the Day: http://www.authorlevelup.com Learn more about me and my books at www.michaellaronn.com My YouTube Channel for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/authorlevelup Also, join my (Fiction) Fan Club to get 3 free novels, early launch pricing, and notifications whenever I release a new book: www.michaellaronn.com/fanclub If you like the show, don't forget to rate and leave a review!

Topics:S02E03 - “Hassun”Cervidae by lovetinctureGideon the NinthTamsyn Muir Interview: “There is a lot of blood on my dance floor.”Dean Wesley Smith interviewhere it is again, yet it stings like the first time by cashtastropheDiscipline by clicktrack_heartVariations on "Messiah" (or, Handel wept) by thebeespatella

In this episode Mark interviews Sir John Hargrave, the author of MIND HACKING, SIR JOHN HARGRAVE'S MISCHIEF MAKER'S MANUAL and the bestselling book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE. Prior to the interview, Mark discusses listener comments from recent episodes and also shares a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark offers a personal update in which he shares a writing tip gleaned from Dean Wesley Smith at the recent WMG Publishing anthology workshop in Vegas that Mark had been speaking at earlier in the week. He also shares the result of this year's PLR Program (Public Lending Right Program) check. In their discussion John and Mark chat about: The origin (which was a prank) where the name Sir John Hargrave came from The concept of reinventing yourself and how John went from being a human author to a geeky self-help author, to discussing rebuilding the global economy The common threads that move through all of John's books The many mini careers that people tend to have in today's day and age that draw upon the same core skills. In John's case they are humor and technology How BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYBODY is about the reinvention of the self as an accessible book with humor What blockchain is and how John got into the technology The interesting origin of Bitcoin and the mystery of the creator who has vanished The concept of "one world money" How John had to write the book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE twice The great promotional opportunity that John had for the book Finding the strength to go on when things are dark, and how you successfully respond to challenges How John had done his own audiobook using a professional recording studio that his son created in their home The new book BLOCKCHAIN SUCCESS STORIES that John is co-authoring for O'Reilly And more...   After the interview, Mark reflects on something John mentioned in the interview regarding persistence and personal growth in the face of adversity, and reads from two poems that he feels address the sentiment: "If" by Rudyard Kipling and "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. Links of Interest: Sir John Hargrave's Website Media Shower Blockchain for Everyone WMG Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver The Sixth Sense Strangers to Superfans by David Gaughran Public Lending Right Program PLR International PLR Program Canada PLR Video (1:34) More detailed PLR Video (7:04) Patreon for Stark Reflections   Sir John Hargrave is author of MIND HACKING, SIR JOHN HARGRAVE'S MISCHIEF MAKER'S MANUAL and the bestselling book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE. He is also the CEO of Media Shower, his company publishes the blockchain investor website, Bitcoin Market Journal which reaches 100,000 blockchain investors monthly. He is a frequent speaker, lecturer, and was a hoot to interview.   The music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This week, we interviewed prolific New York Times and USA Today bestselling mystery and science fiction author Dean Wesley Smith. Some of the franchises he’s written novels for include Star Trek, X-Men, Smallville, Aliens, Men…Continue ReadingSFA 018 – Why Revising Can Be Detrimental, Pantsing Like a Pro, and Moving from Traditional Publishing to Indie with Dean Wesley Smith

This week, we did a second episode discussing what Andrea learned as an instructor and attendee of Kris Katheryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith’s annual business master class for authors. The topics discussed include licensing your…Continue ReadingSFA – 012 Contract Negotiations, Licensing Your Work, Branding, Podcasting Fiction and more from the WGM Business Master Class 2019

Andrea Pearson has returned from the 2019 WMG Publishing Business Master Class put on each year by Kris Katheryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith. The class takes place over a week and covers a lot…Continue ReadingSFA – 011 Thinking Like a Business, Marketing on a Budget, Hiring Help, and Tips from the WGM Business Master Class

Should you consider self-publishing in Germany? As Amazon opens its ads dashboard in the UK and Germany, and a number of the authors on the ALLi Indie Author Translation Rights project turn their attention there, Orna and Joanna consider the options for Indie authors around the world who’d like to reach the 29.1 million ebook readers in Germany, in English or in translation. Joanna reports from Frankfurt Book Fair and Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith’s Business Masterclass in Vegas, and Orna will have news from ALLi's indie author rights translation program. Our advanced salon is brought to you by specialist sponsor IngramSpark. Find more author advice, tips and tools at our self-publishing advice center, http://selfpublishingadvice.org. And, if you haven’t already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. You can do that at http://allianceindependentauthors.org. Now, go write and publish! About the Hosts Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, as well as writing non-fiction for authors. She is also a professional speaker and entrepreneur, voted as one of The Guardian UK Top 100 creative professionals 2013. She spent 13 years as a business IT consultant in large corporations across the globe before becoming a full-time author-entrepreneur in September 2011. For more information about Joanna, visit her website: http://thecreativepenn.com Orna Ross launched the Alliance of Independent Authors at the London Book Fair in 2012. Her work for ALLi has seen her named as one of The Bookseller’s “100 top people in publishing”. She also publishes poetry, fiction and nonfiction, and is greatly excited by the democratising, empowering potential of author-publishing. For more information about Orna, visit her website: http://www.ornaross.com

In this episode, Mark shares 15 different quotes and ideas that inspired him during the Fall 2019 WMG Publishing Business Master Class workshop led by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith in Las Vegas. Mark shares a very brief personal update, explaining that this episode was recorded in a less-than-ideal acoustic environment, his hotel room in Vegas. Mark also shares a word from this episode's sponsor... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. One of the over-arcing themes from the five day workshop event s was Diversification and the idea that "It's better to make a little bit of money from a lot of sources than to make a lot of money from one or two places." The 15 quotes come from: Kristine Kathryn Rusch Dean Wesley Smith Kevin J. Anderson Joanna Penn Loren Coleman Andrea Pearson Marie Whittaker Deidre J. Manna-Bratten Chuck Heinzelman Links of Interest: Episode 6 - 3 Things That Are Wrong with Indie Publishing Episode 44 - How To Deal with a Fire-Hose of Information Episode 77 - A Gut-Check on the State of Publishing with Kristine Kathryn Rusch NaNoWriMo StoryBundle Saving the World StoryBundle NaNo Writing Tools StoryBundle WMG Publishing Business Masterclass BundleRabbit Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections   The music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews M. L. "Matt" Buchman about his writing journey and the importance of ensuring that an author's legacy and earning potential can be maintained for 70 years after an author's death, which is the subject of his book: Estate Planning for Authors: Your Final Letter (and why you need to write it now). Prior to the interview, Mark welcomes new patron Kathy Mac and lets patrons know that they can all download a digital version of Matt's book for free. Listeners to the podcast can comment on this episode at starkreflections.ca for a chance to win one of two print copies of Matt's book. Mark also shares a personal update about a fall he took the previous week (and how that made him think the topic of this episode was quite pertinent). This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their discussion, Mark and Matt discuss: Matt's first novel, which he sold to a small traditional publisher in 1993 The 2010 romance novel sale to a larger publisher that led to a series of books What Matt calls "Transition by terror" moving from losing his job to writing full time How a shorter indie-published novel was the one that "popped" and led to the gamble of writing full time by moving from the large dream house and moving into a crappy smaller home and working diligently at writing in order to put out 8 or 10 books a year for six years The first three years of that process, which involved loosing money the first year, then losing slightly less the second, and then, finally, in the third year, breaking even The clause in Matt's traditional publishing contract that allowed him to keep the rights to anything in the world that was under 60,000 words (and how that led to the still best-selling 40,000 word Daniel's Christmas and a huge career in indie publishing Matt's enjoyment of telling the "side story" and how that led to having 11 simultaneous series going at the same time The idea of creating a map for what Matt calls the Emily Beale Universe of stories The use of initials in Matt's author brand (M.L. Buchman) because "American wasn't ready for a male romance author" and the volume of fan mail that said if they'd known he was a man, they never would have picked up one of his novels Matt's catch phrase for his writing: "Strong women and the men they deserve!" The approach that Matt took to get into audiobooks and how that made him a huge fan of "read by author" audiobooks The new straight up thriller series that Matt will be launching shortly which is a military techno thriller with not an ounce of romance in it The process of creating a word cloud from Matt's existing reviews to reveal particular terms/phrases that came up a lot Tracking how every work hour in the last 7 years has been spent (ie, writing, versus admin, marketing, etc) The importance of understanding how a writer's IP (Intellectual Property) can earn money for up to 70 years after their death The process of trying to find out how to explain, in common English, what a person can do when they inherit a author's estate How Jane Austin's family sold her novels for a tiny amount of money because they didn't understand the true value of her books Octavia Butler, one of the most seminal female science fiction authors ever whose books are now mostly all out of print just a little over a decade after her death The process of taking a full day to arrange and organize where all of his writing related assets are stored and filed (all documented in a single spreadsheet) The existence and importance of the 35 year reversion date for writer contracts CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival) and the rights that they signed away and no longer own (but which can change as it has been 35 years since they signed it away Limiting his writing travel to two different conferences per year and how this year it was RWA and NINC The value of being in a mastermind, which replaces the twice weekly hour long walks Matt used to do with Dean Wesley Smith when they both lived on the Oregon coast After the interview, Mark reflects on the approach Matt took in using a word cloud from reviews to look for patterns in reader response and how beneficial mining such data can be. He then shares detailed on how listeners who comment will automatically be entered into a chance to win one of two print copies of Matt's book with a deadline of Sept 27, 2019 to leave a comment. Links of Interest: ML Buchman's website ML Buchman on Twitter Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections For Patrons - Download a digital copy of Matt's Book for Free     M.L. "Matt" Buchman started the first of over 60 novels, 100 short stories, and a fast-growing pile of audiobooks while flying from South Korea to ride his bicycle across the Australian Outback. Part of a solo around the world trip that ultimately launched his writing career in: thrillers, SF/F, and romance. His titles have been named Barnes & Noble and NPR “Top 5 of the year” and 3-time Booklist “Top 10 of the Year” as well as being a “Top 20 Modern Masterpiece” in romantic suspense. As a 30-year project manager with a geophysics degree who has: designed and built houses, flown and jumped out of planes, and solo-sailed a 50' ketch, he is awed by what's possible. More at: www.mlbuchman.com.   The music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Get your hankies ready this week as we receive "The Visitor"!Author and Star Trek Adventures line editor Jim Johnson joins the show to discuss one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's most affecting hours. An accident aboard the Defiant causes Sisko to be lost in time and Jake must struggle to overcome the loss of his father. As the years pass and Jake gets older, he sees his contentment, his family, his health, and his future being stripped away, as he contemplates a fatal solution that could bring back his father and correct the tragedy that forever altered their destinies!DS9 was far ahead of its time, both for portraying a black family in science fiction and for having the courage to present stories about love and family against the backdrop of space military sci-fi. It also featured Jake as an unlikely sci-fi hero, a creative with no desire to fight or explore space, choosing instead to explore his own creative limits. During our discussion, we talk about DS9's own take on "The Inner Light" and how it contrasts with the show's later wartime stories, the all too rare example of filial love in TV sci-fi, the contrast between Wesley and Jake, letting go of the past, and the difficulty in writing stories about writing.We also discuss getting advice from Dean Wesley Smith, synthacheeseburgers, that last scene, how old Federation citizens can get, whether "Enterprise" will ever be remembered fondly, being an Egyptophile, Waldenbooks nostalgia, Weird West, Disney's Haunted Mansion, Aaron wonders about the Federation's opinion on suicide, and Jim makes the show's first "Throw Momma From The Train" reference!*sob*Follow Jim on Twitter!https://twitter.com/scribe_ineti/Roll boldly with Star Trek Adventures RPG!https://amzn.to/2JLtOgHReunite with us on Facebook and Twitter and our Facebook group!http://www.facebook.com/eistpodhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/eistpod/http://www.twitter.com/eistpodBuy us dice on Patreon!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodSubscribe to the show on iTunes!https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/enterprising-individuals/id1113165661?mt=2

Get your hankies ready this week as we receive "The Visitor"!Author and Star Trek Adventures line editor Jim Johnson joins the show to discuss one of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's most affecting hours. An accident aboard the Defiant causes Sisko to be lost in time and Jake must struggle to overcome the loss of his father. As the years pass and Jake gets older, he sees his contentment, his family, his health, and his future being stripped away, as he contemplates a fatal solution that could bring back his father and correct the tragedy that forever altered their destinies!DS9 was far ahead of its time, both for portraying a black family in science fiction and for having the courage to present stories about love and family against the backdrop of space military sci-fi. It also featured Jake as an unlikely sci-fi hero, a creative with no desire to fight or explore space, choosing instead to explore his own creative limits. During our discussion, we talk about DS9's own take on "The Inner Light" and how it contrasts with the show's later wartime stories, the all too rare example of filial love in TV sci-fi, the contrast between Wesley and Jake, letting go of the past, and the difficulty in writing stories about writing.We also discuss getting advice from Dean Wesley Smith, synthacheeseburgers, that last scene, how old Federation citizens can get, whether "Enterprise" will ever be remembered fondly, being an Egyptophile, Waldenbooks nostalgia, Weird West, Disney's Haunted Mansion, Aaron wonders about the Federation's opinion on suicide, and Jim makes the show's first "Throw Momma From The Train" reference!*sob*Follow Jim on Twitter!https://twitter.com/scribe_ineti/Roll boldly with Star Trek Adventures RPG!https://amzn.to/2JLtOgHReunite with us on Facebook and Twitter and our Facebook group!http://www.facebook.com/eistpodhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/eistpod/http://www.twitter.com/eistpodBuy us dice on Patreon!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodSubscribe to the show on iTunes!https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/enterprising-individuals/id1113165661?mt=2

Coming up in this show, I discuss why I migrated away from MailChimp and the steps involved. And, I also discuss my decision to merge my author and writing tips websites. In terms of writing, I will share where I'm at with Missing, Book Two, and the steps I need to take before I start writing my short story. But, first an update on my favourite cup of tea and what I'm currently reading.Favourite Cup of TeaAs I'm recording this episode of the podcast diary, I'm drinking a cup of Jasmine Tea by Tea2. One of the reasons why I love drinking Jasmine Tea is because of its delicate flavour. It's not too overpowering like some other types of green tea. Today, as I'm recording this episode it's 11:43 am on a Thursday and this is my second cup of green tea of the day. I usually have a cup of Sencha tea with my breakfast.What I'm Currently ReadingWhile I was on holiday, I ended up not doing any reading. The reason for this is I tend to do the majority of my reading while I'm working on my businesses during the week. Because I was on holiday and spending time with my husband, it was hard to squeeze this into my new holiday mode. To avoid this in the future, I need to incorporate reading into my nighttime routine. I'll let you know how I get on with this.Actually, now that I've said that I remember that I did read Killing the Top 10 Sacred Cows of Indie Publishing and Killing the Top 10 Sacred Cows of Publishing by Dean Wesley Smith during the first week on my USA Trip while Roland was working. Nevertheless, at present, I'm three books behind my reading goal for the year.As of last Thursday, I started reading the Temple of the Gods by Andy McDermott while attempting to catch up on my task list for my author and coaching businesses. At the end of last week, I reached the forty-nine percent mark of the story in the Kindle Whisper-sync for Voice edition. I know not everyone loves to be read to, but I obviously do not have that issue. The Temple of the Gods is the eighth book in the Wilde/Chase Series. At this point in the series, the discovery of Atlantis has already occurred, which is starting to encourage me to purchase the previous books in the series. Even as I say this now, there's a part of me that wants to open Amazon and search for those books.What can I say? I'm a sucker for an Archaeological Thriller, which leads me to point out that I'm trying to get familiar with the series, so I can start writing the first book in my Maximilian Nicholls thriller novels. Yes, I want to write two types of thrillers at once.Concluding ThoughtsNext week, I'll let you know about my progress on my short story The Lawn, my revision plans for the short story. And, my decision about whether will hire a professional editor and a professional beta reader for The Lawn.Thanks for listening, and happy reading and writing, everybody.  Mentioned in this EpisodeTime To Ditch MailChimp? by David GaughranSelf Publishing Journeys PodcastCheck out the Show NotesBTS021, Migrating Away from MailChimp and Merging My Two Websites | https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/bts021/Tools & ResourcesAsk a Question on Writing | https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/Your Questions on writing, editing and Self Publishing Answered | https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/question/faq/Support the Podcast by buying me a coffee | https://www.buymeacoffee.com/authoradhayWant podcast episode updates sent straight to your inbox? | https://authorpreneurpodcast.com/podcast/tap/ ** Connect with Me on Social Media **Twitter: @WriterADHayFacebook: www.facebook.com/authorpreneurpodcastFB group: The Authorpreneur Podcast CommunityInstagram: @authorpreneurpodcastYouTube: www.youtube.com/c/authorpreneurpodcast/videosGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/authoradhay

Dean was the first writer to ever be awarded by Writers of the Future 35 years ago. He is now an international bestselling author in multiple genres and talks about how we are now in the NEW pulp era of publishing and the importance of writing clean first drafts and the downside of rewrites.

In this episode Mark chats with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch about writing with chronic health issues, contract negotiations with publishers, mistakes that authors are making, and so much more. Prior to the interview, Mark does a little house-keeping regarding winners of Danny Bell's first novel from Episode 70, reads new comments, thanks Patrons who support the show, and talks about being in New York this week for Book Expo America. Mark also shares a recent presentation that Michael Tamblyn, CEO of Kobo, presented to the BISG (Book Industry Study Group) in late April. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . . You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.   In their conversation Kris and Mark talk about: Kris's recent move and the discoveries made in relation to a book she recently released called WRITING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS How Kris's entire life has revolved around exercise and writing and that likely made a positive difference for her despite huge health challenges that she faced, and potentially is what might have kept her alive The realization that Kris made only recently that she had never learned how to rest The way she utilizes running and walking to benefit her writing How Kris's training in radio automatically activates her "critical voice" The rotating playlists Kris uses when running (often ones that have to have a really good beat) The move from 5000 square feet (with offices across the house from one another) to 1600 square feet (and a shared office) and how Kris and her husband Dean manage their own unique writing spaces The value for writers in understanding the way that different editors approach a piece of writing Breaking down the myth that there's a single book (or story) out there that everyone will love What "reader cookies" are and how they can play upon an editor's personal preferences A look at "anti-reader cookies" - element or content in a story that an editor hates or will refuse to read How Ray Bradbury practiced writing a short story a day The concept of "writing into the dark" when creating your first draft and how that plays into the fact we have been consuming stories since we were pre-verbal How, with so many tasks, deadlines and balls in the air, Kris decides what writing project to work on next The importance of growing as a writer by writing about things that stretch or challenge her How Kris's book DEALBREAKERS helped Mark negotiate a much better contract with his publisher The choice of "walking" which writers always have when being presented with a publishing contract The three big things that Kris sees that indie authors are not doing correctly: Following Trends, Burning Out and Neglecting their Personal Lives/Families/Health, Following the Scams (that promise seemingly impossible results) The free content that Kris shares (both fiction and non-fiction) on her website on a regular basis, and the origin for both The value of networking and personal connections made during in-person workshops (both the craft workshops as well as the business workshops) The "no politics" and "no religion" rules that Kris and Dean operate within for their workshops (which allows writers to bond regardless of their political or religious biases   After the interview, Mark reflects upon one of the things Kris said regarding taking a workshop when it's in town as opposed to removing yourself from your regular schedule/life, and why the travel/removal of one's self from day to day life for such a learning/bonding experience can be valuable.   Links of Interest Kristine Kathryn Rusch Business Musings Blog Posts Book: Writing with Chronic Illness WMG Publishing WMG Writing and Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey   Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Kris writes in almost every genre and her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in more than twenty best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov's Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award. Kris also has an extensive history in publishing and editing, having been the editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction as well as co-publishing the original Puuse Magazine with her husband, Dean Wesley Smith. The two now run WMG Publishing, which publish a revised version of Pulphouse, the Fiction River anthology series and many other projects, along with running publishing workshops both online and in person.

Apparently that was episode 30 and I kept calling it episode 29! Whoopsie! In this episode I update you on where I am with my short story…did I actually decide to pants it? I also talk about my first book and a few more edits that I made. And finally, I compare editing with going to the dentist. Here is the youtube video where Dean Wesley Smith talked about Writing Into the Dark. He describes looping better than I did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnNYQZbrtDU&t=4s Here is the youtube video (apparently I mentioned in my show notes last week too!) that I use to plot my first book and my short story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94F-3Z6CJJw

Dean is an international bestselling author, an editor, and teaches creative writing. He uses the "Topanga Canyon" story about never giving up while relaying what magazine editors look for. Preston was "Topanga Canyon" and finally won after 47 entries to Writers of the Future.

Nuevo episodio del programa de radio #Trekkie hecho desde la Argentina para todo el planeta (estamos muy agradecidos y sorprendidos porque llegamos a lugares tan distantes entre sí como Uruguay, Holanda, Perú, Estados Unidos, México, Colombia y España ¡Hay Trekkies en todos lados!) En este programa por fin escuchamos los pedidos de nuestros oyentes y hablamos un poco de lo que nos parece #Discovery y en la mesa se armó un poco de polémica. Luego comenzamos la saga de los Ingenieros de la Flota Estelar en "Libros Trek" donde reseñamos la primera novela corta de los "Starfleet Corps of Engineers" y charlamos un poco de esta iniciativa y del autor de la primera novela Dean Wesley Smith. Después terminamos nuestro viaje por la cronología del Universo Espejo en nuestra sección "El Capítulo de la Semana" con el primer episodio de la saga de este universo de la serie #DeepSpaceNine llamado "Crossover" (o como le pusieron en Netflix "El Sendero"). Como ya hicimos la semana pasada, vuelve la pastilla "Aunque Usted No Lo Crea" con la participación especial del enorme Jack Palance, y contamos una historia increíble del mundo trek. Por último, vuelven los "Creadores de Universos", nuestra sección donde hablamos de aquellos que están detrás de cámaras y que gracias a ellos #StarTrek es lo que es. En este programa hablamos del incomparable Michael Westmore y sus creaciones en maquillaje y prótesis (y charlamos un poco también de su familia, toda dedicada al mismo negocio). Y como siempre cerramos con nuestras efemérides nerdas "Esta semana en Star Trek", donde recordamos nacimientos y muertes de aquellos que fueron y son parte de esta franquicia que es la que más nos gusta. ------------------------------------------------- Buscanos en nuestras redes: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/remerasrojas Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/remerasrojas Instragram: @remerasrojas ivoox: https://remerasrojas.ivoox.com Youtube: RemerasRojas -------------------------------------------------

What if you could scale your revenue without growing your expenses? What if you could make a living with your writing but still remain alone in your writing room? I discuss these questions and more today with Paul Jarvis. In the intro, I talk about second-hand book sales [Dean Wesley Smith], how the death of […] The post How To Be A Successful Company Of One With Paul Jarvis first appeared on The Creative Penn.

CONNECT Welcome to SciFi thoughts where for a few short minutes I’ll  tease and tantalize your mind with this genre from the future. Register your email address at LancerKind.com and you’ll get cool extras about science fiction such as convention schedules and other nifty stuff. ==>Lancer— Kind 022 Author Patrick Swenson, the man behind the mystery […]

In this episode Mark interviews Phillip McCollum about an intriguing project of writing 52 stories in 52 weeks. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from the podcast's sponsor, Findaway Voices . . . . . . and then a personal update which includes a push-up challenge he participated in at the 20Booksto50K conference in Vegas. Michael Anderle instigated this challenge for a good cause, with the following companies each donating $150 to the cause LMBPN Publishing Kobo Draft2Digital BookFunnel Reedsy $750 USD was raised for two worthy charities in a push-up challenge between Mark and Christine Munroe from Kobo. Chrissy's chosen charity was Children's Book Bank and Mark's chosen charity was First Book Canada. Mark thanks the companies previously mentioned for their generosity to two great children's reading programs and then also thanks new Stark Reflections Patron, Katie Cross, for supporting the podcast via www.patreon.com/starkreflections. In the interview Phillip and Mark talk about: The genres that Phillip tends to write in most often How long Phillip has been writing Thoughts about NaNoWriMo and other similar "competitions" to help inspired writers to write Phillip's inspiration for the 52 stories in 52 weeks, which was derived from Ray Bradbury The discipline involved in undertaking such an endeavor on starting each week on Monday morning and posting the story by Sunday night The typical word count of the stories that Phillip wrote during this process The importance of being adaptable and recognizing that you might not always reach every single goal you set Plans that Phillip has for the stories which included 3 ebooks: 1 for writers (52 Stories in 52 Weeks) and 2 for readers (splitting them into two volumes of 26 stories: Fantastic Shorts Vol 1 and Vol 2) Feedback that Phillip has received on the notes added to the stories Forthcoming challenges that Phillip has in mind to keep challenging himself as a writer Things that Phillip learned about himself as a writer by taking this challenge After the interview, Mark talks about the importance of challenges that impose deadlines and require a writer to actually get their butt in the chair and their hands on the keyboard. He also reminds writers of the importance of the "fail to success" theory from Dean Wesley Smith that Phillip mentions. If you try to hit a certain word count, for example, and don't make it, instead of fretting about the missed words, focus on the words that have actually been written, or the parts of the goal that were actually accomplished.   Links of Interest: Phillip McCollum's website Phillip McCollum on Twitter Findaway Voices Draft2Digital Kobo Bookfunnel Reedsy NaNoWriMo Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey   Phillip McCollum spent 52 weeks writing 52 short stories in an effort to prove to himself that he might be cut out for this writing thing after all. He hails from Southern California where he shares living quarters with his wife, son, an old cat, and young betta fish.   The music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Andrea and Nolan discuss interviews with the Passive Guy, Mark Leslie LeFebvre, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Kevin J. Anderson, Dean Wesley Smith, and Damon Courtney on topics such as writing prolifically, staying focused on your career, bookfunnel tips, the passive voice.....

On today’s show, Jo, Jeff, and Lindsay answered some listener questions and shared their notes from the workshop that Jo and Lindsay attended in October, Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Katherine Rusch’s Business Masterclass. It was a week long workshop that covered dealing with Hollywood offers, handling foreign rights offers without an agent, increasing writing productivity, estate planning and tax

Echoes. For every action we take, there are multiple possibilities. And for each of those possibilities, a new universe is born, with each decision branching off into infinite parallel worlds, each of them subtly different from all of the rest. Captain Janeway and the crew of Voyager come across one world where the barriers between these universes are coming down: every two and a half hours, a door is opened between all realities, and every person is shifted to the next reality. And in one of these realities, a horrific holocaust repeats itself as every shift spells the deaths of billions. In this episode of Literary Treks, hosts Bruce Gibson and Dan Gunther are joined by The Edge's Brandon-Shea Mutala to discuss Echoes by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, and Nina Kiriki Hoffman. We talk about the plot of the novel, the unique perspective of the story's events, the dreaded Voyager reset button, Tuvok's role in the story, the crews' doppelgangers, and wrap up with our final thoughts and ratings. In our news segment, we discuss Bruce's new comic acquisition and talk about the newly-released Star Trek: The Book of Lists. News What Bruce is Reading (00:03:03) Star Trek: The Book of Lists (00:06:45) Feature: Echoes Voyager #15 (00:09:48) First Reading (00:12:57) The Plot (00:15:51) Different Perspectives (00:28:52) Reset Button (00:38:38) The Characters (00:46:15) Is That Work or Tuvok? (00:50:47) Ratings (00:52:35) Final Thoughts (00:56:08) Hosts Dan Gunther and Bruce Gibson Guest Brandon-Shea Mutala Production Matthew Rushing (Editor and Producer) C Bryan Jones (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager) Ken Tripp (Associate Producer) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Associate Producer) Bruce Gibson (Associate Producer) Justin Oser (Associate Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) Greg Rozier (Associate Producer)

Dean Wesley Smith is a USA Today best selling author with over two hundred novels and short stories. Dean is not new to the writing game and has seen it all. In this interview, Dean unearths the myths of writing and publishing. Things like: Writing fast equals poor quality. You have to type fast to be a prolific writer. Selling books quickly is essential for success. You can't make a living writing fiction. You have to write to market. You have to rewrite your stories. And much, much, more. With humility, humor, and insights from inside the publishing world. Dean offers a ton of  helpful advice for taking your writing to the next level. You can find Dean at: http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/ Resources mentioned: Writing a Novel in Seven Days

In this episode, Ryan explores a process for taking your writing and productivity to the next level. Robert A. Heinlein wrote Sci-Fi in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. He believed in five rules for having a successful writing career. Most will ignore this advice, but, the brave who'll follow these principles, will unlock the key for a long and fulfilling writing career. Book Mentioned: Heinlein's Rules by Dean Wesley Smith

Dean Wesley Smith is a bestselling author with over 21 million books in print. He is considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction and has written just about everything. Seriously.  CONNECT ONLINE: Website(s): www.deanwesleysmith.com   Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Dean-Wesley-Smith/e/B000APCDJ6/ ___ GOT A QUESTION FOR KEVIN AND HIS GUESTS? CALL 281-809-WORD (9673)

Robert Scott-Norton writes high-octane sci-fi thrillers and is the creator of The Tombs Legacy, a universe of fiction. A lifelong fan of Stephen King and Doctor Who, it was perhaps inevitable that his work would sit somewhere between horror and sci-fi. Robert's books all take place in this same story universe – The Tombs Legacy. His debut sci-fi novel, The Face Stealer, is the first book in a series and sets up this fictional universe. A second series, set in the future, looks at Southport one hundred years from now as repercussions from The Face Stealer start to be felt. Find out more: Robert's books on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robert-Scott-Norton/e/B00GGH0GUU Follow Robert on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210319.Robert_Scott_Norton Follow Robert on Twitter https://twitter.com/robscottnorton Robert's LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertscottnorton/ Robert's InstaFreebie author page https://www.instafreebie.com/discover/author/3813/robert_scottnorton Talking points: 1) Terrance Dicks, Dr Who writer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrance_Dicks 2) NaNoWriMo (highly recommended!) http://nanowrimo.org/ 3) Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing by Dean Wesley Smith http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/killing-the-sacred-cows-of-publishing/ 4) The Creative Penn podcast (highly recommended!) http://www.thecreativepenn.com/ 5) Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/ The Smashwords style guide https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52 6) Draft2Digital https://www.draft2digital.com/ Books2Read booking linking service https://books2read.com/ 7) Scrivener https://paulteague.com/scrivener [My affiliate link] 8) Chris Fox's 5000 Words Per Hour here [Affiliate link] 9) A Week in The Life of an Indie Author http://robertscottnorton.net/writing/a-week-in-the-life-of-an-indie-author/ 10) Time management techniques: David Allen's Getting Things Done http://gettingthingsdone.com/ Zen Habits https://zenhabits.net/ 11) Nick Stephenson's Reader Magnets http://

Robert Scott-Norton writes high-octane sci-fi thrillers and is the creator of The Tombs Legacy, a universe of fiction. A lifelong fan of Stephen King and Doctor Who, it was perhaps inevitable that his work would sit somewhere between horror and sci-fi. Robert’s books all take place in this same story universe – The Tombs Legacy. His debut sci-fi novel, The Face Stealer, is the first book in a series and sets up this fictional universe. A second series, set in the future, looks at Southport one hundred years from now as repercussions from The Face Stealer start to be felt. Find out more: Robert's books on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robert-Scott-Norton/e/B00GGH0GUU Follow Robert on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7210319.Robert_Scott_Norton Follow Robert on Twitter https://twitter.com/robscottnorton Robert's LinkedIn page https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertscottnorton/ Robert's InstaFreebie author page https://www.instafreebie.com/discover/author/3813/robert_scottnorton Talking points: 1) Terrance Dicks, Dr Who writer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrance_Dicks 2) NaNoWriMo (highly recommended!) http://nanowrimo.org/ 3) Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing by Dean Wesley Smith http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/killing-the-sacred-cows-of-publishing/ 4) The Creative Penn podcast (highly recommended!) http://www.thecreativepenn.com/ 5) Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/ The Smashwords style guide https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52 6) Draft2Digital https://www.draft2digital.com/ Books2Read booking linking service https://books2read.com/ 7) Scrivener https://paulteague.com/scrivener [My affiliate link] 8) Chris Fox's 5000 Words Per Hour here [Affiliate link] 9) A Week in The Life of an Indie Author http://robertscottnorton.net/writing/a-week-in-the-life-of-an-indie-author/ 10) Time management techniques: David Allen's Getting Things Done http://gettingthingsdone.com/ Zen Habits https://zenhabits.net/ 11) Nick Stephenson's Reader Magnets http:// --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/self-publishing-journeys/message

Hey there Word Nerds! Thanks for joining me for this episode of DIY MFA Radio. You’re gonna love today’s guest. Today I’m speaking with one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction: Dean Wesley Smith. A USA Today bestselling author, Dean has published far over a hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds upon hundreds of short stories across many genres. In total, he has over seventeen million copies of his books in print.His monthly magazine called Smith’s Monthly, consisting of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and has not missed an issue yet. With over 60,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month, this magazine goes to show that consistency is king when it comes to modern publishing, especially indie publishing. In this episode Dean and I discuss: How to get out of your own way and get writing. Killing the sacred cows of publishing Giving your creative voice permission to play and putting the critical voice away. Running a small publishing company. Training yourself to shift gears from creative work to business work. Plus, Dean’s #1 tip for writers. More about Dean: Considered one of the most prolific writers working in modern fiction, USA Today bestselling writer, Dean Wesley Smith published far over a hundred novels in forty years, and hundreds and hundreds of short stories across many genres. He has over seventeen million of his books in print.At the moment he produces novels in four major series, including the time travel Thunder Mountain novels set in the old west, the galaxy-spanning Seeders Universe series, the urban fantasy Ghost of a Chance series, and the superhero series starring Poker Boy. His monthly magazine called Smith’s Monthly, consisting of only his own fiction, premiered in October 2013 and has not missed an issue yet, with over 60,000 words per issue, including a new and original novel every month.During his career, Dean also wrote a couple dozen Star Trek novels, the only two original Men in Black novels, Spider-Man and X-Men novels, plus novels set in gaming and television worlds. Writing with his wife Kristine Kathryn Rusch under the name Kathryn Wesley, they wrote the novel for the NBC miniseries The Tenth Kingdom and other books for Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.He wrote novels under dozens of pen names in the worlds of comic books and movies, including novelizations of almost a dozen films, from The Final Fantasy to Steel to Rundown. Dean also worked as a fiction editor off and on, starting at Pulphouse Publishing, then at VB Tech Journal, then Pocket Books, and now at WMG Publishing where he and Kristine Kathryn Rusch serve as executive editors for the acclaimed Fiction River anthology series. To learn more about Dean’s books and ongoing projects, check out his website. For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/113

Welcome to another guest segment of ‘The Writer’s Brain’ where we pick the brain of a neuroscientist about the elements of great writing. This week’s show covers some possible origins and solutions to an ailment known only to writers. Research scientist Michael Grybko, of the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington, returned to help me pinpoint the mysteries of writer’s block from a scientific standpoint. If you missed the first three installments of The Writer’s Brain — on How Neuroscience Defines Creativity, Empathy, and Storytelling — you can find all of them in the show notes and on writerfiles.fm. Join us for this two-part interview, and if you’re a fan of the show, please click “subscribe” to automatically see new interviews, and help other writers find us. In Part One of the file Michael Grybko and I discuss: Why Writers Argue about the Definition of Writer’s Block What Happens When Your Creativity Dries Up How to Find Your Most Productive Writing Time Why Writers Need to Unplug to Recharge How an ‘Incubation Phase’ Can Improve Your Writing Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience below ... Download MP3 Subscribe by RSS Subscribe in iTunes The Show Notes How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Writer s Block: Part Two How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Creativity How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Empathy How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Storytelling How to Beat Writer’s Block – Maria Konnikova This Is Your Brain on Writing – New York Times Famous Writers’ Sleep Habits vs. Literary Productivity, Visualized – Maria Popova Kelton Reid on Twitter The Transcript How Neuroscientist Michael Grybko Defines Writer’s Block: Part One Kelton Reid: The Writer Files is brought to you by StudioPress, the industry standard for premium WordPress themes and plugins. Built on the Genesis Framework, StudioPress delivers state-of-the-art SEO tools, beautiful and fully responsive design, airtight security, instant updates, and much more. If you’re ready to take your WordPress site to the next level, see for yourself why over a 177,000 website owners trust StudioPress. Go to Rainmaker.FM/StudioPress right now. These are The Writer Files, a tour of the habits, habitats, and brains of working writers, from online content creators to fictionists, journalists, entrepreneurs, and beyond. I’m your host Kelton Reid: writer, podcaster, and mediaphile. Each week, we’ll discover how great writers keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block. Welcome to another segment of The Writer’s Brain, where I pick the brain of a neuroscientist about the elements of great writing. This week’s show covers some possible origins and solutions to an ailment known only to writers. Research scientist Michael Grybko of the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington returned to help me pinpoint the mysteries of writer’s block from a scientific standpoint. If you’ve missed the first three installments of The Writer’s Brain — on How Neuroscience Defines Creativity, Empathy, and Storytelling — you can find them all in the show notes and on WriterFiles.FM. Join us for this two-part interview, and if you’re a fan of the show, please click ‘subscribe’ to automatically see new interviews and help other writers to find us. In part one of the file, Michael and I discuss why writer’s argue about the definition of writer’s block, what happens when your creativity dries up, how to find your most productive writing time, why writers need to unplug to recharge, and how an incubation phase can vastly improve your writing. We are rolling on The Writer Files once again with the illustrious Michael Grybko. Thank you so much for taking time out to rap with me about the dreaded writer’s block, something that we have talked about in the past but never really discussed from a scientific standpoint. Michael Grybko: Yeah, another exciting topic. It’s my pleasure to be back. Thanks for having me. Why Writers Argue about the Definition of Writer s Block Kelton Reid: Awesome, awesome. I am really interested to get into this and pick your brain about it. It’s a question that I ask writers on the show, authors on the show, just if they believe in it. I have asked in the past how they deal with it. I think it’s a contested subject. It really is. It’s something that it’s almost like there’s a dividing line, like there’s writers that don’t believe in it. They’re like, “Ah, it’s not a thing.” And there are writers that do believe in it or believe in it because they know somebody’s who’s had it. They just empathize with those who have had it, but they’ve never had it themselves. Michael Grybko: Right. That’s not surprising. There’s going to be a lot of individual differences, a lot of personality differences. As we’ll get into later, these may affect how prone someone is to being blocked. It’s not surprising to see all these discrepancies here. Kelton Reid: Yeah. Well, to kick it off, one piece that you and I have passed back and forth was a New Yorker piece that Maria Konnikova wrote titled How to Beat Writer’s Block. What I found most interesting about this was the origins of the term ‘writer’s block’ she had tracked down to this Freudian psychiatrist named Edmund Bergler, who had studied writers for a couple decades and came to some pretty interesting conclusions. In 1950, he published a paper called Does Writer’s Block Exist? in a journal founded by Freud, it appears. He came to some really interesting conclusions that I think you will confirm. Just to go back to that dividing line, from Toni Morrison to Joyce Carol Oates, a lot of famous writers have argued about writer’s block itself, but never really can define it. I think Ms. Morrison told her students that writer’s block should be respected, like it was a thing, not to try to write through it. Ms. Oates believed that it didn’t exist, but admitted that when you’re trying to do something prematurely, it just won’t come out. Certain subjects need time. They need marination, if you will, before they can be written about. Then, on the far end of the spectrum, we’ve got writers like Steven Pressfield from his classic War of Art that likens it more to a supernatural force inside of the writer called ‘resistance,’ which I love. I think it’s a great idea, but it’s this repelling force that keeps us aware, distracts us from our work. Writers just aren’t all on the same page. Now, science is offering us a glimpse of what’s going on inside the writer’s brain again. Michael Grybko: Again, like I said, it’s not surprising there’s all these different viewpoints. That gets to the heart of writer’s block. It is a personal issue. There’s different moods, and we’ll get into some of that. I think there’s a lot of reasons for writer’s block. Some of them really aren’t even a neuroscience problem or are hard to touch on, and I think one, just not having enough time. That happens. We just can’t get to something. Then, sometimes, I think another thing maybe we’re just not even interested in the topic. Then it can be hard to write about or work on if we lose our passion. Those are things I think are hard to touch on or not too interesting from the neuroscience perspective. But one of the causes for writer’s block that we may be able to get into from a neuroscience perspective is this loss in creativity. Kelton Reid: Right. What Happens When Your Creativity Dries Up Michael Grybko: We had an episode on creativity, and we defined ‘creativity’ as an idea that’s novel, good, and useful. Kelton Reid: Right. Michael Grybko: For this episode, I thought, “Well, what happens when the creative process breaks down and we have a deficit of creativity? What can lead to that, and what’s going on in the neurons that may facilitate our writer’s block or deficit?” Kelton Reid: Right. Michael Grybko: There you go. Kelton Reid: Exactly, and I’ll link to that creativity episode. In fact, I’ll link to all three of the neuroscience Writer’s Files that we’ve done. In that particular episode, you were talking about this particular area called the caudate nucleus that’s active during writing. Can you just touch on that again, or can we revisit what that does for us? Michael Grybko: Right. I think this was one of the articles, was it in The New Yorker, that you turned me onto? But writers were being compared to pro athletes. I forgot what their names were. Kelton Reid: Yeah, I think it was a New York Times article. Michael Grybko: New York Times, okay. I went back to the original research, and they showed that this area in the brain called the caudate nucleus was active in writers when they were doing their thing. This area was shown to be active in things like athletes, piano players. That was a little surprising to the researchers. I don’t think it’s all that surprising when you pull away from things a bit and think about how the brain works. I want to go back and talk about creativity again. Kelton Reid: Yeah, please. Michael Grybko: Again, it’ll be good that you linked to the old episode, so we don’t have to go over everything again. One of the things we talked about in creativity is how knowledge is stored and information is stored in the brain. Briefly, knowledge isn’t really stored in a neuron. One neuron doesn’t hold a piece of information. Knowledge is represented as a group of neurons and how they behave both temporally and spatially. It’s the firing of large numbers of neurons which represent certain information and knowledge. Now, the brain has been broken up into a lot of different regions, and we’ve attached some functionality to these regions. For instance, hippocampus is known for memory, spatial memory. Prefontal cortex, executive function. Cerebellum has been linked to movement. All those areas, functionality of these areas, it’s not just these areas that control that aspect of a behavior. All these areas are connected with one another, albeit some of these connections are indirect, but ultimately, the brain is one organ. It’s not like a linear set of processes that happens to lead to a behavior. This being said, this really sets the framework that allows us to be creative — this firing pattern in areas that fluctuates as behaviors change. It’s this aspect of brain function that makes us associative learners and allows us to recognize these relationships between disparately connected items, which is really the hallmark of being creative. Unfortunately, this connectedness can have a downside. I think that’s what also leads to writer’s block. For instance, our emotions can impact our productivity on a task. There’s post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries. Although they may impact specifically one area of the brain — because of this connectedness — that may end up having widespread effects and affect our behavior and our ability to perform on other tasks. When an activity in the area of your brain that is responsible for processing information we need to write effectively, then we may end up with writer’s block. Kelton Reid: Yeah. That brings us to the million-dollar question for you. How do we avoid that? Michael Grybko: Right. Oh boy, big moment. Kelton Reid: Drum roll please. Michael Grybko: I’m responsible now. Kelton Reid: No, I know there are lots of facets to this. Michael Grybko: There are. Kelton Reid: And honestly, some of it is a little over my head. Okay, way over my head, but it does make a lot of sense that there’s not just one cause and/or effect. There’s lots of stuff going on. What are some of the things that we can touch on in this session without talking for eight hours? Michael Grybko: For me, for what I do, I look at how neurons behave with certain behaviors. That’s what my training is. On these topics, that’s what I like to look for — what are some possible neuronal mechanisms behind these behaviors and these things we see? When I started thinking about this, one of the things I came up with was time management. One aspect of time management is just making sure we have enough time in the day to do all the things we need to get done. If you don’t have enough time to get to the writing, you just don’t get to it. That’s something that we really can’t deal with. I can’t from a neuroscience perspective. That’s a scheduling issue. You have to go talk to your boss or something, and I don’t know. There is one aspect of time management I think gets overlooked a lot when people are putting their schedules together, filling out their Google Calendars, whatever. That’s not only making sure that we have enough time to get all the things we need to do done in a day or get to, but also making sure that we’re doing things at the appropriate time. I think this really gets overlooked because there’s quite a bit of research out there showing neuronal activity patterns are influenced by environmental factors that are out of our control. A great example of this is something a lot of people know about, and that’s the circadian rhythm, also called sleep-wake cycle, light-dark cycle. Obvious example, at night we sleep, at day we’re awake at the light. I think what people don’t realize is that throughout the day, even if we’re awake, there could be specific times within a day, the changes fluctuate over time, and there could be specific tasks that we’re better at, at certain times of the day. Kelton Reid: Just to touch on that a little bit as you’re getting into it, let’s see, Maria Popova did a really pretty cool collaboration with an artist called Famous Writers’ Sleep Habits and Literary Productivity. Although all the writers have different sleep patterns, a lot of them are very prolific. They had just figured out their circadian rhythms is what I’m assuming. How to Find Your Most Productive Writing Time Michael Grybko: Right. Yeah. We’re getting back to an area where we’re going to see a lot of individual differences. Yeah, not surprising. People are going to have different habits, and although they may be performing a similar task, someone may be a morning person. Someone may be a night person. There’s some experimental evidence to support this. Circadian rhythms are studied pretty extensively. This is just one example of the rhythms that happen in our brain, this oscillatory behavior, but we’ll just stick to the circadian rhythms. Back in the early ’90s, a group, I think it was Hoffmann and Balschun, showed that mice acquired knowledge used to navigate a maze faster during the dark phase of the light-dark cycle. Mice are nocturnal, so that’s not too surprising. But then another group led by Colwell in UCLA showed a different type of memory. This tone-associated fear conditioning was acquired more rapidly in the light phase. Then they also went on to show that the recall of this memory, this tone-associated fear conditioning was more pronounced during the day as well. This is really interesting. It’s pointing to this idea that it’s not just generally we’re more alert at a certain point of the day, but it could be task-specific. Gaining knowledge and recalling knowledge, we need to be better at these things at different times in the day. For a writer, I’m thinking, really self-reflect, take a look at your habits and what are the best times for you to do certain tasks during the day. Maybe researching a topic, there may be a certain time of day where research is good for you. Maybe later in the day, a different time, when actually writing about it may be different. Kelton Reid: Exactly. Michael Grybko: You may be more proficient at it. Do a little self-reflecting, and keep this in mind. This may help stave off writer’s block. If you’re not doing the appropriate task at the appropriate time, you may not be your most productive. Kelton Reid: Yeah, absolutely. Different writers research better and more effectively first thing in the morning, and some writers are sleeping during that time. Michael Grybko: Right. Kelton Reid: I’ve interviewed lots of writers, and they all seem to have this different scheduling mechanism ability to really focus and find flow at different times. I’m thinking of Dean Wesley Smith, prolific, prolific sci-fi writer, who doesn’t really get started until late in the evening when things are quiet, like Balzac, for instance, late-night writers. Then some of these journalists, for instance, can only find that same quiet first thing in the morning, like right at dawn. A lot of famous writers have had that. Michael Grybko: Yeah, tune in. Figure out what your schedule is and when you’re most productive. That could be a very important aspect to avoiding writer’s block. Why Writers Need to Unplug to Recharge Kelton Reid: Absolutely. I want to talk a little bit about multitasking and a term given to some entrepreneurs and writers, ‘the workaholic.’ I’m seeing more and more evidence that these things are not good for us. Michael Grybko: Right. Kelton Reid: I identify a little bit with the workaholic thing, and I’m definitely somebody who, when I get into a bad space, can multitask terribly ineffectively, but I think I’m getting stuff done. Michael Grybko: Right. I’m not sure of the neurological basis for this. There is a lot coming out now about just how much an individual can work and be productive. There does seem to be a point where we’re still working a lot, but really not doing much. Kelton Reid: Yeah, yeah. Michael Grybko: Even though we think we are, we’re a lot of times doing more harm than good. This is, unfortunately, really complex behavior, and it’s hard to find an animal model for this. Animals generally aren’t workaholics. You don’t see the mouse still trying to figure out the maze usually. They usually just quit. They throw in the towel. They’re like, “No, too complicated. I’m done.” Kelton Reid: That probably goes without saying that, that kind of behavior is going to affect other parts of your life negatively. Michael Grybko: Yeah, absolutely. Kelton Reid: Relationships, for instance. You need some work-life balance probably. Michael Grybko: Yeah, I think so. I think getting off topic is very important for awhile. Having something to do outside of work. Kelton Reid: Absolutely. Downtime I think is what you’re getting at. Michael Grybko: Yeah, downtime, but also having your downtime be active, having some hobbies that are still engaging. Kelton Reid: Sure. I did just want to touch back quickly on something that I know has been a topic that’s been bandied back and forth. It’s something I know that some of my coworkers do, and they take a nap during the middle of the day. Most of them work remotely, so they work at home. They can do that. I’m seeing more and more evidence that some of these bigger, more enlightened tech companies are offering things like sleep pods and places for employees to take naps around the office because it’s been shown to boost productivity. Michael Grybko: Right. Kelton Reid: That probably fits right back into that circadian. Michael Grybko: Yeah, and just the benefits of sleep. Again, we don’t know exactly what’s going on. Sleep’s really important. It’s a hard topic to explore at the neurological level because we have to be able to peer inside an individual’s head — and that’s a hard thing to do, to look inside someone’s head, an individual’s head while they’re sleeping — because most methods are prohibitive to sleep. But we’re starting to get there. We’re starting to understand some of the changes that happen to the brain and the benefits of sleeping. Then I think a lot of this is just our society’s changing, and our habits are changing with the Internet. Like you said, now we can work from home a lot more. The workday isn’t nine to five really anymore. People work late at night, but then they take breaks during the day. This is being accepted. There’s a lot cultural shifts that are happening as well. I think we’ll see how it goes, but it’s giving people a lot more freedom. Now, since we’re not crammed into those banker’s hours of when we have to be productive, maybe we can start being productive during times when it’s best for us, not confined in the office anymore in the office hours. Kelton Reid: Absolutely. How an ‘Incubation Phase’ Can Improve Your Writing Michael Grybko: Another topic that came up when I was thinking about this, when I was contemplating, “What do I say about writer’s block? What’s going on in the brain?” Something I stumbled upon was this idea of an incubation stage. A lot of people talk about this. There’s a lot of self-reporting and some anecdotal evidence out there that this is important. There’s some human research showing that an incubation stage is beneficial to creativity. One thing I came across when I was looking at this, I remember the story about this guy, Kary Mullis, who now has a Nobel prize. He invented PCR, polymerase chain reaction, which is this widely used biochemical assay. It’s used now in forensics and just all over the place. He was working on something else. It was similar to PCR, but he was in the lab trying to figure out an assay how to improve the yield of a certain reaction. Got out of the lab, he was driving on a highway in California, and he just pulled over. Basically, the idea of PCR hit him — it’s a cellular reaction. That got me thinking about this incubation stage. I’m trying to think, “What’s going on? Why is taking a break from a task important? Is there anything going on in the brain that could be beneficial or happening?” I realized there’s some research and animals’ models showing this phenomenon known as what’s been termed ‘replay.’ This is some work done by Loren Frank and UC San Francisco that showed, in the hippocampus, there’s a specific neural activity observed in animals when they’re learning a task. What’s interesting, this activity continues or is replayed when the animal stops performing the task. Then they went on to show that disrupting this activity during these idle periods could also disrupt learning. The animal would just not behave as well on the task later. Again, this is animals. We obviously have to put a few asterisks here. I think what this does demonstrate is there could be some important neuronal activity happening, even when we’re away from the task, that’s important to us accomplishing our goals. Kelton Reid: Absolutely. Michael Grybko: What’s interesting to me in this is there’s no way to ask the animals in the study, like, “Were you thinking about what you were doing, or was this just happening?” There’s no way to know if the incubation stage, if we’re consciously aware of this neuronal activity or if this is going on without us being aware. If we could come up with a way to ask the mice and rats, “All right, are you thinking about the maze right, or is this happening independently of you thinking about it?” Kelton Reid: For sure. Michael Grybko: That’s kind of a side note. Kelton Reid: Thanks so much for joining us for a glimpse into the workings of the writer’s brain. For more episodes of The Writer Files or to simply to leave us a comment or a question, drop by WriterFiles.FM. You can always chat with me on Twitter @KeltonReid. Cheers. Talk to you next week.

Wildly prolific, bestselling novelist — Dean Wesley Smith — has been a full-time writer since the ’80s, and he made a visit to the show to talk about how he has written (and ghostwritten) hundreds of titles over the years. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! In edition to being the CFO of a traditional publisher, he is a non-fiction author, educator, and multi-genre writer whose short fiction has appeared in over 20 anthologies. Dean shared with me the habits and habitats of a hyper-prolific fictionist who has written dozens of Star Trek novels, film novelizations, and a handful of licensed properties for favorites including Smallville, Spider-Man, X-Men, Aliens, and Men in Black. Join us for this two-part interview. If you missed the first half you can find it here. In Part Two of the file Dean Wesley Smith and I discuss: The ‘Midnight Disease’ of a Highly Prolific Author How to Find the Intersection of Creativity and Entertainment Why Writers Must Never Stop Learning The Courage Required to ‘Dare to Be Bad’ Why Great Writers Aren’t Always the Best Dinner Guests Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience below ... Download MP3 Subscribe by RSS Subscribe in iTunes The Show Notes DeanWesleySmith.com Non-Fiction Titles by Dean Wesley Smith (including Heinlein s Rules and Writing into the Dark) The Works of John D. MacDonald Dean Wesley Smith on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter

For the first time in weeks the guys manage a podcast without an interview segment--meaning nearly all the talk is theirs! Jeff kicks it off with news about how his writing is going, then it's a final shout out to Tammy Middleton's Author's Sign Off for Autism Awareness, which raised more than $3,000 dollars for Autism Speaks. Will reviews The Cattle Baron's Bogus Boyfriend by Nicki Bennett. The Tony Award nominations came out and Jeff & Will spend some time dissecting them before moving on to discussions of The Real O'Neals, superhero shows and the delightful comedy, The Intern. Archie Comics also gets a shout out for its upcoming series featuring gay character Kevin Keller, who will  also show up in the CW's pilot for Riverdale. Lisa from The Novel Approach stops by with book recommendations from Jordan L. Hawke, Andrea Speed, Charlie David and S. Hunter Nisbet. Jeff discusses the idea of authors using video-based content, as well as seeing reviewers in the romance genre producing video reviews. Will recaps some of the learning he's doing--including a book about romance writing from Gwen Hayes and a course from Dean Wesley Smith. Complete shownotes for episode 31 are available at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Wildly prolific, bestselling novelist — Dean Wesley Smith — has been a full-time writer since the ’80s, and he made a visit to the show to talk about how he has written (and ghostwritten) hundreds of titles over the years. Rainmaker.FM is Brought to You By Discover why more than 80,000 companies in 135 countries choose WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting. Start getting more from your site today! In edition to being the CFO of a traditional publisher, he is a non-fiction author, educator, and multi-genre writer whose short fiction has appeared in over 20 anthologies. Dean shared with me the habits and habitats of a hyper-prolific fictionist who has also written dozens of Star Trek novels, film novelizations, and a handful of licensed properties for favorites including Smallville, Spider-Man, X-Men, Aliens, and Men in Black. Join us for this two-part interview. In Part One of the file Dean Wesley Smith and I discuss: How ‘Heinlein’s Rules’ Can Change Your Writing Process Why Writers Have to Be Readers First How a Dedicated Writing Computer Can Boost Your Productivity The Origins of Writer’s Block Why You Should Always Write Yourself into a Corner Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience below ... Download MP3 Subscribe by RSS Subscribe in iTunes The Show Notes How Bestselling Hybrid Author Dean Wesley Smith Writes: Part Two DeanWesleySmith.com Non-Fiction Titles by Dean Wesley Smith (including Heinlein s Rules and Writing into the Dark) Freewrite: Your Distraction-Free Writing Tool How to Beat Writer’s Block by Maria Konnikova for The New Yorker Dean Wesley Smith on Twitter Kelton Reid on Twitter

Pulp Speed isn't a new concept but the name might well be. It was coined by Dean Wesley Smith and essentially means: sitting down and writing lots of words and stories. Also known as putting your arse in the chair and writing. Dean went a little bit further with his definition and created pulp speeds -- similar to Star Trek's warp speeds -- so people can say they're at pulp speed one or whatever. This is a popular yet controversial topic but considering all of the hype around 21 day / monthly challenges (Chris Fox, etc) that are currently circulating we thought we should dedicate a podcast episode to it. So we invited two authors Jim Johnson who runs a Google+ Group called Pulp Speeders and is currently completing a 3 Novels in 3 Months Challenge; and Ivy Sinclair who wrote: How I wrote 28,000 words in two days. Two authors who are definitely writing at pulp speeds and we asked them what pulp speed is, how to achieved it and how to get to the next speed...

Kobo Writing Life Director Mark Lefebvre interviews 6 of the 7 writers who make up the core writers of the Uncollected Anthology project:  Phaedra Weldon, Leslie Clare Walker, Annie Reed, Leah Cutter, Dayle A. Dermatis and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. (Absent from the interview, but a core member is Michele Lang) The Uncollected Anthology of Urban Fantasy, is an ongoing project where, every three months, the authors pick a theme and write a short story for that theme. But instead of bundling the stories together, they each sell their own stories. So you can buy any one of them, or all of them. No fuss, no muss. But the tales are packaged using templates that bring them together thematically, and the authors have found the anthology as helpful for new readers to discover these books. In the interview, Mark and the writers discuss: How they get together annually for a meeting and have planned the themes out until May 2018 How the idea was born out of the Fiction River anthology workshops that Kris runs with her husband Dean. Dayle looked around the room at the talented authors and knew there were enough who wrote urban fantasy to put something like this together The process which includes deadlines for when the stories, the blurbs, the covers are all due each quarter The cross-promotional aspect of marketing each “issue” or theme of this ongoing series that includes the website and links embedded within each author's books How, even though they are calling them “short stories” some of the stories go as long as 20,000 words or novella length The way Allyson Longueira of WMG Publishing designed the cover template for the group for them to have a consistent brand, look and feel (such as the consistent color that each of the themes employ) The inherent trust each writer has to have, above the existing contract which includes terms such as the fact that each author owns all the copyright on each of their respective stories The common request from readers about how they might be able to get all the stories together How every Feb the theme is urban fantasy romance How Leah doesn't enjoy writing romance and yet, facing the challenge of that theme wrote a story that she loves the most – “The Midnight Gardener” How the themes help the writers explore different concepts and stories they never knew they had in them The brilliantly organic meeting that was the genesis of this collective, and the importance of community and an in person presence at writer events. How Kris is sometimes known by the nickname “Tom Hanks” derived from the movie “Big” because of the storm of ideas that she has Emails, yearly meeting and a closed yahoo group they use to communicate and share files A discussion of some of the challenges that have faced the group Some of the guest authors which include Dean Wesley Smith, Anthea Sharp, Rebecca Senese, Ron Cillins May's “out of the woods” theme . . . . The Fiction River workshops, how they originated based upon what used to be called the Dennis Little workshops at conventions The Importance of being with other writers, the support they offer one another, the pep-talks, the understanding . . . . After the interview, Mark talks about the importance of what can happen when writers come together to share, to communicate and to network.   Links of Interest Uncollected Anthology Main Website Uncollected Anthology Books at Kobo Click here to subscribe to the Uncollected Anthology Newsletter

USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes in almost every genre. Generally, she uses her real name (Rusch) for most of her writing. Under that name, she publishes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. Her works include: The Fey series: With a sweeping scope reminiscent of George R.R. Martin's Westeros and  intricate characters like those in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth, Kristine Kathryn Rusch's Fey series takes fantasy in a whole new direction. When the most powerful ruling family in the world attempts to conquer a tiny, seemingly helpless island kingdom, they meet forces they never knew existed. In a fight spread over generations, this saga of hope and magic proves that the greatest power of all comes from love; The Retrieval Artist series – a series of 15 books, consisting of seven standalone novels and the Anniversary Day Saga, an epic, eight-book story of conspiracy, revenge and shadowy justice. Miles Flint, no stranger to tough cases, walks a razor edge as he and others struggle to save the Moon from total destruction. Where will you be when the bombs go off? And the Diving series: a space opera set in a vividly imagined far-future universe, featuring a strong, capable female heronie, blending fast-paced action with an exploration of the nature of friendship and the ethics of scientific discoveries. Her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in eighteen best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov's Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award. Rusch publishes mystery novels under the pseudonym Kris Nelscott. Publications from The Chicago Tribune to Booklist have included her Nelscott mystery novels in their top-ten-best mystery novels of the year. The Nelscott books have received nominations for almost every award in the mystery field, including the best novel Edgar Award, and the Shamus Award. Her Nelscott mystery novels include the Smokey Dalton series: Memphis, 1968. Black P.I., white client. And Martin Luther King's on the way… Memphis P.I. SMOKEY DALTON is hired by a wealthy woman from Chicago to find out why her mother left him $10,00 in her will. Toss in the fact that 1968 Memphis is a racial powderkeg set to go off, with an on-going Sanitation Workers' Strike and the impending arrival of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. contributing to the mix. Now add in that Smokey's developing a strong, and apparently mutual attraction to his white client, and you've got one hell of a read that offers an unflinching look at a pivotal moment in American history. He's an appealing private eye, a loner with a strong set of ethics, burning with anger at the injustices he sees everyday, but careful to distance himself from the struggle for equality swirling all around him, or any personal involvement. He doesn't even commit himself to his profession –he prefers to call himself an “odd-jobs man.” But the distance Smokey tries to keep is rapidly shrinking, even as his attraction grows, and it soon becomes obvious that somehow, somewhere, his client's life and his are inextricably linked. Rusch writes goofy romance novels as award-winner Kristine Grayson, romantic suspense as Kristine Dexter, futuristic science fiction as Kris DeLake, and has sold a number of short stories. She also edits. Beginning with work at the innovative publishing company, Pulphouse, followed by her award-winning tenure at The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, she took fifteen years off before returning to editing with the original anthology series Fiction River, published by WMG Publishing. She acts as series editor with her husband, writer Dean Wesley Smith, and edits at least two anthologies in the series per year on her own.

Author Dean Wesley Smith is the guest in this episode of The Author Biz. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of writing sales copy for your new book? For many authors, it's a sense of terror. They'd rather write the next 80,000 word novel than sit down to write sales […] The post TAB059: Writing Sales Copy for Fiction with Dean Wesley Smith appeared first on .

Welcome to another edutainment filled episode of GenreTainment! On this 96th episode we are speaking with writer Dean Wesley Smith. He is a USA Today bestselling author with over 100 novels and hundreds of short stories published.He shares with us how he started his now over 40 year career, and gives some excellent writing tips from his experience and from his non-fiction book Writing Into The Dark. Smith tells us what it is like writing media tie-in books for movie & TV show settings like Star Trek, Men and Black,Quantum Leap, and more. He also talks about his original book series, like his Old West time travel series Thunder Mountain, his scifi Space Opera the Seeders Universe, and his superhero series Poker Boy.GenreTainment is where we talk about what is happening in the world of film, TV and web series. We give you interviews with writers, directors, producers and actors in both independent and not-so-independent creations.Links:Official Dean Wesley Smith websiteDean Wesley Smith on Twitter: @DeanWesleySmithThe Geekie AwardsTelevision on the Wild Wild Web: How To Blaze Your Own TrailGenreTainment on FacebookMarx on Twitter: @MrMarx See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to another edutainment filled episode of GenreTainment! On this 96th episode we are speaking with writer Dean Wesley Smith. He is a USA Today bestselling author with over 100 novels and hundreds of short stories published. He shares with us how he started his now over 40 year career, and gives some excellent writing tips from his experience and from his non-fiction book Writing Into The Dark. Smith tells us what it is like writing media tie-in books for movie & TV show settings like Star Trek, Men and Black, Quantum Leap, and more. He also talks about his original book series, like his Old West time travel series Thunder Mountain, his scifi Space Opera the Seeders Universe, and his superhero series Poker Boy.GenreTainment is where we talk about what is happening in the world of film, TV and web series.  We give you interviews with writers, directors, producers and actors in both independent and not-so-independent creations. Links: Official Dean Wesley Smith websiteDean Wesley Smith on Twitter: @DeanWesleySmithThe Geekie AwardsTelevision on the Wild Wild Web: How To Blaze Your Own TrailGenreTainment on FacebookMarx on Twitter: @MrMarx See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mark Lefebvre, Kobo Writing Life Director, in conversation with Dean Wesley Smith, a USA Today Bestselling author of books in multiple genres including Science-Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers and Westerns. Currently producing novels in four different series, Smith is also the co-publisher of WMG Publishing along with his partner Kristine Kathryn Rusch and runs a series of workshops designed to help writers become smarter not only about the craft but also about the business of publishing. During their conversation, Dean and Mark talk about: ·         The fact that Dean wasn't born into writing, actually loathed it when he was in college (He has a Masters in Architecture) ·         The various careers and roles that Smith played during his life, including his past as a Pro Golfer and hot dog skier ·         How his goal of being a Golf Course Architect led to writing via an English course that he had to take. ·         The English Professor who told Smith that his writing was too commercial ·         The writing class that forced Smith to submit a poem to a college poetry market (at which he won second place and $300) – at the time, he had to go see the professor to ask about it because he had no idea what it meant ·         After this experience, Smith tried his hand at fiction, wrote a 1000 word short story and mailed it off to a market right away. Then he wrote a second story and mailed that off right away. Both stories sold immediately. ·         How, after these first three successes, Smith started listening to people's advice (AKA myths) about writing, and re-wrote his stories to dead, and for the next 7 years never sold a single thing ·         It wasn't until 1982 that Smith ran across Robert Heinlein's Business Rules of Writing, followed the advice, started selling again and has never looked back  (http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/heinleins-business-rules/)  The RULES  o   1 – You Must Write  o   2 – You Must Finish What You Start  o   3 – You Must Refrain From Rewriting Except to Editorial Order  o   4 – You Must Put It on The Market  o   5 – You Must Keep It on The Market Until Sold ·         Dean's books:  Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Publishing and Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Indie Publishing. ·         The magazine that Dean and Kristine Kathryn Rusch ran for 9 years, called Pulphouse. ·         The Starfleet Corps of Engineers Series that Dean kicked off in the Star Trek Universe – a series about the people who follow up after Captain Kirk, cleaning up his messes (which was originally meant to be an eBook back in 2000 and knocked John Grisham off the eBook bestseller list when it was released) ·         The challenge of writing within an existing restrictive universe, such as Star Trek, such as the reader having to hear Shatner's voice when writing the character Captain Kirk. ·         Smith's lesson for writers creating character voice by paying really close attention to the differences in voice you can easily see created for the Star Trek characters of Kirk, Spock and McCoy ·         Regency Romance as one of the only genres that Smith really can't write in ·         How Westerns, (the old West) and Science-Fiction are two of Smith's go-two genres for writing. ·         The FICTION RIVER anthology series that Smith edits with Kristine Kathryn Rusch and how this river of fiction brings in new talent along with some major names from the genre.  (For example, the latest FICTION RIVER property, Pulse Pounders, edited by Kevin J. Anderson, included a previously unpublished sci-fi story by Frank Herbert) ·         The Oregon Coast workshops where the FICTION RIVER anthologies are derived that include a board of 6 Editors critiquing the stories live on stage and how that helps inform writers that what one editor rejects another editor might have bought ·         How the workshops that Dean and Kris started originated as the “Denise Little” short story workshops; because of the similarity to the way that editor/agent Denise Little liked to teach these principles ·         A bit about Smith's Monthly Magazine, which has both a paper and an eBook edition ·         How Smith sees the approximate 80,000 words that he writes each month as still “not enough” ·         Smith's ongoing Blog in which he shares daily insights: Writing in Public ·         How the teaching that Smith does is part of his desire to try to give back or pay forward to the industry in the way that the industry and writers before Smith have given so much to him ·         One of the biggest myths from indie publishing, regarding indie writers not being able to get their indie published books into bookstores and the “fairy dust” that has long been spread regarding that ·         How Smith isn't anti-traditional but is 100% pro smart-writer   Other Links Dean Wesley Smith's Books at Kobo WMG Publishing Workshops WMG Publishing Lectures Fiction River Anthologies (website) Fiction River Anthologies (Kobo)        

KWL Director Mark Lefebvre interviews Kristine Kathryn Rusch, an award-winning writer of science fiction, fantasy, mystery and romance, at Superstars Writing Seminars. Apart from her decades of writing and editing experience which includes being published in 14 different countries in 13 languages, Rusch co-runs a publishing business (WMG Publishing) with her partner Dean Wesley Smith and provides authors invaluable insights about writing and publishing through her popular blog series: The Business Rusch. During the conversation, Mark and Kris talk about: ·         Her recent book, Discoverability and how it was derived from about 6 months' worth of blog posts outlining a bit about the history of publishing and how it relates to where we are today ·         A disclaimer that, unless you've already published about 10 books, you aren't likely to be able to use the advice from this book ·         The Business Rusch, the blog in which Rusch provides valuable insights that many smart writers ensure they read every week ·         Rusch has been a professional writer since she was sixteen years old and wrote an article for the local newspaper (insert appropriate and in-appropriate age jokes and laughing here) ·         How Rusch and author Kevin J. Anderson met while in college as like-minded writers with similar goals and how that social group expanded into relationships they've both had with writer friends ever since ·         How much Rusch gives back to the writing community and why she feels it's important to pay it forward to other writers the way that she was provided help, insights and support from writers who took the time to help her ·         The selfish reason why Rusch gives back – because she's an avid reader and wants more great books to read ·         The biggest pitfall that writers fall into – that they don't know enough about the business of writing ·         The reason why Rusch stopped editing full-time – how living in that critical space can affect your writing style and writing brain ·         The concept of “reader cookies” – a term that Rusch learned from editor Gardner Dozois – as well as “anti-cookies” and how that can affect an editor ·         Rusch's love of “secret identity” stories ·         The various different pseudonyms that Rusch has written under in various styles and genres, including Kristine Grayson, Kris Nelscott, and Kristine Dexter. ·         How Rusch puts up a free short story on her blog every Monday that people can check out with no strings attached. ·         Rusch's statement of advice to beginning writers        Mark then talks a bit more about the books for writers that Rusch has written and shares a personal experience about how reading the book Deal Breakers helped him in a very significant way when he was negotating a contract for one of his most recent books, Tomes of Terror.   LINKS Rusch's book: Discoverability Rusch's book: Deal Breakers: Contract Terms Writers Should Avoid The Business Rusch    

This week the Robots talk about the challenges and pitfalls of scheduling your production. And, of course, the rewards. This is loosely based on a an essay on the subject by Dean Wesley Smith that can be found at http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=11312.

Mark Lefebvre, KWL Director, interviews Melissa Yuan-Innes, author of the hot-selling Hope Sze Medical Mystery series about...     Melissa's role as an emergency physician and the role this plays in helping develop her fiction and the character of Hope Sze Melissa's latest book, TERMINALLY ILL which is coming out February 1, 2014 (and is available for pre-order) How the beloved yet frustrating city of Montreal is a prominent feature in her fiction How Melissa manages to find time to write on top of her demanding day job (10 to 14 hour shifts) and her family life. Melissa's “secret weapon” otherwise known as her husband The many pseudonyms Melissa uses for the different style of fiction that she writes (sci-fi/fantasy and non-fiction medical humour fiction) under Melissa Yuan-Innes, medical thrillers and mysteries written under Melissa Yi, medical romance written under Melissa Yin, children's books under Melissa Yuan and the reasons behind that (and how it has changed since Melissa first started) The unpredictability and wonderful escape factor as something that drew Melissa to science fiction Melissa won second place in the Writers of the Future when she was in medical school The importance and value of professional workshops, including the long term friendships that were forged at Writers of the Future, and the reason why Melissa has returned to Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch's professional workshops for over a decade Some early mistakes that Melissa made when she first started writing and sending submissions to editors (and great tips she learned from Kristine at the pro workshops) Some of the similarities and differences in the electronic age of writing and submitting and writing and publishing Melissa's amazing experience winning Kobo Writing Life's Win your Cover contest (featuring the talented and dedicated cover designer Scarlett Rugers Melissa's traditionally published short story “Burning Beauty” which appears in the anthology Tesseracts Sixteen: Parnassus Unbound, and how writing short fiction can be a refreshing change from writing novel length works, and still be a way of getting a lot of your material in front of a diverse and broad reading audience The CBC commissioned story written under Melissa Yi - No Air Melissa's yoga mystery story being published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and how Dean Wesley Smith calls being published in a market like that being one of the best advertising tools for a writer Melissa's dark humour December 2013 release:  The Italian School for Assassins and the role that humour and dark humour plays in her life and in her writing. Melissa's advice to writers regarding persistence and humour   Mark Lefebvre then talks about the difference between trying to find time to write and making time to write, outlining a few strategies that authors who work day jobs sometimes employ when carving out time in their busy schedules to make time for writing.    

Camille Mofidi, European Manager for Kobo Writing Life interviewed three authors that Kobo sponsored for the 2013 Frankfurt Book Fair Author Walk of Fame:  Emily Bold, Kristie Cook and Hugh Howey. This is the third in the series of three interviews and features international bestselling author Hugh Howey.  In the interview, Camille and Hugh discuss: Hugh's start into writing, the multi-faceted journey his life took, including being a ship's captain How Hugh was working as a bookseller when he started on the path of writing a book, publishing it, and then moving on to the next project writing the next book Hugh's perspective on the importance of joining a writing group; in particular the group he joined (the High Country Writers) The critical role that revisions of that first draft play for a writer, whether you are self-publishing or want to send it to an agent or publisher The role being a bookseller played in helping to inform Hugh about the realities of the publishing industry Hugh's belief that we should celebrate the fact that there are so many people out there able and willing to express themselves through literature like they do all other art forms How Europe, often seen to be lagging behind the North American trends is, in Hugh's opinion, actually progressing quite a bit more quickly than the U.S. in terms of accepting self-publishing The meetups that Hugh participates in when he is traveling, as a way to connect directly with readers How Hugh uses social media to make himself available and to interact with his readers and friends How Kobo Writing Life has been a major avenue to international readers for Hugh's eBooks How Hugh sees the KWL interface as the cleanest and most user-friendly platform, presenting data in an interesting format, and how he tells the other platforms they should be copying what Kobo is doing Hugh's 7 week tour through Europe promoting the book, and his embrace of a hybrid approach (Hugh sold the print only rights to WOOL to Simon & Schuster) The incredible innovation that several of Hugh's publishers have demonstrated in promoting WOOL   Mark Lefebvre, Director of Kobo Writing Life, discusses a point that Hugh makes in the interview regarding patience and the strategy of continuing to work on your next book (rather than focusing all your time and attention worrying about your already published title or titles) -- he also references a recent blog post by Dean Wesley Smith entitled "The New World of Publishing: Some Perspectives of 2013" in which Smith notes the importance of building a career over decades rather than giving up after a few books and very little sales (or, as the case used to be with publishing, quitting after 50 rejections)     Other Links: Hugh's website Hugh's books at Kobo The WOOL trilogy (WOOL, SHIFT & DUST)  

Adel arrived at a hospice, and seemed to be like any ordinary patient, but she endlessly tried to flee, and constantly muttered in German about needing to verwandeln.  What could she mean?Also, Big talks a bit about Dean Wesley Smith's "Killing The Sacred Cows Of Publishing," and Rish argues with him about them.  Then, they play a round of "Two Truths & A Lie," with a book by Kevin David Anderson hanging in the balance.Warning: Some of Rish Outfield's statements in this episode are even more (deliberately?) incendiary than usual.  Listen with a grain of salt handy.Special thanks to Lizanne Herd for producing and narrating today's story, and to Julie Hoverson for lending her voice.

We're going to wade into a recent e-brouhaha, but it's not going to be the Amazon vs Macmillan one. No, this is the one where Dean Wesley Smith argued that authors do not need agents. But you don't need to read that to appreciate this 'cast. So... do you need an agent? This depends on the operating definition of "you" and "agent." What kind of contractual experience do you have? What kinds of things will your agent do for you? And if you decide you do need an agent, how do you go about identifying the agent who is right for you? We'll cover all of this and more! Unrelated to agents (but definitely in the "and more" category): Howard reveals deeply personal information in this podcast! Audiobook Plug: The Maze Runner, by James Dashner Writing Prompt: Write a story in which a bestselling recluse author dies, and his agent scrambles to keep the career alive without telling anybody. Skin in the game, baby! This episode of Writing Excuses has been brought to you by Audible. Visit http://AudiblePodcast.com/excuse for a free trial membership*. *Note: From the Audible website, here are the terms of the free membership. Read the fine print, please! Audible® Free Trial Details Get your first 14 days of the AudibleListener® Gold membership plan free, which includes one audiobook credit. After your 14 day trial, your membership will renew each month for just $14.95 per month so you can continue to receive one audiobook credit per month plus members-only discounts on all audio purchases. A very small number of titles are more than one credit. Cancel your membership before your free trial period is up and you will not be charged. Thereafter, cancel anytime, effective the next billing cycle. Any unused audiobook credits will be lost at cancellation.

We’re going to wade into a recent e-brouhaha, but it’s not going to be the Amazon vs Macmillan one. No, this is the one where Dean Wesley Smith argued that authors do not need agents. But you don’t need to read that to appreciate this ‘cast. So… do you need an agent? This depends on … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.4: Agents. Do you need one? →